Smash Mouth; Photograph by Cindy Hayes

Zach Goode

A vet of local bands such as Secret Seven, Divided by Zero, Ghoulspoon, and octogenarian Weezer tribute Geezer, Zach Goode has been announced as the new lead singer of 1990s alt-rock icons Smash Mouth, replacing original vocalist Steve Harwell, who retired due to health issues. “I saw somewhere that they were looking for a new singer, so I sent an email as a flyer, not even expecting a reply,” Goode tells the Reader. “They actually responded pretty quickly and had me send in a video of me singing ‘Walking on the Sun’ and ‘All Star.’ They liked what I did and I started talking to management about flying up to San Jose to meet bass player Paul to see how we vibed. I learned a bunch of songs, flew up, and sang while he played bass to a live recording with the vocals removed. We got to know each other, everything went great, and I started to think that this might actually be a possibility! It’s my understanding that they had hundreds of applicants and narrowed it down to a final four. We all went back up to San Jose and auditioned and, the next day, they told me I was the unanimous choice.” On March 1, the band premiered their new single, a cover of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” “Our first big show is May 21 and 22 in Mexico with the Strokes, Blondie, Kings of Leon, the Hives, and Death Cab For Cutie.”

Daring Greatly

Originally from Calgary, AB Canada, before relocating to OB, Daring Greatly has a new member from Wisconsin, bassist-singer Matt Spatol. In addition, “We have a new record coming out March 6,” according to bandleader Dail Croome. “During the two years of lockdown, we played far less shows, which gave us a lot more time and space for writing and recording. We were lucky enough to live in a perfect house in Gird Valley, the name of this album, our fourth, for live broadcast shows and for recording.” Regarding the album title, “Gird Valley is in the small town of Fallbrook, which is in North San Diego County. Fallbrook is full of fruit tree covered large properties, vineyard yards, and rolling hills. Nature is the dominant energy. And that is prevalent in the lyrics in most of the songs. Nature is our guide. Not the television or the government, but all the energies within the ecosystem of the Earth. Another dominant theme in the album is a call for freedom. Not in a political sense, but the transcendent form of freedom that calls us to cooperate on a deeper level, and especially with our own self, so that we can collectively move out of this ‘mitote’ and get back to our true nature.”

Fine Then

A relatively new group on the local scene, Fine Then features Hugh J. Noble (Slum Summer, Seance Weather) and Andrew Fitzgerald, who also plays in Bat Lords, and puts out his own music as Mr. Nobody and Biding Time. Their album Could It Be Magic, released last month, features guest contributions from Jacquie Bazinet (The Fictitious Dishes, Sleepy Hollow) and Sean Con (Bat Lords). According to Hugh J. Noble, “The sound references John Carpenter’s soundtrack work, sad boy pop punk, Haircut 100 style synthpop, Jesu-esque dronery, and several points in between. There’s a weird Heaven’s Gate-influenced website and a couple of DIY music videos online.” The referenced videos are for the tracks “I Saw the Light, and It Looked a Lot Like an Existential Crisis” and “Nothingness Itself (feat Sean Con).”

Whitney Shay

Photograph by Pablito Diego Brazil

“If you’re watching the new Hulu show Pam & Tommy and you think you hear a familiar voice, you’re right,” says singer Whitney Shay of her newest song placement in the Motley Crue drummer-Baywatch actress biopic miniseries currently streaming on Hulu. “Super grateful to have ‘Just When I Thought I’d Seen It All’ from my first album Soul Tonic placed in an episode of this show. Another great collab with writer-producer Archie Thompson.” Shay’s groups have included Shay & the Hustle, the Whitney Shay Quartet, Whitney Shay & Robin Henkel, and the JazzKatz Orchestra, as well as fronting the blues/R&B group Whitney Shay & the Shakedowns. She won Best Blues Album at the 2021 San Diego Music Awards, and her album Stand Up earned a three and a half star review in the May issue of Downbeat magazine and topped Billboard’s Blues chart. She’ll be appearing at the Rolando Street Fair on Sunday, March 20, along with fellow locals B-Side Players, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, and Boostive. You can also catch her at the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla on March 31.

Blaise Guld

Citing influences such as 311, Mike Bedard, Oingo Boingo, and Slightly Stoopid, singer-songwriter Blaise Guld first earned local notice fronting rock-n-reggae group Mad Traffic, later signing with Blindspot Records and releasing a number of solo works. His album Past Forward was nominated Best Pop Album at the 2014 San Diego Music Awards. Early 2016 saw Guld appearing on a vinyl-only local band compilation from Blindspot Records, Sounds From the Stratosphere, also featuring Manual Scan, Super Buffet, Pony Death Ride, and Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra. The record was released on splatter color vinyl in a deluxe sleeve, limited to 500 copies. His collaborative track with synth wave artist, Night Viber, a 4-song EP also named Night Viber, dropped in early 2021. His increasingly busy local booking schedule includes upcoming solo performances at PB’s Backyard Kitchen & Tap (March 23), L’Auberge Del Mar (March 24), and Side Yard in Barrio Logan (March 26).