Leigh Gregory opted for a gentler sort of intoxication when naming his project Mellow Drunk, a San Francisco-based endeavor whose sound steers clear of any hint of aggression. At first the effort functioned almost entirely as Gregory’s solo venture; he had already spent years performing in several earlier outfits, among them Connecticut’s Dispossessed during the late ’80s and San Diego’s Miles From Nowhere in the early ’90s. Influenced by an array of earlier and more recent dark psychedelic acts—chief among them the Church, whose material he interpreted for a tribute collection—Gregory assembled the first lineup in Minnesota. There the band laid down its debut album, Always Be Drunk, across an 18-month period. After moving to the Bay Area he rebuilt the group around several established local musicians, among them Rick Maymi of Imajinary Friends/Smallstone plus Steven Cavoretto and Sean DeGaetano, keyboardist and drummer respectively with Dora Flood. Bassist Alexander Mann rounds out the current roster.
