Green Sweater Society will be releasing their debut EP, “Verde”, on Saturday June 21st at 9:30pm at Bogart’s Nightclub in Apple Valley. Their refreshing rock music stands out with clear vocals and harmonies, soaring over powerful rhythms, sometimes described as a mash of Weezer, REM, and Panic! At The Disco. Perhaps the most fun besides watching their conviction and energy at a live show is picking apart their lyrics; from “Guns and Candy” to “Why Are You Still With Me?”. G.S.S. is looking forward to sharing their highly entertaining music, after recording at The Terrarium studio in Minneapolis, also known for recording such artists as Soul Asylum, and Dan Wilson of Semisonic.
Green Sweater Society has pulled musical influences from every aspect of rock’s history including Blues, Rock n’ Roll, Punk Rock, Folk, and Alternative, having distilled it into their own breed of dance-able, catchy, and spontaneous rock music. Though a good share of their music stems from relationships and personal experiences, they never go for the easy sell, using sarcastic themes and vivid lyricism as the canvas for driving melody. Members are: Steve Rhoden (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Jeff Blesener (Bass, Vocals), Elijah Jivan (Drums, Vocals), and Nick Scott (Lead Guitar), all from the Twin Cities area.
This is a landmark for Green Sweater Society who has been previously known around the twin cities in previous years as the tight folk rock trio, Running Down Renee. With a drastic change to their lineup, and their music following suit, a new name with their first public release is more than appropriate. In addition to the “Verde” EP, Green Sweater Society will also be taking advantage of Steve’s (lead vocals, guitar) filmmaking degree from MCAD and producing at least two music videos they plan to include on their full album, planned for an early 2009 release.