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The Other Words played their first show in July and have played three or four shows a month since then. They’ve played in venues including the House of Blues Foundation Room in Hollywood and The Canyon club in Agoura Hills.

The band merges pop, folk, bluegrass and country sounds into its music.

When Crankshaw was growing up, his stepfather introduced him to British rock bands like the Rolling Stones. When he reached his teens, he began listening to country- and folk-influenced artists like Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan.

“I combine the country vibe with a folk vibe because my voice lends itself to that style— it’s got a raspy sound to it,” he said.


Ryin adds the pop and even some rock elements to the band with her playful and powerful voice. She’s been singing since she was 6 years old and graduated from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Her biggest influence is 1970s female rock band Heart.

Both she and Crankshaw play guitar, and the two work together to create song lyrics.

“I’m very structured with my songwriting style,” Ryin said. “I make sure that everything is perfect. As for Aaron, his lyrics just pour out of him. He doesn’t put pressure on himself and just throws things together. It works so well because our styles are different and it ends up being pretty magical when our songs come together.”

The three other band members join Ryin and Crankshaw to compose the music and finalize the lyrics.

“Everyone has their input into the writing process,” banjo player Choco Freta said. “We all come up with our own pieces to mix in and it’s a big collaboration.”

Freta, another Simi Valley native, learned to play the banjo a year ago on a whim. His wife’s aunt and uncle gave him the banjo as a wedding present. He’d been playing bass and lead guitar since he was about 13 and said the new instrument was “crazy” to learn.

“I definitely had to do a lot of homework to learn the banjo,” he said. “It’s tuned completely different.”

Freta introduced his friend Steve Moses, the upright bass player, to the band in mid-July. Now the friends play together in three different bands.

Moses was born and raised in Simi Valley and has been playing in bands since he was 15. He was given a few guitar lessons when he was 7, but mostly taught himself the instrument by listening to riffs and trying to replicate the sound.

When Moses attended a bluegrass music festival one year, he noticed musicians were playing an upright bass.

“It pulled me in and at the same time scared the hell out of me,” he said. “Playing upright bass is very physically demanding and mistakes can be made because there are no frets, so it’s easy to be out of key. Basically it’s like learning to ride a bicycle and then driving a Harley.”

The final member of the The Other Words, drummer Dave Sussman, started playing at 18, when his parents bought him a drum set as a high school graduation present.

“I had never played before, but I taught myself,” he said. “I sat in my bedroom with my drums, my mattress leaning against the window and learning Pearl Jam’s (album) ‘Ten’ from front to back.”

Sussman was born in Texas and said his life revolved around sports before he moved to California at the age of 15. Although his mother, a cousin and two of his aunts are in the music industry, it wasn’t until after his move that he began to focus on music.

The quintet practices twice a week or more, whenever their work schedules permit them to get together. The group hopes to open for bigger names and play festivals and large venues in the near future. On Dec. 17 The Other Words will be playing at the Sassafras Saloon, a small bar on historic Vine Street in Hollywood.

With a whirlwind of performances in the last six months, Sussman is excited to keep sharing their bluesy, vibrant sound.

“The goal is to expose our music to people and, of course, become successful,” he said. “This is one of those things you do because you love it, and one day you hope to get paid to do what you love."
Contact us: Info@TheOtherWordsMusic.com
2013 The Other Words
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Simi Valley native Jenna Ryin always dreamed of becoming a professional singer.

When she met Aaron Crankshaw last year at an open mic night at Judge Roy Bean’s, a Simi Valley bar, the pair clicked and decided to create a band together.

“I was blown away with how good she was, so I approached her about doing music together,” Crenshaw said. “It made sense for us to start working together. I’m more of the folk side and she’s the pop singer.”

The two lead singers added an upright bass player, a drummer and a banjo player, creating the signature sound for their group, The Other Words. The pop-folk band is set to release a five-song EP in early 2014.
SWEET MUSIC—The Other Words, afive-member band featuring three Simi Valley natives, including lead singer Jenna Ryin, played itsfirst show together in July and is preparing for the release of afivetrack EP early next year.
Pop-folk band The Other Words scoring plenty of gigs since its July debut
By Gabrielle Moreira gabrielle@theacorn.com
Ready for the big time
Simi Valley Acorn
December 06, 2013
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