West Water Outlaws chat with Ashley Dean

West Water Outlaws chat with Ashley Dean at the Second Story Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

When West Water Outlaws came to the Second Story Garage, they made outlaws out of all of us.

The band’s blaring, stomping brand of rock rumbled through the studio walls and into the office, prompting a request that we turn it down from 11 to seven. Well, that’s just not the band’s style, so we powered through a quick and dirty set filled with jumping, stomping and blazing guitars.

Ashley wrote about the band back in May:

“When Blake [Rooker] and I got together, these guys (Andrew Oakley and Vince Ellwood) had broken up with their band a little before that,” Will Buck said. “They came over and the room just exploded. It’s definitely just like a collision. Even the way Blake and I met was completely fate.”

Looking for a way to fund an EP, they entered CU’s Battle of the Bands in 2011. Their blend of influences ranging from Led Zeppelin to The Roots won the crowd over, and they released Crooked Angel that March. At that time, they were also pulling together a following with live shows in Rooker’s basement.

What they brought us: A “lovely antique” and “at least 100 years old” overall box. We’re skeptical of these claims, mostly because of the price tag, but we love it nonetheless.

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