Formed in 2016 by transatlantic buds Nick Mitchell Maiato and James Toth, One Eleven Heavy is a band designed as a Venn diagram of the pair’s shared musical loves.
Crazy Horse, Grateful Dead, and Dylan come to the fore when listening to their joyful third album, Poolside, but the influences go much deeper.
Toth says, “We were lucky to have our touring drummer, Jake Morris (Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks) at the ready to play drums. Nick’s pal, the fantastic Guy Fowler, plays bass on the record.”
Guided by mysterious producer Colin Sick, One Eleven Heavy spent a year writing and recording the tracks that form Poolside, an album that feels like a gothic western romp through cartoon dreams of escaped criminal ciphers (“Tyrant King”), rebound coke binge recollections (“Rizzo In The Wig”), and tales of sasquatches crossing state lines (“Bama Yeti”).
“Ultimately, what it boils down to is friendship,” says Toth “Nick and I made a pact when we started this thing that One Eleven Heavy would be a band, not a project. The harder we work together, the closer we become as friends, and the more we trust each other. I think you can hear that on Poolside and I hope you’ll hear it more and more as we continue.”
UK/USA
Cosmic Americana
EUROPE TOUR:
June 29th/July 15th, 2023
Line up:
Nick Mitchell Maiato: guitar and vocals
James Toth (AKA Wooden Wand): guitar and vocals
Jake Morris (Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks): drums
Guy Fowler: bass
Hans Chew: piano
Official Website
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PRESS QUOTES
“Everyone’s favorite transatlantic chooglers One Eleven Heavy return with their third deep-fried heater, Poolside. Bandleaders Nick Mitchell Maiato and James Toth are joined this outing by new members Guy Fowler on bass and Jake Morris on drums, but the feel is consistent with the 111H format: the leads spiral out, the band shambles and gets down, and the mood feels frisky. A welcome return.” Aquarium Drunkard
“One Eleven Heavy’s Allman-Brothers-meets-Royal-Trux take on Cosmic American Music here transcends its initial barroom holler for something more mellow and ineffable, if no less intricate, with extraordinary guitar solos erupting from every hidden crevice…” **** Mojo
“The epic ‘Fruit Loops’ is CSNY with the emphasis on Y, complete with ragged Neil-style guitar solo, before briefly alighting on that Graham Nash-fronted version of Supergrass you never knew you needed.” **** Shindig
“On Poolside, you can hear shades of everything from Gram Parsons to Willie Nelson, from Michael Hurley to David Crosby, from The Allman Brothers to Santana, with nods to Led Zeppelin… This is cosmic American music, but one with a sense of distance and an international perspective.” 7/10 Uncut
A GIANT LEAP 