Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money $2.73

About Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money

ender Loving Empire is proud to announce the release of Portland OR based, Jared Mees and the Grown
Children’s new full length album Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money. The 11 song (+ bonuses) follow up to
2007’s “If you Wanna Swim W/ The Sharks” (Named one of the best albums of 2007 by Willamette Week will
cause fans of “high quality/lo-fi” (Portland Tribune) “wry wit and slacker folk charm” (West Coast Performer)
or “sprawling box car folk songs” (Portland Mercury) to take note. A US Tour will follow in October.


Recorded at Mastan Music Studios in Portland OR and Produced by Jeremy Wilson (Dharma Bums/Pilot)
and principle songwriter Jared Mees, Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine Money features percussion/drum work from
Ezra Holbrook, (Decemberists, Dr Theopolis) viola and string arrangements by Jordan Dykstra, (VP - Marriage
Records, sometime contributor to Valet, Atlas Sound) accordion, piano and organ from Eric Gilbert
(Finn Riggins) and vocals by Megan Spear as well as contributions from a host of others.

About Jared Mees and the Grown Children

The brainchild of songwriter/composer/arranger/screenprinter Jared Mees, “The Grown Children” are the catchall name for the current amalgamation of players collaborating with Mees on recordings or on stage. Mees’ first solo effort “If You Wanna Swim w/ the Sharks” was named one of the best albums of 2007 by Willamette Week and called “fucking fantastic” by current Willamette Week Music Director Casey Jarman.

The first incarnation of the Grown Children was borne of a Panamanian Island, where Mees, his wife (and Tender Loving Empire co founder) Brianne and 2 friends wrote the bulk of the songs that would eventually become “Sharks...” After recording Sharks in L.A. and moving to Portland Mees embarked upon 2007’s ill fated and aptly named No A/C tour, with the members of Finn Riggins playing many of Mees’ songs.

Since then many friends have joined the Grown Children Family, and while the constant lineup changes and improvised, infrequent rehearsals would cause many bands to suffer, they have become the vitality of the Grown Children, giving live shows a devil-may-care energy and keeping the recordings on the new album Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money dynamic, vibrant and honest.

Critical Praise
"Like Elvis Costello if he had grown up an American Stoner... If you wanna swim with the sharks... is fucking fantastic. Okkervil River and Kind of Like Spitting come to mind, but Swim With the Sharks is a hell of a lot more fun, what with all its bouncy rhythm and doubled vocals, its quick quips and tender touches."
-Willamette Week

"A distinctly Portland blend of lo-fi and high quality – pervades his new album, “If You Wanna Swim With the Sharks …”... These are songs for the morning after and the night before"
The Portland Tribune

"Packed full of irresistible melodies and clever turns of phrase…between the varied instrumentation and deliberate dashes of harmony Mees displays an impressive talent with composition and signs of greatness to come”
-harmoniummusic.com

If You Wanna Swim With the Sharks... is full of songs mixing highly palatable pop-punk and sincere and rambling indie-folk, with a wide-eyed exuberance...
-Indiefolkforever.blogspot.com