Localized: The Medicine Company
Localized
The Medicine Company and Graveljaw Keaton are co-headlining March’s Localized showcase at Kilby Court on Sunday, March 10 with very special guest Emily Hicks! Doors open at 7 p.m. for a night of whimsical alt-country for only $5! This event is sponsored by Riso-Geist.
About a decade ago, the three core members of SLC-based rock ‘n’ roll outfit The Medicine Company bonded over a shared foundation of ‘70s musical influences. Bryant Adair, Chandler Seipert and Mac Wray were fresh out of high school, and while Macklemore and Bruno Mars were topping the charts, the young squad buddied up around the valley listening to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. After years spent playing in separate blues bands—the Baker Street Blues Band for Wray and Adair and The Arvos for Seipert—the boys reunited to form The Medicine Company (or MedCo) in 2019. Now, after two full-length albums and a series of bassists and drummers come and gone, MedCo is rolling into their next phase with the same core values and fresh sonic intentions.
Still riding the high of a recent sold-out show at The State Room, MedCo is in the process of developing a new album defined by “heavy psych-rock, doom metal and a darker sound.” The band’s most recent release, Risk It for the Biscuit, arrived in August 2023. Its groove and jam sensibilities are now a closed chapter, but the record remains as conclusive evidence of MedCo’s deep creative pockets and Adair’s devilishly original songwriting. Track one “Queen of Hearts” opens with the lines “Out here in hot sun / Pretending to do my best / On a scavenger hunt for / Pieces of happiness.” Adair’s lyrics are crafted of layered humor and sincerity—a poetic fusion of Frank Zappa and Robert Hunter. His choruses are simple enough for singalongs but personal and literary too, if you listen closely. “When it comes to songwriting, a lot of my music comes from really dark moments in my life,” says Adair. “But I have a personal philosophy to never leave darkness on its own. I try to mix it with something light and hopeful, because that’s how life is.”
“I have a personal philosophy to never leave darkness on its own. I try to mix it with something light and hopeful, because that’s how life is.”
A catchy example comes on “Rusted in Misfortune” from MedCo’s self-titled first album: “I was rusted in misfortune / That was when you thought you knew me then / I was busted, I’m not broken / Find the strength to pick myself up again.” Though Adair plants the bulk of the buds that bloom into finished MedCo songs, the group’s creative process is collective and organic. “We realize that it’s ultimately more difficult to operate as a truly collaborative unit,” says Wray. “A lot of bands nowadays are glorified solo projects—one guy plus a bunch of hired guns. We all contribute ideas to MedCo, and we make sure to give each one a chance.” Seipert also pens lyrics, and he and Wray often co-compose guitar melodies and song structures. “Friendship comes first,” says Seipert. “We’ve been tight for years, and we trust each other’s opinions.”
“We realize that it’s ultimately more difficult to operate as a truly collaborative unit.”
After coming of age along the Wasatch Front and playing SLC venues for ten-plus years, Seipert, Adair and Wray feel at home in the scene, but they’re also eager to branch out and tour. “We’ve benefited a lot from the supportive atmosphere here,” says Seipert. “Now, with our next album, we hope to hit the road and see what’s out there.” MedCo’s revamped sound hasn’t yet left the rehearsal room, but based on the band’s first two albums, it’s sure to be stocked with timeless guitar tones from Wray and Seipert and plenty of lyrical whimsy and introspection from Adair. Lonnie Blanton (drums) and Shawn Davis (bass) will provide the rhythmic scaffolding.
“We’re lucky to make music with our closest friends,” says Adair. “That allows us to evolve individually and together and worship at the altar of the song.” Find The Medicine Company on their Instagram @medcoband and don’t miss their Localized set on Sunday, March 10 at Kilby Court. Get your tickets here!
Read more Localized interviews:
Localized: The Howlin’ Tomcats
Localized: Body Horror