Biography:
The journey begins on a teasing note of hurry up and wait. The simple, ringing guitar strum that opens “Too Long,” the first track on Goldcure’s Portugese Prince, conveys the coiled tension of a racehorse stomping at the gate — or, literally, the thrilling countdown of a young band poised for launch. But then there’s the entreaty to “Be patient, dear,” hinting at what seems to be cautious hesitation. “I’m not who I said I am,” the line continues, “You must know/I’ve no place to go but here.”
Don’t believe it. Because with all due respect to Goldcure frontman Adam Buhrman and band co-founder Craig Haskell, who are nothing if not sincere when they candidly discuss their still ongoing search for a fully realized sound, the fact of the matter is that they’ve already arrived. From the soaring “Too Long” (which blasts off shortly after that teasing opening verse) through to the perfect landing of the Haskell-sung closer, “Beautiful Disaster,” Portugese Prince is a debut that evokes the unmistakable promise of early U2 — if U2 had arrived onto the scene almost fully grown with the confident swagger and focus of War or even The Unforgettable Fire. That’s a helluva claim for any new band to live up to, and one the members of Goldcure shyly deflect, but the record itself almost seems to demand such a bold spotlight. The songs and performance can take the heat.
Much like the royal orphan of the album’s title track, the members of Goldcure may still be reticent to fully acknowledge their grand destiny — but they’re clearly off to very auspicious start. Portugese Prince, which was quietly released in August on Goldcure’s own Sorin Records label, debuted at No. 122 on the CMJ 200 two months before the Austin-based band embarked on its first national club tour. It’s also already made a strong early showing on the Commercial Specialty charts; the album hit No. 4 on the FMQB Top 100 Artists chart, and the “Too Long” single climbed to No. 6 on the Top 100 Songs chart.
A lot of credit for the album’s success is due to the guiding hand of Portugese Prince producer Stephen Doster, the journeyman songwriter and guitarist who picked up on Goldcure’s potential the very first time he heard them. Call it deja-vu: two-and-a-half decades earlier, Doster had been recording his own debut with another distinguished guitar-hero producer, James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders. That album was never finished; Honeyman-Scott died shortly after they started working together. But there was something about Goldcure’s sound — all big guitars and keening, harmony-laced melodies — that Doster found irresistible. “Working with them is like unfinished business with me,” explains Doster, who in addition to producing Portugese Prince has also signed on as Goldcure’s personal manager. “Although there are many influences, you can definitely hear Honeyman floating around in there.”
You can hear more than a little David Bowie in Goldcure’s musical DNA, too, along with the aforementioned U2, the Smiths, David Byrne and Richard Ashcroft of the Verve (at least in terms of Buhrman’s expressive vocals). But more so than any external influences (direct or indirect), Goldcure’s sound stems from the chemistry of its four members: Buhrman and Haskell on vocals and guitars, longtime friend Gavin Inverso on drums and relative newcomer Marcos Lujan on bass. “That’s always been the vision of this band,” Buhrman insists. “Whatever sound we come up with, it’s going to be the combination of the four right guys together. And we’re going to keep it like that and build on that.”
Prior to Inverso and Lujan (and former bassist John Allison, who played on the record) coming onboard, though, there was just Buhrman and Haskell, who first began playing together in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as an acoustic duo called Lillylock Timber. Florida native Buhrman had just come out the breakup of another rock band and was looking for a new outlet to recharge his muse. Haskell, a pastor’s son from Maine and a gifted singer-songwriter and guitarist who had recently migrated south for seasonal resort work, was emotionally adrift following the recent suicide of his older brother (and biggest fan), Brian. A mutual friend introduced the two in 2002, and they found they shared a much deeper connection than just a love of music: Buhrman had tragically lost an older brother, too; Adam was just 1 year old when his brother — also named Brian — died at age 3 following a drowning accident. Lillylock Timber was named in honor of Brian Haskell’s two imaginary childhood friends; his younger brother still has the names tattooed on the inside of his left arm.
“A lot of bands get started when one guy starts interviewing people, asking them things like ‘What kind of music do you listen to?’ But it’s never been like that with this band, and that started probably from the way Craig and I came together,” Buhrman says. “Our partnership was based on a belief in our connection as people that was transcendent over the details [of the music]. The details were down here, and it was our belief that all that stuff would fall into place and would all work out.”
The duo began performing regularly throughout South Florida, attracting a small but loyal following and recording an album together with ProTools. Inverso made the duo a trio in 2005, and the dynamic of the group evolved from song-swap to rock band, with Buhrman assuming principal frontman duties and Haskell concentrating on lead guitar and harmonies. The following year, the band recorded a three-song EP and moved from Florida to Austin. Apart from Haskell’s tattoo, they left the name Lillylock Timber behind — a decision based both on their determination to make a clean start in the “Live Music Capital of the World” as well as a general weariness with having to explain the sweet but sad story behind the name over and over again.
Of course, there’s a story behind Goldcure, too — and one that’s as deeply reflective of the band’s music as Lillylock Timber was symbolic of their roots. Historically, Dr. Leslie E. Keeley’s “Gold Cure” (so named because it involved injections of gold double chloride) was a treatment for alcohol and opiate addition that enjoyed remarkable popularity in the late 19th century before eventually being discredited as a wishful-thinking hoax.“I think what appealed to us about that name was the fact that it was a placebo,” says Buhrman. “It has all these implications about how people are always trying to medicate their problems, be it materially or with drugs. To us, it made a statement not only about society, but something we can relate to personally, too. There’s this thing in our brain that is constantly wanting us to tune out, to check out, every day, and I think that’s a big part of where our music comes from. Because sometimes it feels like making music is the only relief.”
Haskell nods in agreement. “It seems like most of the stuff we write is about the life experience of searching,” Haskell says. “If you listen to all the lyrics on the record, there’s always sense of hope behind all the struggle.”
In the big picture then, maybe that album-opening “be patient” line isn’t about hesitation at all. It’s a promise — bolder perhaps than this writer’s comparison of the fledgling young outfit to one of the biggest bands in the world — of even better things to come. Or, as Goldcure assures us later on the record, “It’s not over yet.”
Richard Skanse
Richard Skanse is the editor of Texas Music Magazine and a freelance writer who has contributed to Rolling Stone, Harp, Performing Songwriter and the Rolling Stone Album Guide and Encyclopedia of Rock.
Press:
A deceptively simple collection of 21st century classic rock songs. The band’s got a knack for the stately, slow-building anthems, ringing harmonies, and wide open arrangements.
bullz-eye
Guitars with the beatific shimmer of newer Echo & the Bunnymen, but dusted with a slight twang, mixed with jerky vocals reminiscent of a medicated David Byrne (or less-husky Britt Daniel).
Riverfront Times - St. Louis, MO
Uplifting brand of alternative pop/rock takes influence from the Verve, U2, and the accessible side of Radiohead.
Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
Guitar-oriented moments of Coldplay and Arcade Fire’s anguished romanticism... positive vibes rippling through the harmonies and earnest lyricism.
Austin Chronicle - Austin, TX
The sound of Brit Daniels, both in voice and in backing snstrumentation while the Spoon influence is readily apparent, there is plenty here that goldcure can call their own. Havea at it.
Fense Post - Seattle, WA
A compelling brand of power pop/rock built on jangling guitars, solid rhythm and straight-ahead lyrics.
My San Antonio - San Antonio, TX
Angst-ridden, Ryan Adams-y, sensitive-guy signature that should put them in high demand on the sorority circuit.
Houston Press - Houston, TX
BAND