Growing

by Stewart Mason
A drone-fueled, almost entirely instrumental duo in the tradition started by the Velvet Underground and perfected by the likes of Spacemen 3 and Acid Mothers Temple, with just a hint of doom metal heaviness for spice, Growing formed in Olympia, Washington in 2001. Guitarist Joe Denardo, bassist Kevin Doria and drummer Zack Carlson released several self-distributed cassettes before making their vinyl debut with the 7" EP Dry Drunk On Woman (later reissued on CD-r). The small Michigan indie Animal Disguise reissued two of those self-released cassettes, Fear of Life/Death and Five Patterns, on a single tape in 2002, along with a double cassette called Above/Below Sea Level, consisting of two cassettes meant to be played simultaneously a la the Flaming Lips' Zaireeka. The following year, Kranky Records released Growing's first CD, The Sky's Run Into the Sea, after which Denardo and Doria relocated to Brooklyn and Carlson left the band. Continuing as a duo and expanding their use of effects and loops to fill their now drummerless sound, Growing released 2004's The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light on Kranky before moving to the Troubleman Unlimited label for 2005's His Return and 2006's Color Wheel. Following a lengthy series of archival live releases that returned to the band's cassette-only roots, Growing returned to the studio for 2007's Vision Swim. Shifting to the new label The Social Registry later that year, Growing released a vinyl single as part of the label's ongoing Social Club series in early 2008, followed by the atypically brief four-song EP Lateral.