(Left to right) Xenia Holm-Shuman, Hawkin Holm and Mickey Shuman make up rock-band Golomb
Credit: Grace Lillash
Columbus-based rock band Golomb will play alongside two additional Ohio-born bands at Café Bourbon Street Thursday, opening for Cincinnati art-punk cello-rock duo Lung at its upcoming show alongside Columbus doom-metal band kitsch.
The trio comprises bassist/singer Xenia Holm-Shuman and guitarist/singer Mickey Shuman — who were recently married — as well as drummer Hawken Holm, who is Holm-Shuman’s younger brother.
Having played as a guitarist in multiple bands, Holm-Shuman said she felt elated to join a band in which she was not the sole songwriter when Golomb formed in 2020.
“I honestly don’t even remember how I started playing bass,” Holm-Shuman said. “I had played bass in middle school and I was ready to not be the primary songwriter. [Golomb] just started happening and then we were a band.”
Because Golomb often writes songs with relatively simple structures, Shuman said playing live allows the band to improvise freely and essentially amplify its songs’ sounds on the spot.
“When we play live, we definitely try and make it different every time,” Shuman said. “We’ll drag stuff out with transitions, and we’ll definitely get it being pretty noisy, which I enjoy a lot as a guitar player.”
Holm agreed.
“I feel like if you can find a way to transition between your songs, it doesn’t have to be graceful,” Holm said. “I think that’s a really enjoyable part of the formula.”
Dancing and sheer loudness are two essential elements of any Golomb performance, Shuman said.
“Bring your earplugs, if that’s your thing, and your best dancing mindset,” Shuman said. “Some of our songs are noisy but danceable.”
Though Golomb has finished recording its first EP, Holm-Shuman said a title and release date have yet to be announced at the time of publication.
“We’re kind of in a position right now where we can’t tour [the EP],” Holm-Shuman said. “We’re all busy, but ideally when it’s out, it’ll reach more people. There needs to be a significant effort put in at the moment, and we can’t necessarily do that right now.”
Holm said he is excited to release new music in the future, as he has become increasingly involved in the band’s songwriting process over time.
“In the beginning, Mickey [Shuman] and Xenia [Holm-Shuman] showed me how to play a lot of the songs,” Holm said. “It’s been really enjoyable and rewarding to work with these guys and collaborate a little bit more.”
Concert admission costs $10 at the door and performances begin at 7 p.m. More information about Golomb can be found on its Instagram page.
