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Local band One Dollar Check, comprised of some Creswell natives – Charles Gallegos and Aaron Pierce – are set to release their latest album, ”Fill the Void” at their album release party at WOW Hall in Eugene on Jan. 19.
The band formed in 2012 and currently features the talents of Gared Sanne, singer; Elijah Constantinescu and Pierce on guitars; and Gallegos on drums.
Pierce said the album is the band’s best work yet. Recorded at House Dark Studios in Eugene over a period of five months, the album’s release will kick off the start of the group’s second tour.
”It’s four friends putting their heads together and making an album,” Pierce said. ”We put a lot of hard work into this and a lot of late nights in the studio.”
Self-described as ”dirty roots” on the band’s website, Pierce said that One Dollar Check’s style is a fusion of rock, metal and reggae. The band is heavily influenced by groups such as Pepper, Tribal Seeds and Rebelution.
One Dollar Check has performed with groups such as Katchafire, Through the Roots, Iya Terra, One Drop and Rebel Souljahs. The band has performed at events such as Northwest Roots Festival, North Umpqua Hempfest and Oregon Country Fair, as well as the Oregon Growers Cup.
”It’s captivating to see people be intrigued by the music,” Pierce said. ”You’re making people dance, you’re making people feel good; it’s awesome.”
The name ”One Dollar Check” comes from an encounter one of the band members had while in middle school. One of the students was parading around a check for $1. The phrase was so memorable that it was used years later for the group’s name.
When the band first formed in 2012 the group recorded their first couple of songs at Telos Studios in Eugene.
”One night we just made up a song; we liked it, so we kept on practicing and turned into One Dollar Check,” Pierce said.
Tragedy struck for the group in 2014, when the band’s practice space, the Whistle Stop building at 213 S. Mill St., burned (in the second of the three fires to hit that building in the past 40 years).
At that time, the property was owned by one of the band’s founders, Rocky Garton, who would go on to leave the band a year later, Pierce said. The fire took over 40 firefighters to extinguish and many of the band’s instruments were destroyed in the blaze, according to archives. In response, One Dollar Check created a Go Fund Me page and was able to raise over $1,700 towards new equipment, thanks to supportive community members.
Since their 2014 album release, ”Feels So Right,” the group went on a brief tour throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California. Their upcoming performance at the WOW Hall will mark the start of their second tour. The band will travel in a customized shuttle bus to venues across Oregon, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona. Unlike their first tour, which lasted only 10 days, their second tour be over two months.
”It’s definitely the longest time I’ve ever been away from family,” Pierce said.
You can check out One Dollar Check at the WOW Hall, 291 W. 8th Ave. in Eugene, performing their latest album, ”Fill the Void” on Friday, Jan. 19. Doors open at 7 p.m. More info: wowhall.org.
To listen to music by One Dollar Check, or to find out more about this band, visit onedollarcheckmusic.org.
