Scott McMicken thrives on switching things up. As a founding member of Philadelphia rock mainstays Dr. Dog, McMicken and his bandmates consistently explored new sounds and new ways of writing songs across 10 gleefully eclectic albums before their 2021 hiatus. While McMicken has always quietly released solo projects via cassette and vinyl on his own label Press On Records, he’s now done something he’s only done once before: start a band.
Originally written during his tenure with Dr. Dog about getting out of writer’s block, the first song by the newly named Scott McMicken and THE EVER – EXPANDING is called “Another One.” The track takes on new meaning in this full-band context, as the kinetic and joyful song boasts a buoyant groove and a horn section while McMicken sings: “Once the morning powers wake up / And the hours flower on / A moment's all we are to take up / And here comes another one.” Filmed during a performance at Levon Helm Studios, listen to the song and watch its new video below.
Watch “Another One”: https://youtu.be/ga5mYP9V1YU
Because McMicken’s previous group was composed of lifelong friends who over time developed an unbreakable musical bond, he decided to do the opposite this time: collaborate with strangers. In 2021 McMicken reached out to engineer and producer Nick Kinsey, a friend he trusted to choose his future bandmates, and Kinsey assembled the group, with McMicken only asking for his longtime friend and collaborator Michael Nau to join the band. THE EVER – EXPANDING also includes Kinsey, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker, Neil Ochoa, Jared Samuel, Zach Tenorio, and Paul Castelluzzo.
“I needed to go into it with as little control as possible,” says McMicken. “I just want to be in a room with wonderful people and encourage them to be themselves and be present to create nice musical moments.”
And they are just getting started – stay tuned for more news from Scott McMicken and THE EVER – EXPANDING in 2023.