The Explorers Club

It would be tempting to write off the Explorers Club as merely a modern-day imitation of the Beach Boys, yet the ensemble proves so adept at reviving that classic California sound that the approach feels fresh and compelling instead.

The band originated in Charleston, South Carolina under the leadership of Jason Brewer, who handles vocals, songwriting, arranging, guitar, and piano. Its original roster also featured multi-instrumentalists Dave Ellis and James Faust along with bassist Wally Reddington and drummer Neil Thomas, the first three of whom provided rich backing vocals behind Brewer’s leads. Committed without reservation to extending Brian Wilson’s artistic legacy, the Explorers Club recreate the signature vocal style of the mid- to late-1960s that established the Beach Boys as one of the era’s most respected and impactful groups. Even if the project amounts to a single-trick endeavor, the execution remains exceptionally rewarding. In 2006 the group issued a four-track EP titled The Explorers Club, three of whose songs later appeared on the full-length debut Freedom Wind, which Dead Oceans Records put out in 2008. Late in 2011 the band delivered three Amazon-exclusive EPs—The Californian Suite, The Carolinian Suite, and The New Yorker Suite—each pairing unfinished material with a cover, respectively “Walk on By,” “Stormy,” and “Hitchin’ a Ride.”

Retaining the familiar 1960s harmonies while also incorporating elements of 1970s AM pop, the second album Grand Hotel arrived in February 2012 via Rock Ridge Music; Mark Linnett, known for his work on numerous Beach Boys reissues, handled the mixing. After Brewer settled in Nashville in 2014, he stood as the sole founding member by the time of the third LP. Joined by singer/multi-instrumentalists Paul Runyon and Michael Williamson, singer/bassist Wyatt Funderburk, and drummer Kyle Polk, and still emphasizing layered vocal harmonies, the band released Together on Gold Star Records in 2016.