Mark Porostosky wrote “Treat Yourself” four years ago. But the short, sensitive track about being confident in one’s self went unrecorded. It just didn’t fit with the Lighthouse and the Whaler, the indie-pop band that he plays multiple instruments in.
In 2016, he pursued that sound on his own, forming Poro with drummer Thomas Ulle and Lighthouse’s Ryan Walker. They released a six-song EP Treat Yourself in January.
“I wanted it to be acoustic but more melodic and still hopefully full of energy,” says Porostosky. Artistically, he enjoyed the euphoric Lighthouse sounds on tracks such as “This is An Adventure” from a few years back that featured violin and a rich, soaring sound. But that isn’t reflected in the band’s recent darker music.
“Mike [LoPresti] wanted to steer away from it a little bit,” he says. While Porostosky helps craft Lighthouse songs, lead singer LoPresti does most of the songwriting. With Poro, Porostosky has an outlet for his songwriting energy.
Lighthouse fans will hear similar instrumentation in Poro — keys, mandolin, guitar and violin. Yet Poro aims to be more playful and soulful, with more straightforward lyrics and more joyfulness.
Although Porostosky was initially worried Poro wouldn’t be good enough, his EP is about letting go and embracing creativity.
“It’s nice to be doing more and playing more songs that could potentially mean something to other people,” he says. “They do mean something to me.”
With the talent in Cleveland’s local bands growing, side projects are also becoming more common, says Cindy Barber, co-owner of Beachland Ballroom & Tavern. “Somebody, inevitably, wants to do more with their own ideas and their own work,” she says. “That’s why side projects start usually.”
The Modern Electric guitarist Holden Laurence, for example, has been writing songs on his own for 10 years. In 2014, he released a solo acoustic EP. His forthcoming solo album, Wild, Empty Promises, debuts with a May 5 show at the Beachland Tavern. With a moody early alternative rock vibe, it’s heavier than the bright cinematic pop of the Modern Electric.
Like Porostosky, Laurence struggled with confidence early on. But the transition was easier because fans knew him from the Modern Electric, and he used his relationships with Barber and the Grog Shop’s Kathy Blackman to get on the bill as an opener for strong acts.
“It’s an interesting thing going from being super confident and being with the Modern Electric to being totally vulnerable and not being sure how people are going to receive you,” he says.
Side projects can also be about seizing opportunities. For Honeybucket’s Brendan O’Malley, joining the roots-American group the Gage Brothers in 2015 meant he could sharpen his mandolin chops. After meeting Caitlin Hearn of TriHearn at the Hingetown Hoedown, O’Malley was enamored with her Irish and Scottish fiddle tunes. He formed Small Batch last summer as a way to play with her and other musicians. His groups all land him in venues with different audiences.
“The Gage Brothers have a much more rustic backbeat sound. Honeybucket has a pop vibe,” he says. “[Small Batch has] a little bit more of a traditional vibe.”
Side projects may also lead fans to more local bands they enjoy, says Jim Stewart, owner, producer and engineer of Jim Stewart Recording. He cites Oldboy frontman Shawn Brewster as an example. Brewster started the acoustic group Shawn and Shelby in 2014 after he recorded a few songs that didn’t fit into Oldboy.
“[With Shawn and Shelby,] he can play a coffee shop gig or smaller, intimate things,” Stewart says. “It opens up a different kind of audience for people that might have not normally experienced their main gig. It’s really helping propel the scene.”
