Formed out of the primordial creative ooze of the San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland’s Once and Future Band is Joel Robinow (keyboards, lead vocals), Raze Regal (guitar, vocals), Raj Ojha (drums, recording) and Eli Eckert (bass, vocals). For over a decade, Joel, Raj and Eli had worked together (in various combinations) with several bands and projects, including Drunk Horse and Howlin’ Rain. Throughout those years, they often spoke of forming an outlet into which they could combine their love of 60s and 70s psychedelic pop, jazz-rock, fusion and progressive rock, in addition to their myriad other musical fascinations.

In 2012 word finally became deed and Once & Future Band was born, taking inspiration for their name from T.H. White’s Arthurian classic. In 2014 they released the “Brain” EP on Mouth Records, drawing comparisons to ELO, Queen, Steely Dan, Yes and The Beach Boys. Not long after, they found a kindred musical comrade in Raze Regal after meeting outside an Oakland house party and soon enlisted him into the ranks.