Beyond Paradise

(Top, from left) Brian Webb, Jonathon Franklin, Chaz Umamoto and Jesse Shiroma

(Top, from left) Brian Webb, Jonathon Franklin, Chaz Umamoto and Jesse Shiroma MISSY ROMERO PHOTOS

About 10 minutes into my interview with Streetlight Cadence, I realized two things: I want to join the band as its fifth member and, boyfriend be damned, I had a crush on every single one of them.

But guess what? It’s a sentiment my boyfriend and I both share because later that day, when I told him this, he said, “Me too!” before adding, “You just want these guys to do well.” (Though it should be noted that he went to high school with the band’s guitarist, Chaz Umamoto.)

Really, though, it succinctly expresses how the band’s following seems to feel about them, too.

In its first Kickstarter campaign, Streetlight Cadence sought to raise $4,000 and ended up with $5,000. For its most recent campaign to fund their work-in-progress third album, the band asked for $20,000 and came up with $25,000.

“Suddenly, it was just all this money available,” says violinist Jonathon Franklin, who also provides lead vocals (though all band members sing), “and a lot of love and a lot of support.”

But it isn’t entirely because of their charm that Streetlight Cadence has found such success in Hawaii (though I suspect this plays a large role in it). As much as Streetlight Cadence is a band, it also is a group of quickly evolving, savvy young businessmen.

And as they move to Santa Monica, Calif., this month, it’s a combination of all these things that they are hoping will propel their careers into a much larger market.

“Back To The Start”

By now you’ve probably heard some variation of the band’s origins. That it began with Franklin playing on the streets of Waikiki to pay for food. Or that accordionist and foot percussionist Jesse Shiroma joined after responding to a Craigslist ad that was looking for “weird instruments.”

All of these stories are true, by the way.

But what is far more interesting — to me, at least — is how a group of four guys, who have only ever known each other because of the band, have become fast friends.

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who — all were built on a foundation of childhood friendships and lasting relationships. Here, what Streetlight Cadence has created is a completely random amalgamation of musicians playing quirky instruments.

But it works. And, says Umamoto dryly, they’ve never hit each other.

“Actually,” interjects cellist Brian Webb, who proceeds to tell a story of one 4 a.m. morning during which Shiroma attempted to tickle him.

“I hit him hard,” says Webb. “It’s honestly — it’s just kind of funny,” says Shiroma.

“It is funny, you deserved it,” Webb says, sending everyone into another round of laughter.

It’s a dynamic that hasn’t come without some fine-tuning. But these days, if something is wrong or someone seems off their game, it’s about finding solutions and helping one another — all the while maintaining a balance of work and fun.

“In this industry, you have to be serious, you have to be on your game,” says Umamoto. “But we’re also just a bunch of goofballs.”

Goofballs, yes, but complemented with a work ethic that puts expectations of Millennials to shame. In addition to their roles as musicians with the band, for instance, they all are responsible for some aspect of what they sometimes refer to as a business. Shiroma, for instance, is in charge of social media (a skill he learned specifically for the band, since he doesn’t even have a personal Insta-gram account), and Webb books their gigs — which have not always been easy to come by.

On a Mainland tour last year, Franklin recalls walking into restaurants, asking to play and being turned away. So instead, they’d play on the streets in places like New York or Atlanta, or wherever they happened to be at the moment.

“We know that we can survive as street performers, if nothing else,” says Franklin.

“We’ll try for a little higher, but we know that at the very, very least, if we can’t book anything, if nobody wants anything to do with us, we can always … play on the sidewalks,” jokes Shiroma.

“And we’ll kill it, we always do,” Franklin says.

“Say Goodbye”

At some point in the interview, I realize I’ve been talking with Streetlight Cadence for about 30 minutes. (I also have almost forgotten my boyfriend’s name — joking!)

The most admirable thing, more than anything, is the band’s realistic approach to its future.

Yes, they are moving to California for a chance to work with industry professionals. Yes, they plan to pursue this full-time. Yes, they want a record deal.

But don’t expect them to blindly jump at the first offer they get. They have, in fact, already been approached by some “big names,” though they can’t talk about it right now.

“We want a really good deal because we believe in ourselves, and unless someone’s really willing to pitch us in a way that they really believe in us, too, then we’re not really up for it,” says Franklin.

Even now, with two albums out and a third currently in the works, they know they could do better.
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The sound, they explain to me, is not at its best. (I myself have noticed this listening to songs I’ve downloaded from iTunes.)

So while they’re recording the tracks for their forthcoming album, Beyond Paradise, here, the goal is to work with engineers in LA on the final production, mixing and mastering of the album.

“The first album we ever made was simply to have a product to sell and start making money,” says Franklin, inadvertently giving me a lesson on Business 101, “Because when people carry something home (of yours), they remember you and they also spent $10 on you.

“We’re ready to make a world-class product,” he adds.

“Yeah,” chimes in Shiroma. “It’s kind of important when you’re in a band to have a good sound.”

“I think we pride ourselves so much in live performances,” adds Franklin. “That, and good work ethic, and it’s left so many, many, many opportunities, but if no one’s ever heard of us and they listen to our CD, they don’t understand what we’re capable of, they have no idea.”

But for now, Streetlight Cadence is ready for the move to California. As Umamoto explains, they certainly could stay here and do well as performing artists. But that’s not what they want. Streetlight Cadence aspires to become recording artists.

Not to mention, being able to drive to gigs throughout the nation is much cheaper than flying back and forth from Hawaii.

So while they’ll certainly miss a few things — people, surfing, and what has become home for all of them (Franklin is from Texas, Shiroma from Hilo, Webb from San Diego and Umamoto from right here) — for the most part, Streetlight Cadence is excited. And they know that none of this would have been possible without having first established themselves here in Hawaii.

“If this is like, the last article they ever read about us and maybe we break up or die on the road,” starts Umamoto, sending some into laughter and eliciting scoffs from others, “I would like Hawaii to know that we are very grateful and very thankful for embracing us. We appreciate that a lot of people and businesses have gotten behind us and our dream and our endeavors.”

BEYOND PARADISE

Up next for Streetlight Cadence, other than their big move to California, is a third album titled Beyond Paradise. The album started with more than 40 songs — not entirely difficult to imagine when current band rules dictate that each member write one song per week to share with the group. Some songs, they say, sound all right from the get-go, but what they really are on the lookout for is a song that instantly captures the attention of everyone. Then, what follows is a process of rewriting to improve the song.

“I think it’s near impossible to write a single song all by yourself that’s going to be an instant hit,” says accordionist and percussionist Jesse Shiroma. “You kind of always need someone to improve your work.”

But just because the band’s new album isn’t quite ready yet doesn’t mean you have to wait to listen to Streetlight Cadence at any hour of the day. Their other two albums — Thinking of You and Kalakaua Avenue (which won the Na Hoku Hanohano Award this year for Alternative Album of the Year), along with an EP and a single — are available on iTunes now.

And if you haven’t yet given them a listen, which I find almost entirely impossible, think Mumford & Sons mixed with some Andrew Bird, but with a little more quirk — in a good way. All the guys lend their vocals, but violinist Jonathon Franklin, who tends to lead, sometimes reminds me of The Format and Fun’s Nate Ruess.

HIT LIST

Always Kalakaua Avenue
Awakened, Thinking of You
Back to the Start, Kalakaua Avenue
End of the World, Kalakaua Avenue
Meant For Me, Kalakaua Avenue
Mr. Record Company, Kalakaua Avenue
Rooftops, Single
Say Goodbye, Thinking of You
Think It Over, Kalakaua Avenue
Thinking of You, Thinking of You

 

To keep up with Streetlight Cadence and to find out where they may be playing before they leave, check them out on Facebook at facebook.com/streetlightcadence and on Instagram @streetlightcadence.