Majestic

by Stephen CramerMajestic formed in Southern California in 1995 as Majestic 12. As Majestic 12, they released their upbeat pop on a series of mini-albums. When singer Jana Wittren left the band in 1997, the remaining members regrouped and renamed themselves Majestic. While some of the band's recordings feature up to a dozen members, the primary band features Scott Schultz on vocals, Aaron Watene on drums, Steve Berret on bass, Jarond Gibbs on guitar, Aamon Watene on guitar, and Ron Berrett and Steve Berrett on piano and Wurlitzer. Their debut full-length as Majestic, Live It Up!, was released on Shelflife Records in 1998 and was re-released with bonus tracks in 1999 on Japan's Tone Vendor Records and Apartment Records. The album received critical acclaim for its unfettered variety of organ-based indie pop. Majestic enjoyed an enthusiastic response to their performance at the 1999 San Francisco Pop Festival, and went on to enlarge their fan base, largely by word of mouth. Peter Quinnel joined the band on drums and Ruth Schultz and Sarah Windes joined on vocals for the next album. Wake Up, Come Out and Play! was released in late 2001 on Shelflife, with another special edition released in Japan, this time on Wah! and P-Vine Records. The band has also appeared on various compilations.