Gold has a long and winding history. What started as a very specific Kickstarter project turned out to be so much more, both as a physical product and a representation of our artistry, and more importantly to us as a band in terms of what we overcame and accomplished. Part tragedy, part triumph. Let’s rewind the clock to October 2016. In preparation for the release of our debut album A Good Problem to Have, we needed a bit more funding to pay our engineer and to print the CDs. We devised a Kickstarter campaign with various levels, the upper tier being that we would create a custom track for each contributor. Six good friends and fans opted for this and thus it was our task to create six new custom tracks. Without their valuable support we wouldn’t have been able to put out AGPTH with the full support it deserved. They’re credited on the back cover of Gold (each track “for” one of them).

Fast forward a few months. AGPTH had a strong release and was well received by fans and critics alike. We did in fact get to work pretty quickly on the six new tracks we promised. It was new and exciting for us as a band, since it was much more of a communal band effort to create these tracks. We shared everything in terms of songwriting, instrumentation, arranging, lyrical content and production. Originally each track was meant to be private and never heard by the public, only by us and the individual we would deliver the track to. Once we got the creativity flowing, we realized that the tracks were quite good and had some merit as an artistic statement. While they sounded different than previous ADDverse Effects music, they cohered in a way that was unexpected for us. It was at that time that we begin to think about releasing this as a proper EP for everyone to hear. All six people who had paid for a custom track whole-heartedly encouraged this new development.

Fast forward to October 2017. We had gone on tour to promote our debut album, AGPTH and had settled in to playing bigger and bigger shows here in Portland at venues like Doug Fir, Mississippi Studios, Star Theater and Wonder Ballroom. We were starting to get the local attention we had worked hard for years to achieve and we felt our star was on the rise. Then on Halloween night of that year the unthinkable occurred. Our drummer and MC Boyd Littell passed away in a tragic bike accident on his way home. We were all in a state of shock and disbelief. We had just played a Halloween show days before. For anyone who didn’t know, not only was Boyd our drummer and second MC, he was the architect of the band: composer, arranger, lyricist, musical wizard. Boyd’s skills on both the drum set and vocals (often at the same time) were legendary. He was a consummate musician who expected the very best out of each musician in his projects, as every current and former band member will attest to. He was, in his quiet way, a force of nature. He was also the motivating force behind relocating the band from Norman, OK to Portland, OR. Losing him was and still is a very painful loss for not only us as his close friends and bandmates, but for all who knew him.

After a time of grief and soul-searching amongst the band members, we decided that we should continue work on the Kickstarter EP, which we decided to call Gold. All the tracks were recorded and conceived of while Boyd was alive, and most of the album had already been finished with the exception of some final touches and features that we had in our heads but not down on wax. What we didn’t realize was just how much more work we had to do and how difficult it was for us, both personally and creatively. We cannot put in words how challenging the last two years have been. Finishing this EP has been a test of our collective will, and we are so proud that it is finally finished and in your hands. We are very grateful and humbled that our fans have remained loyal to us in this trying period of our lives. So, please enjoy this new music from ADDverse Effects and hopefully this statement can give you a little insight into a very unique and personal project. Thank you to all of our family, friends and fans, especially the six who purchased a custom track so long ago, having no idea what you set into motion…

We dedicate this album to the memory of our beloved Boyd “B-side” Littell. Rest in peace, you will be missed but never forgotten.