Jared Rountree is a percussionist, pianist, composer, and private instructor from Klamath Falls, Oregon who is based in the Rogue Valley and actively performs alongside nationally recognized musicians and ensembles. He has been tutored by master performers and instructors including Jared Brown, Reed Bentley, Bryan Jeffs, Drew Langley, Terry Longhsore, Iván Manzinilla, and Theresa McCoy. Jared has performed locally and nationwide at a professional level with notable groups like the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Rogue Valley Chorale, Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra, Rogue Valley Symphonic Band, SOU Salsa Orchestra, SOU Jazz band, SOU Percussion Ensemble, Left Edge Percussion Ensemble, MUSIX, Band Du Pays Swing, the Rogue Suspects, the Calypso/Jazz fusion band Tobago Breeze, the Sonido Alegre flamenco band, Alquimistas Brazilian Ensemble, and the Maraval Road Steel Pan Ensemble. As well as appearing in performance alongside renowned artists and groups such as, Dr. Otis Murphy, Dr. Terry Longshore, Cabillito Negro, Donnie Yance, David Bolen, Brad Dutz, Dr. Morris Palter, and the Grammy award winning Sō Percussion. He has performed at numerous music festivals across the nation such as the Britt Festival, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Show, the 2022 production of “Revenge Song”, 2023 production of “Rent” and 2024 production of “Much Ado About Nothing”, the Northwest Percussion Festival, the Rogue World Music Festival, the Oregon Music Educators Association Conference, the Oregon Fringe Festival, and the Bang On A Can Longplay Festival in New York City. Some of his past accolades include winning the college division of the Rogue Valley Symphonic Band’s Young Artists Concerto Competition in 2021. Rountree has graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Southern Oregon University. His recorded works are featured on the solo produced albums Music Is Dumb (2024), Absurdist Music (2024), the EP Frixionless Lizard (2024-25), and on the track Bench Music on an upcoming album by Deena Grossman.

Born in Aurora, Colorado, raised around fundamentalists, preached at by the infamous meth addict pastor Ted Haggard. Subjected to wild, clown-faced subservients speaking in tongues after being found guilty of drawing pictures of bloody cartoons and dragons. Atheist Brandon Smith learned to play guitar at the age of 13, influenced heavily by his father, who taught the basics but also emphasized the history behind many rock classics such as Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath.

In high school, he joined the hardcore scene, briefly doing vocals in a few short-lived projects. During this time a passion for cinema took over everything else and he began making short films with a clunky VHS camera, later graduating to various home video cameras. He never amounted to much but continued drawing and periodically played in bands over the years, eventually picking up drums at the age of 25, playing in Doom/sludge metal bands, as well as recording with a folk-rock band, HandDrawn Stars. After this project dissolved Brandon started working on home recordings, leaning into a lo-fi aesthetic, and for the first time trying to cultivate some semblance of singing. This also faded with time but left a large impact on his musical endeavors.

Once again, cinema and a love for drawing continued while music was set aside. During the pandemic, Brandon was introduced to Landon, where they first began writing music together. After a brief hiatus, he was asked to join this project in hopes to fill out the sound a little. Being the loud, obnoxious personality he is, he somehow found his way back into singing and pushed himself a little more into the foreground than the others expected. It was quite rude and he’ll be apologizing regularly for the foreseeable future. 

Among his favorite artists are Unwound, Sigur Ros, Tom Waits, Karate, Bill Evans, Failure, Hiroshi Suzuki, Melvins, Converge, Breadwinner, Deadguy, Mark Lanegan, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sumac, and Radiohead. 

Brandon also enjoys films including L’Argent, Mirror, Meantime, Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Tokyo Fist, Diabel, Memories of Murder, Cure, Lost Highway, and Ikiru; 

Favorite literature includes The Rebel – Albert Camus, Demian – Herman Hesse, The Sirens of Titan – Kurt Vonnegut, Bad Brains – Kathe Koja, Behold the Man – Michael Moorcock, Valis – Philip K. Dick, Off Season – Jack Ketchum, Haunter – Charlee Jacob, Cold in July – Joe R. Lansdale

Artists of other mediums he is an avid enjoyer of are Marshall Arisman, Juan Gimenez, Alberto Breccia, Francis Bacon, Aaron Turner, Les Edwards, Andrew Wyeth, W. Heath Robinson, and Osamu Tezuka.