 Ross Beach: blurb
Ross Beach was an early collaborator with the group of musicians later known as the Elephant 6 collective. Working in the American genres of pop, rock, folk and country, he has recorded seven solo albums, ten albums with various bands, and one soundtrack for a friend's nursing school video project. He currently makes his home in Portland, Oregon.
Ross Beach: short bio
Ross was born in a New Orleans hospital which has since been converted into a psychiatric facility. He began his musical career in Baton Rouge by participating in several church-related choirs and Orff instrument ensembles. At the age of 16, he began taking classical guitar lessons and was soon recruited to play bass in a high school jazz improv combo.
In 1991, Ross relocated to the town of Ruston, Louisiana to attend Louisiana Tech University. There, he quickly fell in with what was commonly referred to as the "KLPI crowd", a colorful and talented group of college radio DJs and art students. Life in a small southern town helped to nurture a communal bond between many of its like-minded inhabitants. Also, since day to day entertainment was very much a do-it-yourself proposition, art and the art of self amusement were allowed to flourish.
Among Ross' early acquaintances was Scott Spillane, John D'azzo and John Fernandes. Before long, Ross had joined their indie-rock cover band, Smilin' Joe Fission, which performed the "hits" of Sebadoh, Ween, Galaxie 500, Pavement and the Tall Dwarfs for the unsuspecting inhabitants of bars and rented church sanctuaries. The band later metamorphosed into The Gerbils (with Will Westbrook) and The Clay Bears (with Jeff Mangum). In 1994, Jeff asked Ross to fill in as a member of Neutral Milk Hotel and, in 1996, Ross served as Jeff Mangum's temporary replacement as the drummer of Paige Dearman's band, Midget & Hairs. All told, Ross played with eleven separate bands in north Louisiana, memorizing a long stretch of Interstate 20 in the process.
Eventually, most of the revolving musical cast relocated to Athens, Georgia forming the Elephant 6 Collective, which essentially became a new arm of the Elephant 6 Recording Company founded by Ruston expatriate (and Apples in Stereo frontman) Robert Schneider in Denver, Colorado.
Taking the unpopular option of finishing college, Ross remained in north Louisiana until 1996. He now resides in Portland, Oregon where he continues to write and record pop songs, produce records and perform with his band, The Hellpets.
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