The supposed year of our Earth’s demise has proven to be a fruitful one for Goldrush. In linking up with MAD Dragon Records, they have achieved prominence beyond the local level, and they’re all the merrier for it. Between their upcoming 7 inch vinyl EP and their frequent recent tours, Goldrush are yet another of the many Richmond bands that have brought positive attention to our local scene. “We've met a lot of bands on the road that are constantly asking about coming to play in Richmond because we describe it with such fondness,” says Goldrush frontman Prabir Mehta.
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Goldrush’s relationship with MAD Dragon began when Motion City Soundtrack bassist Matt Taylor made an inadvertent discovery. “He was cleaning his house with his ipod on shuffle,” Mehta relates. “A song came on that he was digging, but [the filename only] said ‘Track 01’--no other info. So he asked his friend [local musician/engineer Kevin Willoughby], who gave it to him, and it turned out it was us!”
This discovery led Taylor to include Goldrush in the Motion City Soundtrack-curated Making Moves series of vinyl singles, released on the MAD Dragon label. Goldrush joins a plethora of emerging artists that have had their releases produced and engineered by members of MCS. “Everyone involved in this has been fantastic human beings that are interested in doing something fun,” Mehta relates. ”I'm very happy that things worked out the way they did, and am super grateful that we wrote the song when we did, recorded it where we did, and had it passed along the way it was.”
Goldrush’s Making Moves single, the fourth in the series, features the tracks “Settle Down,” “REX,” and “The Dream is Over.” These tracks help display several different facets of the group’s personality. “The Dream is Over” reflects the group’s early sound with its waltz pacing and somber moods, while “Settle Down” takes the epic rock nature of Goldrush for a couple of spins before hitting its upbeat momentum. The noticeable differences in these two tunes in particular are part of what keeps things exciting for Mehta. “[They’re] pretty different, but having the strings doing their thing over both the songs kind of unifies [them],” he says, referring to the stringed instruments played by his classically-trained bandmates, violinist Treesa Gold and upright bassist Matt Gold. “Again, not saying that we're doing straight blues on one song and then a tribal percussive thing on another,” he considers. “We're still playing rock music, but it’s the first time that I’ve just [brought] in the songs and whatever happens, happens.”
One of Goldrush’s greatest assets is Mehta’s musical relationship with the Golds. Both are incredible talents that help flesh out ideas and thoughts in ways that he would never have considered in the past. “The Golds are awesome to work with because they appreciate a similar flow of music,” he explains. “It’s so easy to understand what part of the song needs the most 'oomph,' or which part needs to be left alone. Smart folks, those two.” These interactions also lead to moments of hilarity that may or may not have included a midtour 3 AM slapping contest between Mehta and Treesa. While no immediate victor was declared, the hotel hallway setting was more than appropriate for bonding over drunken shenanigans.
In addition to their recent work with Mad Dragon, Goldrush recently spent a week in July as guest artist/faculty members for the Omaha Conservatory Of Music’s summer program. As educators, they allow students to fully realize music’s potential for letting imaginations run wild. In many ways, Mehta sees teaching the next generation of musicians as an opportunity for exploration of his own craft. “Nothing is cooler than when I play a song in that class and someone says, ‘Why do you like that?’,” he explains. “Having to explain something to a third party is hard enough. Make that third party someone who's holding a cello and is 11 years old and you're in for a whole new line of thought.” Goldrush’s participation in this endeavor speaks volumes about the band’s penchant for utilizing their talents as a means of encouraging others to follow in a similar path.
If there is a downside to spending more time on the road, it's that Goldrush must leave behind many of their Richmond-based creative ventures during their time out of town. But Mehta feels that the positives far outweigh the negatives. “I mean honestly, we're still all living in this town; playing here, getting drunk with our friends, and whatnot,” he explains. “Not much has changed other than it has forced us to be better about what we do. Bringing the quality up will do nothing but make it better for everyone, I hope. We’re practicing more, working on really fun ideas, looking forward to some cool opportunities, and hopefully representing Richmond in a good way when we're not here.”
In the midst of all the excitement, one thing is certain. Goldrush are joining the ranks of artists that are helping to give Richmond a reputation we can all be proud of. The release of this new single on Mad Dragon Records is only the beginning of a prosperous future for this local outfit.