Musician Advisory Board
Sammy Ragland
Sammy Ragland is the guitarist, composer and producer for the Austin, Texas based band The Dry Season. He founded the band in 2009 and is currently working on their 4th LP and single due out in 2025. He is known for his dynamic use of guitar, 12 string and many effects pedals.
The Dry Season is a neo-psychedelic, post-rock, shoegaze group combining beautiful haunting vocals, atmospheric soundscapes, swirling effects-drenched guitar, and tight dynamic arrangements. Their debut album “The Dry Season” was released in May 2011 and received all-around positive reviews among local and national critics. Touring in support of the record yielded a burgeoning fan-base across the west coast and midwest.
Their second full length album “Sentient Planet”, released in November 2014, displayed a further evolution toward a darker and multilayered sound. Despite various lineup changes, the core lineup of guitarist Sammy Ragland and singer Madelyn Carr continued to expand their sonic palette and vision.
The Dry Season’s 2019 album, “Multiverse”, delicately glides from hypnotic ambient textures to sonically destructive chaos with overwhelming emotion. Each song is a meticulous story with forethought, intention, and evocative words that bring forth a timeless array of emotions and interpretations.
Signature: dynamic arrangements, ambient soundscape, explosive ethereal haze.
Pete Pom
Pete Pom is the creative force behind Dramamine, a solo project channeling the lush textures and emotional depth of shoegaze and dreampop. Inspired by both classic shoegaze bands like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine, as well as newer acts such as Nothing and Airiel, Pete’s sound captures a timeless, ethereal quality while exploring themes of nostalgia, longing, and introspection. His music embodies the sonic haze and immersive atmospheres that define the genre, creating a dreamlike soundscape that invites listeners to lose themselves in waves of reverb-drenched guitars and haunting melodies. Pete’s meticulous approach to production gives Dramamine its distinctive blend of melancholic beauty and textural complexity.
His latest release, the six-song EP Fallen, marks an evolution in his sound, balancing familiarity with fresh, nuanced explorations of sonic space. Each track offers a different facet of the Dramamine experience, moving seamlessly from deep, swirling guitar lines to introspective lyrics that add a personal dimension to the atmospheric music. With Fallen, Pete continues to refine his style, drawing listeners into an intimate, otherworldly listening experience that resonates with fans of classic shoegaze and those seeking modern, emotive dreampop.
Neil Yodnane
Neil Yodnane is a guitarist, keyboardist, and producer from Chicago. He is a founding member of shoegaze/dream-pop bands Lightfoils and Snowcuffs. He is known for taking an unconventional approach to his playing style, incorporating angular riffs and ambient overtones to his music.
Snowcuffs’ debut EP Full Circle will be released in early 2025 and Lightfoils is currently working on their next full length album.
Clint Sargent
Clint Sargent is a guitarist, performer, composer and producer of music from Portland, Oregon, where he has been active in the music scene since the 90’s. He is known for his distorted guitar dynamics using effects pedals.
He is a founding member, lead guitarist, song writer and producer/co-producer for the dream-pop/shoegaze band, The High Violets. Sargent also played lead guitar and co-wrote songs with the band, Starry Saints, which he formed with former The High Violets bass player, Allen Davis.
His most recent project, True Primitives, features songs written and produced/co-produced by Sargent. He delivers guitars, keys, percussion, pedals and vocals on True Primitives debut album Revolutions and their new album Rise due to be released January 2025.
Signature: delayed distortions, dense soundscape, guitar figures.
John Loring
John Loring is part of the California-based shoegaze duo Fleeting Joys, which he formed in 2005 with his wife, Rorika Loring. They have released several well-regarded albums and their music has made a significant impact within the shoegaze and noise-pop genres.
John is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who produces and mixes Fleeting Joys and other artists, including Dead Horse One and Highspire.
John prefers tube breakup for distortion as opposed to pedals, is not a fan of chorus effects, and shies away from common chord progressions and melodies.
Ola
Since 2007 I’ve hosted my radio show Ola’s Kool Kitchen broadcast on many stations. I DJ live events and festivals, I’m also a journalist writing about music, culture and history. My ethos: Good Music is not limited by area, location or time, it has no boundaries!
Tom Lugo
- Born: Chicago, IL
- Raised in: Miami, New York, and Puerto Rico
- Current City: Philadelphia, PA
Tom Lugo’s journey in music began during his teenage years, singing in bands like his post-hardcore project Euthanasia and later his college band Arnold Layne, which released a single with JAV Records. His passion for organizing live music started at age 15 when he put together his first show at a local community center. He went on to organize events across Puerto Rico’s west coast, including a Halloween festival that showcased emerging talent from the Puerto Rican music scene.
In his early 20s, Tom became a father and joined the U.S. Air Force, serving honorably until his separation. During his military career, he purchased a guitar, a chord book, a drum machine, and a Tascam 4-track recorder, teaching himself guitar, drum programming, and music production. In 1998, Tom formed the indie rock band Stellarscope, blending post-punk and shoegaze influences. Alongside drummer Bob Forman, Stellarscope achieved significant success, earning national press coverage, U.S. tour dates, and licensing deals with MTV, VH1, Sci-Fi Channel, and Discovery Channel. Their music was even featured in a Microsoft promotion.
Tom’s solo project Panophonic emerged in 2002, focusing on electro-shoegaze sounds. Over the years, he expanded his creative reach through various collaborations, including:
- Super Toys (noisy electronic) with Joey Levenson
- Under the Wire (with Jason Ellis)
- MAYU (dreampop with Gardy Pérez of Un.real)
- Cielo Oceano (shoegaze/dreampop/psychedelic with Andrés Lugo)
- Dreams Turn Black (metal)
- Heliocentric Overdrive (psych-sludge-shoegaze indie rock)
Tom has released over 50 self-produced albums, as well as numerous EPs and singles across his many projects, showcasing his multifaceted musical talent.
Beyond his work as a musician, Tom founded Patetico Recordings in 1998, an indie record label dedicated to supporting underground and experimental music. He also launched Popnoise Festival, curating shows and festivals in Philadelphia, Seattle, Puerto Rico, and other locations along the East Coast. In 2023, he partnered with Gregory Harrigan (of The Skating Party and Hidden Gem Records) to create SoniK Boom Shows and Festivals. This collaboration culminated in a 2024 summer festival featuring artists like Dead Leaf Echo, Cigarettes for Breakfast, The Skating Party, Heliocentric Overdrive, Catatonic Suns, Junonia, Cosmoline, and Skeever.
With his enduring passion for music, innovation, and community, Tom Lugo continues to shape the independent music scene from his home base in Philadelphia, leaving an indelible mark through his artistry and dedication.
Eugene Suh
Eugene Suh is a guitarist, pianist, vocalist and songwriter based in San Francisco, California. He is one of the founding members of the shoegaze/ambient/post-rock outfit Echodrone (San Francisco, CA), and was also a member of the post-rock/shoegaze instrumental band Parrot (Boston, MA).
Eugene has spent a majority of his 20-year musical career exploring the interplay between dissonance and melody. He is influenced by a wide range of composers such as Morton Feldman, Steve Reich, Phill Niblock, Glenn Branca, and Jim O’Rourke and is always looking to find new ways to create and express art.
Parrot released their posthumous full length, Beef Stew Diet, in 2023.
Echodrone’s latest double-album, The Curvature of Sound, was released in 2024. Their next release, a 38-minute through-composed piece, is set to be released sometime in 2025.