WHO IS TIMEWORM?
Timeworm is a Spokane-based confluence of musical space-time where indie rock, funk, pop, and psychedelia meet. Lead singer, drummer, and producer J. I. Gassen imparts sweet falsetto refrains over tight-pocket grooves, while lead guitarist Indy Heyer sails through his signature blend of scorching riffs and sweeping progressions. Bassist John Wayne Williams complements the duo with his funky fusion of rhythm and melody, rounded out by the prolific harmonic grace of guitarist/keyboardist Drew Brereton. Timeworm channels the dynamic energy of the Inland Northwest rock scene in live performances while setting themselves apart by delivering catchy melodies in everything from soulful jams to distorted soundscapes.
Timeworm formed after singer-songwriter J. I. Gassen and budding guitar wizard Indy Heyer met at a local jam session in the summer of 2023. Gassen longed to bring his unique synthesis of singing and drumming to the stage after writing and recording his own music since 2016. Heyer played frequent solo cover gigs around town but had never been in a band, hungry to bring his talents to a collaborative project. The two found immediate chemistry and soon began jamming and writing original tunes in Gassen’s home studio he dubbed Mystery Balloon Records.
While working at a taproom in downtown Spokane in the fall of 2023, Gassen met John Wayne Williams, a Texas transplant performing acoustic country songs as the night’s musical guest. Looking to grow Timeworm, Gassen approached Williams between sets. They quickly bonded over their love of rhythmic interplay between bass and drums in their favorite bands. Expressing his desire to play bass again after contributing to church groups growing up, Williams joined Timeworm and slotted perfectly within Gassen and Heyer’s burgeoning sonic connection.
With the trio set, the band began to concoct a plethora of ideas as Winter 2023 wore on and more and more songs materialized. They decided to put these infant tunes down on an old Yamaha 8-track cassette recorder in Gassen's spare bedroom to evaluate the cohesiveness of their newfound compositions. The excitement of the recording process coupled with the sold-out success of their first show in January 2024 led the group to release a handful of these demo tapes as "Tapeworms: Vol. I" in April 2024. As Timeworm started to perform consistently and bring their infectious sound to more audiences, the demos generated attention in the Spokane music scene and gave listeners a piece of the band they could take with them wherever they went. they sought to realize the full potential of their instrumental and vocal concoctions on stage, so Brereton, a friend of the band and a mainstay in the Spokane scene, made for an obvious and instant fit to complete the quartet.
. Energized by momentum from the deluge of original ideas flowing from their weekly sessions, they began recording and producing their debut LP due out in Spring 2025, on which they are already hard at work this year.