Biography

The Whirling Dervish is made up of three hard working young men living in various parts of Los Angeles, Ca. The trio has been playing music individually for the better part of their lives, but it wasn’t until playing, writing, drinking, and spreading their benevolence together as The Whirling Dervish that they found the equality and integrity needed at a group’s core to properly grow as artists. They are constantly evolving and challenging themselves artistically.

To date they still have trouble putting their sound into words. When a band strives to forge a sound that is truly unique; that breaks away from the doldrums of stagnant, formulated commercial radio rock, it is often difficult to describe that sound with a few words. Perhaps Xian Jones has provided the best description yet: “Indie rock smoothed out on the noise pop tip with a post-punk appeal to it”. As with all art, each listener’s impression is subjective. The kaleidoscope of influences that permeate The Whirling Dervish’s music elicits a vast array of comparisons; often times the listener concludes they just sound like The Whirling Dervish.

A key motivating and inspirational force in The Whirling Dervish is their drive to eradicate social injustice, hegemony, and corporate domination over the downtrodden. They have a soft spot in their heart for the underdog and a love for the abstract, both of which find their way into their lyrics. They are a band that gives a damn yet still knows how to have an insanely good time with friends and fans alike.

Built on a bedrock of friendship, The Whirling Dervish are determined to bring their music and their ethos everywhere; to liberate the masses from the clutches of boredom, apathy, cynicism, and despair.

It should definitely be noted that The Whirling Dervish on these recordings are Justin Smith - vocals, guitars, Xian Jones - bass guitars, Sean McGurn - guitars, and William Brandon - drummings.

"What am I in the eyes of most people--a nonentity, an eccentric, or an unpleasant person--somebody who has no position in society and will never have; in short, the lowest of the low. All right, then--even if that were absolutely true, then I should one day like to show by my work what such an eccentric, such a nobody, has in his heart. That is my ambition, based less on resentment than on love in spite of everything, based more on a feeling of serenity than on passion. Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony and music inside me. I see paintings or drawings in the poorest cottages, in the dirtiest corners. And my mind is driven towards these things with an irresistible momentum." ~ Van Gogh