Dum Spiro Spero

Their full-length album can be downloaded for free here: http://dumspirospero.bandcamp.com

In early 2008 childhood-friends Jim Slike and Oliver Brotzman began discussing composing music for a larger-scale band that was minimalist yet multifaceted. That winter, home for Christmas break, they organized revolving-door jam sessions with local musicians/friends. Of the several participants though, the only person who expressed interest in pursuing the project seriously was Ian Slagle, who had performed in previous bands with both Brotzman and Slike.

Down to just three members and back at school, the group went into a sort of hibernation, although the three musicians continued to compose, develop and strengthen their ideas and direction; drawing inspiration from dreams, nature, literature, and emotions. Finally, in the summer of 2010, Matt Valentine (from the original jam sessions), Greg Vaughn, and Bethany Baughman were secured as members to fill out the lineup.

With the members spread out across Ohio, live shows are few and far between, making their vibrant and entrancing performances that much more of a treat.

Discography:

Wings (2010 - self released)

2.) An alternative, folk fusion band from El Cerrito, California.

https://www.reverbnation.com/dumspirospero

A Gypsy Death Train that Crashed in Kentucky

https://www.facebook.com/dumspirosperomusic

Many bands come and go, but Dum Spiro Spero is here to stay for as long as they are alive. The band’s name, Dum Spiro Spero, is latin for "While I Breathe I Hope”, and the group has been breathing and hoping and bringing new life to music and new music to life for over 7 years now.

The band was originally formed on a train traveling north to Seattle after seeing a passage of poetry tattooed on a stranger aboard. The passage became the band's name and motto from that moment forward. They incorporated the message along with the many various forms of music they were inspired by to drive the direction they would go in. The band feels they cross many genres such as Hard Folk, Gothic Americana, and Alternative Rock without ever falling stagnant into one concrete sound. Though this variation in genre and tone can vary from song to song, Dum Spiro Spero says, “our music is unified by a driving theme: The creative rebirth of hope out of the decay of apathy and destruction. We weave new tapestries of soundscape that sets us apart from the common thread. We have dreams of travel, music, art, self sufficiency, land stewardship, bringing people together and changing the world.”

The actual make-up of the band is one part that has changed with time. After traveling down from Seattle, the band really started to take shape on the tailgate of a pickup truck in an old gas station parking lot in Berkeley, California. At this point Dum Spiro Spero was a guitar and banjo songwriting duo. The first addition came from another unlikely location; a violinist and a saw player were found in a horse barn in the Oakland Hills. Since then the band has added and changed members but the current lineup usually consists of a banjo/guitarist, vocals, saw/accordionist, violinist, an upright bass and drummer.

Dum Spiro Spero currently has three self released EPs:

2009 Caveat Emptor

2010 Illegitimus non Carborundum.

2012 Carpe Diem, Carpe Nocturnum.

They have been on 3 west coast tours and 1 US tour last summer. Dum Spiro Spero regularly plays at many local bay area venues and their events can be found on their website or on Facebook.