Past members Chris Whiteman | ||
 | ||
Members Danny Reyes
Santiago de la Fuente
Alex McCallum
Matt Hulcher
Andrew Hackett Origin Richmond, Virginia, United States | ||
Catastrophe by gills and wings
Gills and Wings is a five-piece band based in Richmond, Virginia. Its members are Danny Reyes (vocals, synthesizer), Santiago de la Fuente (vocals, piano), Alex McCallum (guitar, backing vocals), Matt Hulcher (bass, bass synth, backing vocals), and Andrew Hackett (drums, electronic percussion).
Contents
Gills and wings epk
History
Danny Reyes studied music at New World School of the Arts and Florida International University in Miami, FL. He sang with The Soundboard, a Miami-based pop band.
Santiago de la Fuente also studied at New World School of the Arts, where he met Reyes and formed a songwriting partnership. He sang and played piano with The Soundboard and collaborated with Reyes on the soundtrack to the independent film "Chatterbox."
Alex McCallum played on Jason Mraz's debut album, "Waiting For My Rocket To Come." He was a member of the jam/rock band Schwill and the R&B/soul band Buddha Pop (fronted by singer "Buttafly" Vazquez and featuring Giustino Riccio, timbalero with salsa group Bio Ritmo).
Matt Hulcher has played bass guitar with a wide array of groups including The Chris Jamison Band and Hardin Thomas' "All In A Day's Dream" project.
Andrew Hackett played guitar with Richmond singer/songwriter Regan, bass guitar with Buddha Pop, and has returned to the drumset with Gills and Wings. He also collaborated with McCallum on the score to the independent film "Solitude."
Chris Whiteman is a former instructor at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. He is a veteran jazz and studio guitarist and teaches privately in Richmond, VA.
Formation
In early 2007, Whiteman struck up a friendship and creative partnership with Reyes and De la Fuente (having met through De la Fuente's brother, a guitar student of Whiteman's) and began recording the duo's songs at his home studio. From Miami, they collaborated with Whiteman's friends McCallum and Hackett in Richmond via file sharing, swapping recorded parts and song ideas. In late 2007, Whiteman, Reyes, and De la Fuente moved from Miami to Richmond to begin playing with McCallum and Hackett as a group.
Whiteman eventually left the group on amicable terms. Impelled by his absence, the remaining musicians worked diligently to chart a new musical course for themselves. With the inclusion of Hulcher, the final lineup of the band was complete, and they entered White Star Sound (Louisa, VA) in the summer of 2008 with engineer Stewart Myers to record their self-titled EP. Gills and Wings made their live debut on Halloween night, 2008, the anniversary of the Miamians arrival in Richmond.
Recent activity
Gills and Wings has appeared twice on WRIR-FM (once in live performance) and on the stage of Richmond's National Theater. Their song "Circus" was featured on an episode of MTV's "The Real World: Brooklyn" (originally airing March 4, 2009).