The Open Road: A Rockstar’s Investment
Local Band “Lives to Deliver No-nonsense Rock”
By Sabrina Dedek
One in a million, or 0.000002% are your odds at becoming a successful musician. But first do you have talent?
Local talent Linden Wood has amplified his solo career by hooking up with three lifetime musicians; Joe Whitworth, Chuck Carrasco, and Jason Weisker to form metal band Nomad Skyline. Their EP album “Open Road” is debuting next week on Feb. 22, on iTunes, Amazon music, and Spotify.
“Northern California rockers that live to deliver no-nonsense rock to a world that desperately needs to rediscover what it means to just let go,” says their website.
Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Linden Wood, grew up in Corvallis, attending Corvallis High School, obtaining his GED through Linn-Benton Community College, and gaining experience in local area bands as a young adult playing house parties. He remembers learning chords on a guitar from his big brother, using music from Ted Nugent songs.
Wood is well known among many local bands, including Lost Tortoise, Azrael, and 30 Pound Test. It’s the local music scene where he got his start. Wood made the move to Sacramento as an investment and commitment to be serious and create real action for his music. Auditioning for vocals for a band that later dissolved is how he met his future band mates of Nomad Skyline.
Their climbing guitar riffs of their two singles “Drifter” and “‘64 Fury” reveal hints of their influential bands on the journey to creating this album. Punk to grunge, they agree Dead Kennedys, Van Halen, Queens of the Stoneage, and Soundgarden influenced their appreciation.
The band formed out of respect for what each musician brought to the band. Each member brings a unique talent and skill set to the band. Their skillset outside of the band helped them invest in studio time, which they all agree is “their happy place.”
Wood is in a place currently where he can devote himself full time to his music; after a few years of working for a tiling company he has lined up his musical career. The investment they acknowledge isn’t just money spent on studio time or equipment through the years but of life experience in writing lyrics and music, in blood and tears of emotions on and off stage, and time away from friends and family to bring to life the sound that they believe in.
Nomad Skyline’s music video is animated and was pitched by their producer Brendan Duffey, a multi Grammy-nominated producer. An animator from Brazil used footage of the band to create a storyline inspired by movies “Scarface,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and ’90s “Primus” music video. Considerably PG13, it can be found on YouTube “64 Fury.” “‘64 Fury” is a reference to the American muscle car Plymouth Fury, an easter egg in the animated music video.
Beginning April 7, Nomad Skyline hits the road touring around Sacramento and then finding their way back to the Willamette Valley. They are currently setting up shows at venues from Eugene to Seattle for dates this summer. Wood will also be adding dates in the Willamette Valley for his solo acoustic sets.
“Being in a band at this moment in history is like reinventing the wheel while the car is on fire,” said Chuck Carrasco. A time when live music is your life line but COVID-19 pandemic safety mandates are regulating when and if live music can happen poses challenges.
Navigating their music career safely has never been more difficult.
Listen for and request Nomad Skyline on Apple Music, Spotify and the local radio. Check out their socials Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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