By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
Spectators of NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage may have recognized a familiar voice singing out from their screens: that of Pat Reeves.
Reeves and his brothers, Doug and Andy — all Baldwinsville natives who worked on the family farm growing up — make up the alternative pop band Council. The group’s song “Rust to Gold” was chosen as an anthem for the opening ceremonies in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the song played throughout NBC’s broadcasts of the Olympics.
“Council consists of three brothers hoping to trade a life of farming for success in their true passion: music,” the band’s website reads.
And it seems Council is indeed poised for success. “Rust to Gold,” the title track of the band’s 2016 EP, has been added to the playlists of British soccer team Liverpool FC, British rugby league BetFred Super League and NFL International Games in the United Kingdom.
Last year, Council inked a record deal with Five Seven Music, part of Eleven Seven Label Group. Now based in New York City, Council is working on a full-length album.
The band has been featured on playlists recommended by Apple Music and Spotify. Council’s work has been streamed 4 million times by Spotify users and 1 million times by Apple users. To celebrate the inclusion of “Rust to Gold” in the Olympics, the band appeared on local radio station 95X.
“We are extremely excited to be heading home to be on the Morning Mess with Marty and Shannon,” the band wrote on Facebook ahead of the Feb. 20 interview. “95X is an amazing alternative station and what makes it even more special is that it’s in our hometown.”
In an interview with Billboard magazine, Pat Reeves called the honor of having Council’s song selected for the Olympics “very surreal.”
“It kind of makes you think of all the things that went into making that moment, and seeing it with my brothers made me appreciate all the effort we put into it. This is one of those dreams you have, and having it play during the Olympics is very special,” said Pat Reeves.
In addition to the B’ville brothers, “Rust to Gold” boasts a star-studded team of personnel. The track was produced by Justin Gray, who has worked on songs by Mariah Carey, Luis Fonsi, Amy Winehouse and John Legend.
Mixer, producer and sound engineer Mark Needham worked on “Rust to Gold” as well. Needham has been nominated for 10 Grammys for his work on Pink’s 2013 album “The Truth About Love,” Shakira’s 2011 album “Sale el Sol,” the Killers’ 2004 debut “Hot Fuss” among other records.
The music video for “Rust to Gold” was directed by Ryan Ewing and Ben Guzman, who have worked with artists such as Eve, Jet and Kehlani.
To see the video for “Rust to Gold,” visit smarturl.it/rusttogold_council. To learn more about Council, visit councilband.com.
