I AM THE MOUNTAIN
Lead Guitar
JasonCillo
Brass & Keys
Keath Mulluer
Bass
Jesse Shire
Drums
Robin Cillo
Vocals &
Guitar
ColtonO'Rielly
Reaching a summit with IATM
Article by Erin Myer
I Am The Mountain is a “soul/jazz/rock” act based out of Calgary, Alberta. The band is composed of Colton O'Reilly on vocals & guitar, Keath Mueller on trumpet & keyboard, Jesse Shire on bass & vocals, Jason Cillo on lead guitar, and Robin Cillo on drums and vocals. They use their music, which is infused with the influence of acts like BadBadNotGood, Evening Hymns, Bon Iver & Aidan Knight, to create atmospheric moments that drum up emotion within the listener. Lead singer O’Reilly describes the band’s music as something to be enjoyed while hanging out with friends, dancing uncontrollably, or sitting alone in contemplation, “with an Old Fashioned, neat” in hand.
I Am The Mountain’s music has found a natural transition towards a groovier, more multi-faceted sound since they first formed six years ago as a “campfire folk” act. This, O’Reilly explains, is mostly because of the uniqueness of each of the instrumentalists in the band, “they are all so talented and diverse, the music changed automatically” he says. He credits the combination of different personalities, both musically and otherwise, as being intrinsic in the creation of new art." O’Reilly’s songwriting has followed suit, growing with the shaping of their new sound. His lyrics are based on past experiences, present musings, & thoughts and daydreams about the future that turn into “interesting ideas, and sometimes oddly enough, realities.”
To O'Reilly, “Everything = Art = Music = Everything!” Which surely explains the drive behind I Am The Mountain’s visibility in the Calgary music scene, where they’ve enjoyed “playing with friendly bands and finding out how vibrant this city can be.” The connections they’ve made with old friends and strangers who attend their shows is a “pretty electric feeling,” an immense motivator to continue when frequently playing in the city, and hopefully the rest of the country soon.
Working alongside Juno Award nominee Nils Mikkelsen of AM Static, I Am The Mountain is set to release a six-song EP, titled “We’re Here For Eachother” on February 16th. The EP will showcase their musical growth and cohesiveness as a group. “We really hope the listener simply feels it. Takes it all in. Listens to the lyrics and appreciates the nuances within the horn lines and rests with the bass notes,” O'Reilly says of their new material, “the intricate drumming and guitar picking should allow you to sink into place, to feel how you need to feel. Warmth, familiarity, love, passion, longing, or loss; we will be feeling it too
