THE HELMSMEN

Published on February 22nd, 2016

HELMSMEN

“South Florida plays a big impact on our lives whether we notice it or not,” says Helmsmen acoustic guitarist Jacob Constantakos. “Being based in Jupiter we couldn’t be anymore grateful for the community of supportive people we have in this town. Growing up right by the water in a small town filled with great people probably has a deeper role in our compositions subconsciously.”

These compositions, amalgammed from the individual flavors of this quintet is a rendered sound built from indie rock, surf, and folk into “Island Indie,” a descriptor the band is eager to laud. Formed in 2012 by vocalist and ukulele player Jesse Glendinning and saxophonist/guitarist Derek Campbell in Jupiter and taking their nomenclature from their elementary school mascot, the duo would expand to a quintet in 2014 with the addition of Constantakos, and the rhythm section of Micko Paparo on bass and Samuel King on drums.

“When we came together as a band, our instrumentation was not really planned, but just happened,” explains Constantakos of the eclectic makeup of the outfit. “We started jamming on the combination of electric and acoustic sounds accompanied by a ukulele, it was a formula that worked. Jesse has a great connection with the ukulele. His soft picking can really set the mood for an entire song.”

With a 2015 EP (The Homework) under their belt, the band is poised to release their second effort a little over a year after. This record, Midterm, follows their thematic vein of academia a la Wes Andserson – which imbues the Island Indie with cinematic flair. Bringing in veteran Jupiter producer Jordan Wraggs, Constantakos reflects, “Since (the EP) we feel we haven’t changed, but grown more into our music together as a group. We had a strong idea what we wanted on this new record before we started recording.”

Releasing this album at the Kelsey Theater on the 18th and working relentlessly on creating videos and an upcoming two-month-long tour is part of a commitment to craft and community that the band capitalizes on. “It is an incredible feeling to see a big support of art and music in the community and it feels even better to be a part of it. Music and art is such an unspoken language that only brings people closer together and that is what Palm Beach deserves.”