Reno rock band Silver is named after Nevada’s historical primary export. However, according to frontman Greg Gilmore, the name also refers to the Lone Ranger’s horse. And—like the Western icon—the career musicians needed a ride to take them where they want to go. With the release of their new EP, Let’s Talk Tomorrow About Last Night, on Oct. 25, the band mates think they’ve found a project with legs.
“I tried to put together two other acts that [keyboardist Adam Landis] had been involved with, and both times he was like, ‘I dunno man. I dunno if I have time for this,’” Gilmore said. “And then he came and jammed with these guys, and he took me outside after and was like, ‘I think you finally put together a real band.’”
In 2016, vocalist and guitarist Gilmore, alongside Landis, recruited bassist Brendon Lund, guitarist Josh Kisor and drummer Jeffrey Knight. After the first practice, they were sold on the chemistry.
“It’s like any good conversation,’” said Lund. “You have a conversation with someone, you either like it or you don’t. And if you do like it, it’ll take you to places you didn’t really think you’d go.”
Silver spent five months rehearsing its roots-rock sound before the band’s first show in October, 2016, and even longer recording and mixing its first EP, Rock ‘n’ Roll is Dead, last year.
“We spent like a year riding ourselves so far into like the most minuscule, bullshit things that don’t even fucking matter to anyone but us,” Gilmore said.
For Let’s Talk Tomorrow, they decided to change tack. Over the course of five days at Pus Cavern Studios in Sacramento, they recorded five new tracks with engineer Joe Johnson, who worked with several of the Silver’s biggest influences like Cake, Silversun Pickups and the Cobra Skulls. Instead of unlimited time to tweak the tracks, the musicians slept in the studio, recording even after Johnson had left for the day.
“It’s a good thing because you can be immersed in that for like the entire time you’re there,” Knight said. “You don’t have to break away from it.”
The album covers a lot of ground while still fitting Silver’s old-school Americana ethos. Tracks like “Wait” and “The Chase” are steady boot-scooters, featuring Knight’s rattling snare under Kisor’s twangy, alt-country guitar solos. “Go Home” is a Chuck Berry-like rocker, with its choppy piano keys and swinging bass line. The stand out single, though, is “Good Enough.” With Gilmore’s vocals backed by a gospel-y chorus, it’s a testament to imperfect love—for others and for one’s self.
“We worked on it all day, and we eventually had to give up because we couldn’t quite get the feel right,” Kisor said.
After an extended break at a bar in industrial Sacramento, they reconvened and gave it another shot. After two takes, they knew they’d nailed it.
“That might be why that’s all of our favorite song, because it was just like a really endearing thing,” Gilmore said. “By loosening up, it really allowed it to be what it needed to be.”
Aside from touring, the members of Silver have spent most of their time working on music videos for each of the five tracks, and planning the debut show at the Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., on Oct. 25, starting at 7:30 p.m.
“The show is gonna be Buffalo Moses, we’re gonna have Travis Hayes, which is our friend from San Francisco … and then Spike [McGuire] is hosting the whole thing,” Gilmore said. “We’re going to have a special guest join us for a really special cover song, too.”