Daniel Romano / Ancient Shapes

“A Flower That Wouldn’t Bloom” is the third offering from the flower pop super group “Ancient Shapes”. In all realities it is the amalgamation of two recording sessions that took place almost a year apart–– in essence this is the greatest hits compilation.

Ancient Shapes is comprised of Daniel Romano, David Nardi, Vee Bell, Roddy Rosetti and Ian Romano. They have been called “ the best band since computers” and also “incredibly good as hell” when it comes to their live engagements and sock hop shake down events. The group has  traveled the world over sharing their songs and ideas with others, now they offer us this: A flower that just refuses to bloom.

Inside this heated material you will find such subjects as sadness, happiness, loneliness, togetherness, longing, acceptance, colonial guilt complexes and home town optimism.

There was the first one, and everyone seemed to like that, and the second one people liked too… this is the third one. Odds are good.

A Flower That Wouldn’t Bloom
YC-042
LP/DIGITAL
October 25, 2019

In January 2018 Daniel Romano’s Ancient Shapes embarked on their first Canadian national tour. 13 stops between Vancouver and Montreal, 13 brief, passionate blasts of sound within the frozen moment of the winter, the moment that extends for thousands of kilometres and crosses mountains, prairies, rivers, and all sorts of soiled and stolen lands. The sound made by 5 comrades, wrestled into shape by another at the front of the house, and captured by another in raw black and write images.

Photographer Sebastian Buzzalino has compiled the best of his photographs from the tour into a beautiful 120 page 6×9” format book, containing 147 images from the stage, the van, the beds, the hotels, the freezing cold road stops, and the results of drinking too many Labatt 50s. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Dan on a couple of tours, but this was the first time documenting Ancient Shapes” he says. “Huddled in a busted van full of speed holes as we raced across Canada at the height of winter, I captured a more frenetic, urgent side of his music. Between the close quarters, the packed venues and our scrappy camaraderie, these represent some of my most visceral and intimate photos to date.”

The photograph is a collaboration between photographer and subject; let the subject speak: “Sebastian Buzzalino is an invisible summer. When behind the camera, he is disguised and blends into even the most vivid scenery. This ability is what makes him able to capture the raw, living, bleeding imagery that he does. Never have I met someone with such a quick response and attention to a subject. Above all this, when the camera comes down, his beautiful smile appears.” – Daniel Romano

Ancient Shapes – Across Canada 2018 Photo Book is available for a limited time from our mailorder shop.

To see more of Sebastian’s work please visit Unfolding Creative Photography.