The Rainchildren – The Other One

The Rainchildren
The Other One
1995 (no label)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA

Marty Shaughnessy – Vocals, guitars
Dennis Durasoff – Guitars, background vocals
Steve Bridgeman – Guitars, background vocals
Kevin Russo: Drums

Wit Arndt – Drum programming
Rachel Hartnett – Violin, cello
Annette Buerger – Background vocals

Side 1:

1. Stories in the Rain
2. Yesterday
3. Everyone Else
4. Take Me Back

Side 2:

1. Call Me
2. Father From You
3. Mona Lisa
4. The Diner
5. Everlasting Arms

I don’t have as many details about the recording of this demo as I found for Our Little Demo. It appears that the previous one-off demo that was mostly a Marty Shaughnessy solo demo turned into a band effort. According to online information, new members were being added in 95-96, while old members were going and coming back. Shaughnessy even toured as a member of The Throes in this time period. The band apparently stabilized and shortened their name to just Rainchildren to release the mostly live album Feels Like Summer in 1997. “Take Me Back,” “Mona Lisa,” and “The Diner” were the only songs here that were included on their 1998 compilation Limited Edition. “Stories in the Rain” and “Father From You” were re-recorded for Feels Like Summer, while “Yesterday” was re-recorded for Somewhere Middle in 2000. This demo finds the band going more alternative rock, with electric guitars up front and a noticeable U2 influence. But there are still folk rock touches all over the album.

The Rainchildren – Our Little Demo

Our Little Demo
1994 (no label)
Pheonixville, Pennsylvania, USA

Marty Shaughnessy – Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Dennis Durasoff – Bass guitars, drums, 12 string guitar, keyboard
William Campbell – 6 string guitars, 12 string guitars, bass on “Tres Angelos,” keyboard
Faith Ecenroad – Background vocals
Rachel Hartnett – Violin

Side 1:

1. Where I Should Be
2. Something Pure
3. I Can Still Remember
4. Gardener

Side 2:

1. Trust Again
2. Tres Angelos
3. I’ll Wait
4. Flower
5. Like a Child

I knew that Rainchildren had two demos before they dropped the “The” and released their full-length CD Feels Like Summer in 1997, but I had never heard them in their entirety until someone finally shared them online. This demo came about when Marty Shaughnessy grabbed some friends and went to record some of his songs (he didn’t have a band at the time) with Bill Campbell of The Throes fame. They ended up recording 9 songs, and he chose the band name because he didn’t want it to be a solo album. While this demo falls mainly in the alternative category, it is more folk-based than rock-based. Sometimes they get referred to as progressive folk or folky alternative. If you know the mid-90s, you know the sound. More alternative than Jars of Clay or Caedmon’s Call, acoustic guitars driving the songs, folk vocals, and other instruments like violins. Most of these songs (except for “Tres Angelos” and “I’ll Wait”) were released on their Limited Edition compilation in 1998. This demo was followed by The Other One in 1995.