Forever Goldrush

“Harkening back to a childhood raising hell in small towns in the foothills of Amador County, Forever Goldrush begins to play “Dirt Road Kids” from the band’s 2012 album release “Chambers,” elevating the vibe within the small KSSU radio studio. A ceramic slide travels up the frets of Josh Lacey’s guitar as the song ends. “Going It Alone,” a song from the band’s most recent album, kicks up as Greg “Grub Dog” Mitchell syncopates on bongo, Shawn Allen studiously plucks his bass and then, on comes the gentle voice of the band’s storyteller, Damon Wyckoff.The band’s been an on-again, off-again Sacramento darling, playing Americana roots rock since 1997. Lacey says he and Wyckoff have been partners in music since high school.“We had a band then, and we had a brief hiatus where we kind of did our own thing, and then we came back together a couple years later,” Lacey says. “We’ve been playing music together for a really long time.”

The band’s lead singer and head songwriter, Wyckoff, admitted that though he and Lacey have to travel in from Jackson and Truckee, they still consider themselves a Sacramento region band because of where their earliest and most consistent gigs have been over the years. “We started actually playing as Forever Goldrush in ‘96 at Kevin Seconds’ open mic at The Capitol Garage back in the day,” Wyckoff says. “Grub would be at Cafe Montreal writing songs before it was his turn at the open mic.”

Produced by The Mother Hips’ Tim Bluhm, Forever Goldrush’s new album “Moonflower Songs” was released on Oct. 14 and marks 11 years between studio efforts. Wyckoff says the connection with Bluhm and The Mother Hips goes back to early days when the two bands toured together.

“The band has had some years of hiatus,” lead singer Wyckoff says. “When we came back, we put a record out with Tim, so it’s kind of full circle.”