WEEED is having quite the transformative year—and no, I’m not talking about the recently legalized medicinal herb, although that industry’s not doing too bad, either. I’m following the smoke trails of Bainbridge Island’s homegrown stoner rock band, WEEED, as they blaze through Seattle’s music scene after nearly a decade of grounding their sound in various garages and barns and dimly lit venues along the west coast.
The band’s origin story is like many others: two middle school-aged neighbors (Mitch Fosnaugh and Gabrieal Seaver) develop a deep friendship over their passion for exploring the depths of music. But, unlike most middle school bands that sprout and whither, their story doesn’t end there. Beneath the tall trees and low-lying clouds of Bainbridge Island, a patchwork band of young rockers formed, with the addition of Charlie Powers (former bassist) and John Goodhue (drums), and with it grew the island’s signature music scene, with deep roots that have spread as far north as Bellingham and on south to Portland and San Francisco.