Music is a conquest. And with a name that begs for a forceful following in numbers, Westwood-bred band The Ten Thousand are taking strides to put truth to its declarative title.
In the month of January, the indie-rock band, featuring UCLA alumni Satoru Yamamoto, Kevin Moultrie and Garrett Harney, fourth-year psychology student Dylan Robin and fourth-year ethnomusicology student Nathan Kersey-Wilson, will perform as part of a residency at the newly renovated Los Globos nightclub in Silverlake.
For Tuesday nights in January, The Ten Thousand has assembled different lineups featuring a collection of Los Angeles indie bands, including bands from UCLA, such as the indie-folk group Alto, garage rock band Owl Fly South and hip-hop group Free Food.
The band first played at Los Globos for an indie showcase, but are returning to the two-story nightclub for a month-long stint.
All shows will be arranged by The Ten Thousand, giving the band a chance to reach out to other indie bands, connect with larger audiences and release its dynamic mesh of rock ’n’ roll with alternative genres onto the East L.A. music scene.
The band found its origin in spring 2011, when electric guitarist Robin heard frontman Moultrie singing original songs live on UCLA Radio. The Ten Thousand has since built a following in the Westwood community as it released its first EP, “Nobody Gets Hurt,” in September of 2012. Having played club shows to bars to Spring Sing, the band sees the logical next step as a capture of the East L.A. indie-rock scene.
“There’s a really big burgeoning music scene in East L.A. in Silverlake and Echo Park,” Robin said. “There are a lot of people over there who see a lot of live music but don’t necessarily know about us yet.”
Over the next few weeks, The Ten Thousand are confident their same style of dynamic and energetic live shows that won over the Westwood music scene will help propel them to playing bigger venues in East L.A., such as The Satellite and The Echo.
“We’re all just really into it,” said drummer Harney. “There are a lot of bands out there who feel like it’s more of a chore to play a show than we do. We feel like it’s a privilege and we try to (emphasize) that in our live show.”
At this point in their career, the band members agree that building a wider fan base is the top priority. They are currently finishing up their second of three EPs to be released before the band ventures toward recording its debut full-length album.
While working toward this thematically concise LP, Robin said each of the three EPs will bring some different tastes of the band, from the high energy of “Nobody Gets Hurt,” to darker and heavier tones on the second release, followed by a three-part song “La Sagrada Familia,” which will be released on its own as the third EP.
The band’s ability to tinker with different genres and styles of music comes by drawing influences from each member’s musical past. The band’s songwriting is a spontaneous mixture of music from different styles and backgrounds, Harney said. It is this spontaneous mixture of sounds and feels that allows the band to play with a lot of varying bands, a talent that is demonstrated through its lineups at Los Globos this month.
“We’re excited to have this residency,” Moultrie said. “It gives us a chance to curate a selection of music that we think more people should know about.”
By changing up the set list and feel of each night, from its roaring singles to its melodious ballads, The Ten Thousand said it hopes that its music will keep fans coming out from week to week. The band was driven to seek the residency, attempting to multiply its fan base. The exposure that comes from playing the same venue several times will help The Ten Thousand make a name for itself in the East L.A. music scene.
Above all, the band members understand their fate is out of their hands, Robin said. The advantage of playing the residency, though, will put the band in the best position to build an even larger fan base.
“When you’re playing one place four or five times, the same night for a month, it’s easy for people to remember,” Robin said. “It’ll stick for people. If someone comes and sees one night, they can tell their friends to come see us the next week, knowing exactly where we’re going to be playing.”
As the band members focus on their residency for the current month, they are making sure not to rush to record their first LP. The future of the band rests in exciting audiences with its energy and passion for the music. The rapid evolution of The Ten Thousand’s sound, from Moultrie’s acoustic guitar to spontaneous songwriting that combines all of the band member’s influences, signifies that the band has plenty left to accomplish.
“It’s all about hard work,” Robin said. “We know how hard it can be and how hard it will be for us to really see a lot of success, to get people to hear our music around the country and around the world. But we’re all pretty endlessly devoted to the group and each other.”
Email Hornbostel at bhornhostel@media.ucla.edu