Blake Ricks (guitar/vocals) and Stephen Cass
(drums/vocals) met as teenagers in Santa Barbara,
CA where they quickly discovered their mutual affinity
for strong vocal harmonies in the tradition of such
West Coast groups as the Byrds and the Beach
Boys. Stephen, who split his time between Santa
Barbara and his parent's home town of Liverpool,
England, brought a developed taste for British
invasion bands. By forming their own band, they
quickly became local favorites headlining local shows
and supporting national touring acts such as the
Bangles and Dream Syndicate. Despite the low-fi,
DIY nature of their recordings, several of their songs
came into regular rotation on their local radio station
KTYD, and even popped up on the bellwether LA
radio station KROQ. Not bad for a bunch of high
school kids.
Despite this auspicious musical beginning,
wanderlust seized the group and they split up. Blake
set off for the Middle East to learn Arabic and enjoy a
brief recording career that gave him a hit song on
BBC Radio Middle East. Stephen continued to refine
his vocal skills in various singing groups while getting
his Masters and Ph.D. at Harvard and Oxford.
The reunion began when Blake and Stephen
accidentally found themselves neighbors in New York
City's Greenwich Village. Despite all attempts to
disrupt what musical momentum they had going in
previous years, fate had apparently intervened and
they decided to give in, once again, to the musical
muse. Helium Angel's debut at CBGB's in 1994 was
followed by a string of performances supporting
national acts such as Deep Blue Something and
Kevin Salem. Yet something wasn't quite right. Tired
of Avenue A angst, and rejecting the musical blind
alleys of NYC's East Village noise merchants, Helium
Angel made its 1996 exodus to the pop-friendly
environs of San Francisco. Here experimental pop
was not just another haircut (or lack of one) but an
integral part of the city's musical roots.
Blake and Stephen met Adam Cunha (bass/vocals) at
Bruno's in the Mission district of San Francisco.
Without even hearing a tape, the description of the
music intrigued him and he agreed to fill in on bass
on a provisional basis until a permanent bass player
could be found. By the end of the first rehearsal,
however, a musical bond had already been forged,
and Adam told them that they need look no further.
With Helium Angel he found a suitable format that
complimented his aggressive yet melodic groove
bass playing style and joined the group as its
permanent third member.
In San Francisco the band has quickly gained notice
with favorable reviews appearing in both local and
international publications. A regular on the local club
circuit where they play at venues such as 330 Ritch,
Bottom of the Hill, Cafe du Nord, and the Starry
Plough, Helium Angel attracts a broad audience who
simply dig the groove of the songs and the band's
positive vibe.
