The Thoughts came about in 2007. Ian Williams and Jon Horwath, who have played together for a long, long time, joined with Seattle violinist Katie Mosehauer (The Monday Mornings, Lucy Bland, Carrie Biell) to play songs that are pretty, violent, intimate, and unexpected. Wandering through winters past, lovers lost, quixotic dreams, and inevitable change, The Thoughts capture a sound that is visceral and haunting. Lonely, sailing melodies rub and stretch between violin and voice and give way to cascading, rolling percussion. Beautiful ideas are challenged by the raw and primal creating utterly believable songs filled with tension, emotion, and occasional resolution. Drawing from influences like Elliot Smith, Neutral Milk Hotel and King Crimson, The Thoughts amble nimbly between traditional songs and departures from expected form. Top-notch musicianship also leads this trio to expand the expectations of their instruments, most notably in the impressionistic percussion style and the use of voice as both purveyor of stories but also as it’s own expressive instrument. A shared desire to create nuanced and dynamic music is what brought this band together and what makes their freshman effort, Consider the Bear a work to be remembered. Let us know what you think! TheThoughts@BrassTaxCoop Ian Williams Ian Williams is a mostly harmless animal who wanders the cities of the Pacific Northwest, though some sightings happen as far east as NYC. He went to school, studied music and theatre, and writes songs. He loves crows, but crows don’t love him. He would like to meet a polar bear, but it suspects that the polar bear might be indifferent, or possibly hostile. He likes that whales sing songs. Katie Mosehauer Katie Mosehauer likes books and sad songs and tends to touch the plants she walks by. She thinks the latter might end badly at some point, but she’s willing to take her chances. She studied music and anthropology and linguistics and after many years, has decided that the first was the wisest choice--with a violin as her voice she can say things she’s never had the words for. Jon Horwath Jon Horwath has played drums pretty since he can remember. At a younger age he participated in youth orchestras and such. During college he spent the majority of his time in the music building and so ended up with a minor in music and a teaching certification for instrumental music. Widely influenced, his great love is anything experimental or improvised and specifically, John Coltrane. Other drumming influences include Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Jon Fishman, Greg Saunier, and Ringo Starr (yep Ringo).