Silent Old Mtns
[1] They are also well known for their promotion of the indie music scene and DIY ethic:[2] at one point touring the country in a repurposed school bus[3] and averaging over 100 live performances per year despite having no corporate backing.
Bromhal would play various coffee shops and bars in the Baltimore-Washington area[6] before expanding to a trio with the addition of Pat Acuña and Thom Huenger in the spring of 2011.
Eventually he was adopted as a banjo player, and became one of the most memorable aspects of their live performance, described by Trebuchet Magazine as... "Sam is the Silent Old Mtns' resident poet.
[10] Silent Old Mtns began recording their debut album,Velvet Raccoon, in August 2011 at the Key Facility in Monrovia, MD with producer Myles Vlachos.
[11] The album was named after a velvet painting of a raccoon that drummer Pat Acuña purchased at a flea market while living in Nashville, TN.
[14] Critical response to Velvet Raccoon was generally positive, receiving an 8/10 when reviewed by Live Music Guide, calling it "...the first step of a visionary band with an honest and original sound.
"[15] While Muzik Dizcovery's Casey Whitman wrote "Velvet Raccoon is hard to classify and unconventional, but the band has made an enormous leap, blowing away even my high expectations.
"[16] In summer 2012 Silent Old Mtns began touring heavily to support Velvet Racoon, and were featured in a live performance and interview on The Blue Plate Special Radio Show in Knoxville TN.
[10] Between touring schedules, they were also invited to serve as the house band for the Maryland Ensemble Theatre's original production, The All New Grand Ole Hee Haw Hootenanny Howdown Jamboree.
"[12] In a January 2013 interview with Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie the band confirmed they would be entering the studio to work on their second record with producer Matt Cramer.
abruptly announced an indefinite hiatus in a post on Facebook, stating "We are sad to inform all you beautiful and supportive people that Silent Old Mtns.
No official final show was planned, their last performance had taken place at The Sidebar in Baltimore, MD a month earlier on October 16, 2013—a Wednesday night.
[22] An official explanation was not given for the sudden break up, but in January 2014 Pat Acuna described the group's last months in an anonymous interview about his experiences in the band, posted to YouTube.
[23] In October 2014 (one year after Silent Old Mtns' last performance), lead singer Andrew Bromhal posted an open letter to the band's official Facebook page, claiming responsibility for the break up.
[26] After the reunion show a post was made to the band's website regarding their future, stating – "Honestly, I don't have any real news to report.
"[27] In the months after the reunion, the Frederick News-Post printed an article stating that their old historic offices had been repurposed as rehearsal and recording studios, and that Silent Old Mtns was using one of the rooms as a practice space.
[29][non-primary source needed] In late 2015 it was announced that Silent Old Mtns would be featured on a compilation album distributed by Flying Dog Brewery, their first release of new music since reuniting.
"[32] Silent Old Mtns started 2016 with a blog post that finally cemented their status as an active band, announcing a new member and a performance at the historic Weinberg Center in Frederick, MD.
[34] The performance was described by Frederick Playlist's Nick Ring as "...a verifiable smorgasbord of instruments and attitudes, their music filled the performance hall thoroughly, bringing young fans bopping to their feet and singing along to cinematic crowd-favorites like Trenches... You have to enjoy a band that can successfully blend electric guitar, bass, drums, keys, banjo, slide guitar, mandolin, and melodica, all while hitting three-part vocal harmonies and having a good time.
