The National EP is the long-awaited debut project from the Tulsa band, skyblynde. Gregory Hyde (vocals, guitar) has been lending his talents to numerous local and national acts over the past few years. Nominated for a Tulsa World Spot Award for Best Upcoming Artist/Rising Star, he has also written songs that have appeared on other artist's albums and in award winning independent films. He also thinks the Apollo moon landing was faked. After a series of unfulfilling stints in touring bands and session work, Greg decided to finally strike out on his own. The result was skyblynde. Don't bother asking him to tell you what it means. The result is a sly, devilish smirk, and (in a mock British accent, as though he's channeling Billy Idol) his reply of, "well what does it mean to you, man?" Enlisting the help of some fellow touring musicians, the group first performed in 2004, live on the air on Phil & Brent's morning show on Tulsa's most notable rock station, 97.5 KMOD. The response confirmed that the group was well on their way to making an impact. The decision was made to record an EP with Matt Talbott, formerly of the band HUM (most recognized for the 90's hit, "Stars" from the "You'd Prefer an Astronaut" album) at his Great Western Record Recorders studio in Tolono, Illinois. "I've always loved Matt's work, and the expansive sound HUM had. After we talked a few times, I felt like he could make these songs sound exactly the way we wanted them to, and in the end he even exceeded those expectations. He enabled us to actually rock our own asses off. That's why we're selling the CDs... to buy butt implants." The 4 songs on The National EP are a diverse collection of rock. From the brit-rock saturated anthematics of "Send It On Home", to the power-pop onslaught of "Crush", to the Beatlesque "Better Than Ten", and concluding with the full-throttle rock pulse of "Last Time", the disc is the model of rock's versatility. Enjoy.
