Norfolk & Western

Norfolk & Western is an indie rock and folk/rock band from Portland, Oregon. An essential part of their stage set-up and sound is a turn-of-the-century Victrola Grammaphone. Norfolk and Western began as the recording project of Adam with friends including M.Ward playing various instruments, and evolved over time to become the fully orchestrated band it is today. In the early days Norfolk and Western's sound was whispery, intimate, elegant folk music laced with creaky old instruments and atmospheric sound collages. Their live shows often features band members switching instruments, sometimes even mid-song, as well as film accompaniment.

Norfolk and Western toured in support of the release A Gilded Age in Spring and Summer of 2006.

Members

Current members

• Adam Selzer (Band founder, Songwriter, Guitar, Lead vocals, found sounds, Engineer, Producer, and other instruments)
• Rachel Blumberg (Drums, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Vibraphone, Percussion, and other instruments)

Rotating members

• Tony Moreno (Guitar, Banjo, Accordion, Found Sounds, Sound collage, Film)
• Amanda Lawrence (Viola, Glockenspiel)
• Dave Depper (Bass, Vocals, Piano)
• Cory Gray (Trumpet, Piano, Wurlitzer)

Former members

• Peter Broderick (Violin, Banjo, Saw, Mandolin, Theremin, Accordion, Lap Steel, Guitar). Joined Efterklang.

The members

Adam Selzer

Adam owns and operates Type Foundry Recording Studio in Portland, Oregon where he has engineered and produced records by such artists as M.Ward, The Decemberists, Little Wings, She & Him, Corrina Repp, Shelley Short, and many more. He also tours with M. Ward playing guitar and bass.

Rachel Blumberg

Rachel has been a long-time songwriting collaborator and is now writing many songs of her own which appear on the Norfolk and Western recordings. Rachel also tours and records with M. Ward playing the drums and ukulele. She was formerly the drummer of The Decemberists and has toured with Laura Veirs. She loves to paint and make drawings, some of which you can see on NorfolkAndWestern.org.

Dave Depper

Originally from Bend, Oregon, Dave has perfect pitch. He also played in The Village Green and Blanket Music.

Tony Moreno

Tony recently became a father and has been playing in the band since the inception. Tony records on his own under his name with several releases to date. He also designs websites, including NorfolkAndWestern.org.

Amanda Lawrence

Amanda teaches violin, viola, and cello and is a studio session player. She also plays in the band Pentacost Hotel.

Cory Gray

Cory has been a fixture at Type Foundry Recording Studio as a session piano and trumpet player. He first made his mark in Norfolk on the "Dusk in Cold Parlours" CD. He leads his own band Carcrashlander and plays with various other bands such as The Graves and occasionally tours and records with Darren Hanlon. He also played in the band Desert City Soundtrack.

Peter Broderick

Peter Broderick recently left the band to join the Danish band, Efterklang. Contributed to "A Gilded Age." He also plays in the bands Loch Lomond and Horse Feathers.

Discography

• The Unsung Colony - Released on Hush Records. 24, October 2006. The album was made available for purchase on the Hush Records site before the official release date at the beginning of October.
• A Gilded Age - Released on Hush Records. 2006.
• Dusk in Cold Parlours - Released on Hush Records. 2003
• Winter Farewell - Released on Filmguerrero. 2002.
• Centralia - Released on Filmguerrero. 2000. Out of Print.

External links

• NorfolkandWestern.org - The Band's Official Website
• Concert photos by Laurent Orseau
• Flipside Samizdat - The Blog of Adam Selzer
• A Plea to get the Band to Milwaukee.
• A Review of The Unsung Colony from OnMilwaukee.com

References and citations