A Brief History
Longboy was founded in March of 2019 when Matt and Viv began work on their first EP, "Lake Shore Archives Vol. 1" The release of their first two singles, "Hurricane" and "Ophelia," were met with positive response and saw their social media begin to take off from only a dozen or so followers to a few hundred. The release of their album was met with further positivity and opened the door for them performing at small venues such as Shady's in Roseville, California as well as larger paid venues, most recently at Holy Diver in Sacramento. While planning for new releases, Matt and Viv decided to expand the band, bringing in guitarist Ryan Penkala and bassist Chris Gai. Following the departure of cajonist Natalie Collins and drummer Paul Stamas, Keaton Brasse was brought in as a replacement. The band has since released their first two studio releases and is now looking forward to safely returning to live shows as our community reopens.
Chris
Matt
Matt Gandler grew up in Sacramento, California where he was exposed to a wide variety of music throughout his childhood. Listening to everything from Country to Classic Rock and Dubstep, he developed a deep appreciation for all music and musicians. He hopes to create something that people of all muiscal backgrounds can enjoy. Matt plays guitar, keys, and melodica for the band as well as providing vocals and various other sounds.
Viv
Viviano Kuratomi grew up in Vermont before moving to California, His Northeast heritage has led to many aspects of folk and blues influencing his songwriting. His root sound was borrowed from inspirations like Bon iver, Muddy Waters and Simon and Garfunkel as well as Ringo Starr. He aims to bring these styles back through his classic sound and modern lyrics. Viv plays Guitar and keyboard for the band as well as providing vocals.
Ryan
Ryan Penkala grew up in Sacramento, California where, at around age 13, he began to discover punk-rock. Some of his favorite bands are Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep, and The Story So Far. Soon wanting to be able to play his favorite songs, Ryan picked up the guitar and, at the same time, fell in love with music theory. His style is heavily influenced by these bands. He met Matt through a mutual friend and they played their high school talent show together shortly before Matt met Viv. Ryan plays lead guitar for the band.
Chris
Christopher Gai grew up in Sacramento California, under supportive parents, who encouraged him to pursue music. He became accustomed to singing at church while growing up, and continued to develop his voice as well as teaching himself guitar in 7th grade. He performed with various one-off groups in school talent shows. His vocal style draws heavy influence from musical theater among other styles as well. Chris plays guitar and bass for the band as well as providing vocals and contributing songs.
Keaton
Keaton was born in Portland, Oregon where he spent his early childhood before moving to Mexico for a time, then finally settling in Sacramento, California. Growing up, he enjoyed much of the 90's alternative music scene and became interested in music production by the time he reached middle school. His biggest influences come from hip-hop, including J Dilla and Questlove to name a few. His inspiration for drumming on Longboy tracks is largely derived from the minimalist styles within indie and surf-rock.
