BIO:
Upwell: To move or flow upward; to rise from an inner source.
Upwell, born from Seattle’s vibrant music scene, blends heavy and melodic elements, crafting a dichotomous sound that’s both intricate and accessible. Writing collaboratively, they are adept at adding progressive and metal elements without being a prog-metal band, creating an eclectic and multi-genre style of hard rock that adds a fresh dimension to the “Seattle Sound.”
Founding members Michelle Pavcovich (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Stevenflow Rosenstengel (lead guitar, backing vocals) formed Upwell in 2000 and have had a few iterations before teaming up with Brian Todd (bass) and Paul Turner (drums) who have also played in multiple projects together. After many years in each other’s orbits, the musical forces brought the current lineup together in 2019.
After hunkering down for the pandemic together and writing all new material, Upwell came out swinging, playing large-scale venues such as The Showbox Market and El Corazon, playing in direct support of local legends Walking Papers, and being hand-picked to play Seattle’s Cloudbreak Music Festival. Upwell is also in regular radio rotation on KISW’s “Loud and Local” show.
Upwell released a stand-alone single, “The Unknown,” in December of 2021. They then got to work on their full-length album, “When We Come Down,” releasing the first single, “The Way You Love Me,” on 11/11/23, and the second single, “Dammit 360,” on 2/22/24, along with a video by Regan Hagar. The full album will drop in the spring of 2024 and was recorded and mixed by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney) with additional engineering by Chris Rahm (Allen Stone, Soundgarden, Train) and mastered by Rachel Field (Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder).
2024 is slated to be an exciting and busy year for Upwell. Look for shows in the greater Seattle area and beyond.
Here is what people have had to say about Upwell, past and present:
“Upwell goes to 11. Upwell has this ability to go from zero to sixty in no time flat while keeping the feel of the song always on lock. Music that rages with intention."
~Rachel Field, Mastering Engineer and Owner at Resonant Mastering
"It is one very bold statement of committed, complex, heavy as hell intense rock. Rhythmically, melodically, harmonically and emotionally deep, incredibly immediate and satisfying all at the same time… Self aware but not self conscious or precious, Upwell is a welcome breath of pummeling fresh, dirty air."
~Martin Feveyear, Producer, Recording, Mixing and Mastering Engineer
“Upwell is one of the most terrifyingly great bands I have ever known out of Seattle; they are so good I had to join them as temp bassist, for an extended period, on three separate occasions, just because I believed in them so much that I didn’t want to see them lose any momentum… Upwell is a band that operates on a whole other level, way over most people’s heads. Their musicianship and songwriting is monstrous… They’re heavy like Soundgarden or Led Zeppelin with killer female vocals, but with their own unique style.”
~Jack Endino, Producer, Recording and Mastering Engineer, Mixer
“Upwell does a fantastic job of straddling styles within hard rock, progressive, post, stoner, desert, grunge, metal, whatever. It’s fucking good and you should listen to this album and appreciate its awesomeness.”
~Ben Edwards/Doomed and Stoned
“Upwell manages the trick of being progressive and heavy without being progressive metal… they’re tight, navigating time signature changes effortlessly, but there’s a lot of grit in the sound rather than polished, calculated metal.”
~Jon Davis/Exposé Online
“You’re never too certain of just what is around the next corner… It’s not quite rock, not quite metal, but falls somewhere in-between.”
~Brian Campbell/Innocent Words Magazine
“Upwell updates the Seattle sound with some pop flourishes and impressive guitar lines, while giving the nod to late 80s bands such as the Nymphs, L7, and Soundgarden. They mix the occasional ballad with crushing vocals and some Black Sabbath stylings, satisfying all the headbangers in the audience.”
~Dino Raecker/Pop Rocket Press
“You could inevitably pin the “Seattle sound” to Upwell’s music, but you would only be getting half the truth.”
~Troy Michael/Innocent Words Magazine
“Upwell bridges the gap between Heart and Soundgarden, emotional melodies and push-pull dynamics adding tension and freshness to what could have easily been a rehash of 70’s rock.”
~Bret Miller/Highwire Daze Magazine
“Their sound is straight-ahead rock, but done with the amazing finesse of people who have been honing their craft for years.”
~MKB/Tablet Newspaper
“Haunting dissonance to vocal and guitar parts...eclectic influences...very good chord motion...surprisingly sweet in sections. Lyrics are inventive, if a bit opaque...very good direction and freedom to blend this all together...great band.”
~Taxi