As Matthew E. White traverses the great continent of Europe this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to showcase the people who make up Spacebomb. In the past few weeks, you’ve read a few words about the people who have given so much of themselves, their lives, and their musical voices to Spacebomb. We’ve already met Cameron, Pinson, Sara, Travis and Joel, Trey, Gabe, Scott, Rawls, Jesse, and Dean. Today, meet Adam Heathcott.

Adam Heathcott

Over the past few months, I have realized that where Mrs. Sara Padgett Heathcott begins and where her husband of 18 years, Mr. Adam Heathcott, ends is more seamless than I had ever realized. I had thought that Adam had found his way into our universe mainly through his wife’s unbridled enthusiasm for all things Spacebomb. I have learned, however, that behind every Sara-shaped action is advice, guidance, and the wisdom of her husband. The more I talk with Sara, with whom I communicate more than any person on this earth, the more I see that her and Adam are one united, art-making dynasty, the 1960s UCLA Bruins of mind-melding, and mind-melting creative energy. It is impossible to collaborate with one without working with the other, whether you know it or not. Fortunately I have been working with Adam directly lately, ecstatic that he is part of the team. He brings a skill set and a knowledge base that is incredibly unique to the Spacebomb team, a wonderfully creative thinker who can help us create beautiful dots and then connect them across many mediums. There’s not much time to look back these days, but when I do I can see, clearly, that the path that crashed the Spacebomb into the Hometapes was forged by not one, but two very brave explorers, both of whom have my unceasing thanks. — Matthew E. White

Listen to Adam’s picks:

photos by Sara Padgett Heathcott

As Matthew E. White traverses the great continent of Europe this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to showcase the people who make up Spacebomb. In the past few weeks, you’ve read a few words about the people who have given so much of themselves, their lives, and their musical voices to Spacebomb. We’ve already met Cameron, Pinson, Trey, Gabe, Scott, Rawls, and Jesse. Today, meet Dean Christesen.

Dean Christesen

When I was in college, there was a mysterious blog in Richmond called RVAJazz. There wasn’t anything peculiar about the content it covered, obviously, which was Jazz music in Richmond. But no one knew who wrote it. At the time I was very much in the middle of that community and nobody had a clue who was leading and curating this thing. Turns out, after the cat was let out of the bag, that it was a young college kid, a drummer at VCU, named Dean Christesen. He thought he was too young to be doing it, which was probably true, so he tried to keep it anonymous. But Dean is a do-er, he can’t help himself. For years, since his RVAJazz days, Dean has been organizing, promoting, writing, internet-ing and generally proving that he is a “get shit done” kinda guy.

I remember distinctly when Dean told me, at The Camel in Richmond, VA, that he was shifting his focus from playing drums to the music business. I remember it so well because IMMEDIATELY I knew Spacebomb would be making a grave mistake if we didn’t snatch this guy up. So we did our best pitch and luckily Dean agreed to be part of this circus. Now Dean is our web guru and soothsayer, a budding marketer, a futuristic thinker, an integral part of the braintrust and, more than anything, a hard worker. I’m just ever so thankful that we ran into each other at the Camel that night. Dean’s still the youngest, but there’s no need to keep him anonymous anymore. He is an integral and irreplaceable part in what we do. — Matthew E. White

Listen to Dean’s picks:

photos by Cameron Charles Lewis, Alyssa DeHayes, and Lauren Serpa

As Matthew E. White traverses the great continent of Europe this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to showcase his band. We’ve already met Cameron, Pinson, Trey, Gabe, Scott, and Rawls, and in the coming weeks, you’ll read a few words about the others who have given so much of themselves, their lives, and their musical voices to Spacebomb. Today, meet Jesse Medaries.

Jesse Medaries

Jesse Medaries is one of three people who could call me, out of the blue, say they were moving into my house and I would be, not only amenable to the idea, but absolutely ecstatic about it. Fortunately, in March 2010,  that happened. Little did Jesse know exactly what he was walking in to. it was only a few days later that he and I sat at a Sports Bar and I gave him the hard sell on starting a record label, an idea I had spent the previous year developing. A month after that Jesse — who, by then, had taken to the label idea — Matt Rawls, and I sat in a fishing boat and decided to throw our energy, resources, and brain power at an idea we called Spacebomb Records.

For close to 3 years, Jesse has been taking on little problems, medium problems, big problems, problems of an unquantifiable size and solving them for us. He is Spacebomb’s secret ingredient, a vibe-gardener virtuoso, slayer of to-do lists, and has a magnetic spirit that leaves everyone he meets wanting much more. Lately we’ve taken to calling Jesse “The Wolf” — because, as I said, he solves problems. And that skill, as well as all the other vibrations he brings, is more valuable today than it ever has been. Many thanks to Mr. Medaries for coming on board, having the vision and confidence to push this thing along from the very very beginning, and especially for moving into Libbie Ave. three short years ago. — Matthew E. White

Listen to Jesse’s picks:

photos by Sara Padgett Heathcott and Matthew E. White

As Matthew E. White traverses the great continent of Europe this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to showcase his band. We’ve already met Cameron, Pinson, Trey, Gabe, and Scott, and in the coming weeks, you’ll read a few words about the others who have given so much of themselves, their lives, and their musical voices to Spacebomb. Today, meet Matt Rawls.

Matt Rawls

In August of 2009, I spent some time driving around the southeast United States. I visited my family in Alabama, went to New Orleans, managed to take Ivan Neville out to lunch and used Oxford, Mississippi, as a base to explore the Delta. In Oxford, I was fortunate enough to visit the offices of Fat Possum Records and the small visit left me with a giant takeaway. Here in a non-industry town a bunch of hard working folks were making a real record label work. On the long drive home to Virginia, I called my old friend Matt Rawls and talked up the idea of starting a label — an idea we’d been kicking around since our high school days together. Over the next year we connected A to B to C and did the best we could to start thinking seriously about what would become Spacebomb. That meant fishing trips and river visits and I had the time of my life laying the groundwork for this label with Matt. Rawls is a bold thinker, a risk taker, sees the long view and as my partner from the very, very beginning has given Spacebomb legs to walk. We are two kids whose high school lunch table conversation has turned into a very tangible reality. Believe me, without Matt Rawls, this road, which has been so wild, rewarding, and exciting would never have been paved. Here’s to more fishing trips and many more ideas to come with the inimitable Matt Rawls, a proud father of a Bouvier des Flanders, unfortunately a life-long Yankees fan, founder of glam-rock icons Danger Rangerz, and a wonderful friend. — Matthew E. White

Listen to Rawls’ picks:

photos by Sara Padgett Heathcott, Grant Russell, and Frank Rawls

As Matthew E. White traverses the great continent of Europe this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to showcase his band. We’ve already met Cameron, Pinson, Trey, and Gabe, and in the coming weeks, you’ll read a few words about the others who have given so much of themselves, their lives, and their musical voices to Spacebomb. Today, meet Scott Clark.

Scott Clark

Scott Clark is one of the finest drummers in Richmond. He leads the Scott Clark 4tet, a free jazz ensemble that will shake your bones and elevate your mind. When I was putting together my band, I didn’t need another drummer but I did need a percussionist so I approached Scott because I thought he could bring his unique combination of imagination, courage, technical mastery, and rhythmic sensibility to another set of strikeable instruments. Everything is coming up roses and Scott adds an energy to the band that is absolutely lost without him. It used to be that a percussionist, or a conga player, was commonplace in latin bands, rock bands, soul bands, R&B bands, even in jazz big bands (all my love to Chano Pozo) and we are doing our best to bring that on back. Leading the way is Mr. Scott Clark, free jazz master who can turn into a conguero and percussion wizard on a dime. 

Check out his beautiful music here
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photos by Sara Padgett Heathcott