By Brian Serpas

Glass coffins and gold records seem to make sense in rock and roll, just as much as good drugs and fast women (or men—whatever suits your fancy). Gold records are a band’s dream, and I can see how a glass coffin may be choice for someone’s loved one, or maybe their enemy. And as I sit here pondering these ideas, it is important to note the person for this group of musicians choosing this name, “Phil Spector.” What better way to watch over your wife than to bury her in a coffin made of glass? It’s an interesting idea, but not one intended to be endearing. It is actually one of many of Phil Spector’s insane threats and antics, this one in particular being a threat made to his wife Regina. The morbid truth about this pop icon’s action and how it’s related to the band’s name is just one of the group’s ideas involving aesthetic and content. Their fascination with pop culture and good bands is a great start to their new project, and talking with them enlightened me on the media’s dark stories, great singers, guitar trickery and their overall sound.
Gold & Glass has been a project in the making for two years. Vocalist Sam Houston, guitarist John Dobry, bassist Nathaniel Sprague, and the spine of the group, drummer Guy Johnston have played all over town, presenting their songs to the public. Playing live is exciting for them and their concern for the audience’s enjoyment is an important part. “We put a lot of thought into our sets. It is important to us to make the audience happy. There have been times when we’ve felt out the crowd and rearranged our set list.” After experiencing their show for myself, I see the aforementioned intention. The band may start slow and move into quicker, more dynamic sounds, whatever vibe the crowd may warrant.  
All four members contribute to the band, displaying anything from Elvis to Yes. Collectively, the band enjoys a wide range of groups that influence their approach to creating music, some of which is captured and some not. “We meet a common ground considering what we all like, but I don’t think we are big enough to encompass all of those styles.” The styles they do capture are entertaining, well presented, and worthy of presenting to the public.
Vocals are like the icing on a cake, the sauce on a piece of fish, the seminal fluid to the egg, or the final addition. Singer Sam Houston has an array of styles and sounds and he uses all of them during the set. He learned to sing by ear instead of any formal training. “I grew up singing along to The Smiths as a kid, and I feel I have an affectation for the croon you hear coming from singers like Morrissey.”
At the show, you will also hear some Elvis and a natural rock sound Houston uses for the more aggressive songs. Lyrically, Houston seems to draw some of his ideas from news stories. The topics are usually dark and complicated. One track that grabbed my attention is “Pretty Peggy,” a song about Peg Entwistle, an aspiring actor who killed herself by jumping from the Hollywood sign in 1932. Another interesting track with an even more disturbing story is “Nganga,” a song about a Mexican cult led by Aldolfo Constanza who was busted after abducting University of Texas student Mark Kilroy. Yikes!
A good singer is essential to any good rock band, but just as important is the person on guitar. The axe man’s riffs may be melodic, crunchy and heavy, or just plain cool. Guitarist John Dobry has explored the fret board of guitars for 20 years. Besides being a member of Gold & Glass, he also teaches jazz guitar at Tulane University. Some of the tricks I witnessed at one of their shows were less complicated than I expected, a result of his academic knowledge of the instrument. “Some of the soloing I do comes from different scales I know and also from just improvising.”
Dobry does contribute to the basis for the band’s songs, but more importantly, it is a collaborative effort from each member. “In rehearsal, we collaborate for songwriting. Nathaniel and I may bring riffs in but we all arrange them together.” Four minds working will most likely produce a better product, and this recipe is working for Gold & Glass.
As I have mentioned before, the band has been a work in progress for two years, a short period in a city that moves fast and hard. Their sound is drawn from tasteful artists and intriguing stories. The group invites you to be entertained and to have a good time.
 “We strive to keep it interesting. We don’t want people to get bored, we want people to want more.”