“Ross Flournoy founded Apex Manor after the 2009 demise of The Broken West. Named after his Los Angeles ‘zen place’, Apex Manor was the idyllic apartment of his close friend and long-time collaborator Adam Vine.
Having relocated from the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles to Pasadena, Flournoy was enjoying suburban tranquility, but his car wouldn’t start and he found himself isolated. He whiled away the days cleaning the house, sitting on the porch, and splitting tallboys with the gardeners who worked nearby. And battling a case of writer’s block.
Enter an unlikely source of inspiration: an online songwriting contest. NPR’s Monitor Mix was soliciting original songs from readers, giving the prospective songwriter one weekend to write, record, and submit. Flournoy decided to give it a go and set about writing and recording at home. At least he would be doing something with his time. The song, ‘Under the Gun’, turned out to be about the process itself.”
Check out the band at their official Website, Facebook, and Twitter. Ross Flournoy is Apex Manor, the band he formed after a favorite of mine, The Broken West, dissolved. I was so lucky to be able to see them perform soon before they disbanded. He has released a total of three fantastic records, all on Merge and I highly suggest you get them all in a convenient and economical bundle here. You won’t be sorry at all, I promise. This is some of the best modern power-pop/rock you will hear. As I and other fans patiently wait for new music, I sincerely want to thank Ross for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.
Thanks, Ross. Just love your music, man. Looking forward to more in the future and please keep Pittsburgh in mind if you tour.