'What Laura Says' band will perform at Oak Creek Brewery on Saturday, Dec 5 in Sedona, AZ.

SEDONA, AZ - What Laura Says and the Jake Payne Band will play live in concert at 8 pm at Oak Creek Brewery Saturday, December 5.  Oak Creek Brewery is located at 2050 Yavapai Dr in Sedona. 

In a life spent searching for a multi-faceted, atypically melodic dirt road that travels across many musical landscapes, What Laura Says may be the one band that not only has traveled this road, but lso rocked its many stories to the slack-jawed hitchhikers along the way. Gospel blues? Classic stomp rock? Indie? Folk? They all have hopped along for the ride on a road this band has christened "Laura".

Hailing from the Phoenix area, the originally acoustic-clad duo of Danny Godbold (keys, guitar, vocals) and James Mulhern (guitar, percussion, vocals) wrote stories that wandered through gardens of lovely melodies, multi-part vocal harmonies and raw, gut-bucket truthfulness. Claiming "What Laura Says Thinks and Feels" as the ultimate word, the boys decided to lay down her tales to tape.

In the year two thousand and six, the duo met a rhythm section wrought with tales of sunny nights and rainy mornings: Greg Muller (drums), Mitch Freedom (bass, vocals) and Jacob Woolsey (percussion, various weirdness). Now an outstandingly solid five-piece, the stories were developed, and early the next year a full-length album was born.

Many local musicians and fans hailed the collection of storied songs as the album of the year and just as quickly the boys' incredible live show has garnered some serious buzz throughout Arizona and across the southwest.

A few reactions: 

The Phoenix New Times:

"Proficient crafters of falsetto harmonies atop sugar-sweet melodies and imaginative use of various percussion tools. Conversely, these five lads can also bang out Southern rock-infused compositions that would make even John Fogerty raise an eyebrow. With its spontaneous tempo changes and roving bubbles of musical optimism, this undeniably charming interpretation of indie-folk can surely melt even the coldest of hearts."

Flagstaff Live:

"The group's style is a breezy mix of pop and rock with folky undertones. Picture Brian Wilson or Ben Folds divided into five and outfitted in logo-clad T-shirts. Guitarist James Mulhern says the group incorporates "Southern blues, a little bit of swamp buckets, sandy, Beach Boys, three-part and four-part harmony, sugar, 'Oklahoma,' Rogers and Hammerstein, classic core and the dirt between your toes."

Unwilling to meander down one path, the young gentlemen of What Laura Says Thinks and Feels put their unique style and homegrown creativity to every aspect of every note that leaves one assured of good things to come.

For more information please visit http://www.myspace.com/whatlaurasays

What Laura Says will share the bill Saturday night with the newly formed Jake Payne Band.  Payne moved t Sedona in 2004 and has been an integral part of Sedona's emerging music scene, becoming one of Sedona's very own indie rock songwriters.  Playing solo acoustic gigs around town and on small tours of the southwest for the last few years has laid a solid foundation on which Payne is now building his band.  Payne has joined forces with Kyle Beloin on bass guitar, Ryan Schaut on rhythm guitar and Brandon Menard on drums.   The simplicity of a quartet is a fitting launching point for Payne's diverse repertoire of poetic and dynamic songs, ranging from soft moody lullabies to all out rock.  

Transforming his acoustic songs with electric amplification captures the feeling of push and pull, swell and contraction that Payne's solo catalog has always beckoned and called for.  Influences from 90's grunge music soulfully mix with classic rock hooks, ripping lead guitar and swooping vocals to create a passionate and personal sonic playground. Next for the band (besides a more inventive name) is cutting an EP at Sedona's Goodrow Studio this winter. At the beginning of a long friendship, Payne's crew is forging an ambitious and rewarding road ahead.