Ockham’s Razor

Patrick J. McMahon (Lead Vocals)

Belinda Bach (Guitars, Vocals)

Jonathan (Stickman) Bach (Drums, Back-up Vocals)

Jeremy Wheeler (Keyboards and Pianos)

Sheldon (Lurch) Morley (Guitar and Bass)

Darkwave, Synth-Pop, and Ethereal Music

“Ockham’s Razor” began as many great ventures do, in the smoky back room of a Hollywood night club. Belinda Bach, a professional singer-songwriter, met up with Patrick McMahon, a talented performer with a flare for producing lustrous vocal acrobatics. The pair immediately realized they had a brilliant musical chemistry and decided it would benefit them to pool their collective abilities. Belinda and Patrick were ecstatic to learn that Belinda’s brother, Jonathan, a percussive prodigy, would soon be moving to Los Angeles. He was quickly added to the group’s line-up. Shortly thereafter the quartet was filled out with the addition of Jeremy Wheeler, a very gifted keyboardist and synthesizer technician. After only one rehearsal, the quartet knew that the compatibility of their styles would make for a great act. The most recent addition is guitarist/bassist Sheldon Morley (AKA Lurch - for obvious reasons!) Sheldon also sings, so that is another plus.

The goal of Ockham’s Razor is to create a commercially viable sound, while still catering to the more discriminating music listener. The band possesses an uncanny ability to create a perfect marriage between the hard-hitting sounds of the latest electronic technologies with the smooth and elegant tones of live acoustic instruments. The lyrics resonate with a haunting but true to life ring which has regained so much popularity in recent years. Some of the songs tell stories, while others simply convey an emotional state of mind. In the tradition of many other great bands, Ockham’s Razor produces well crafted songs with memorable lyrics, and melodic hooks.

According to his mother, Patrick J. McMahon has been singing since before he could walk. Classically trained in voice from the age of eight, Patrick is equally adept at belting out Broadway favorites, the latest pop hits, or even Italian arias. His first professional singing gig was performing Handel’s “Messiah” for a San Francisco Bay Area ecclesiastical gathering. He has also been a featured performer in the Junior Bach Festival of Berkeley, CA, and took first place in vocal competitions throughout the state. While attending Pomona College in Claremont, CA (where he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Theatrical Performance), Patrick was a headliner in the school’s award-winning a cappella group, the Claremont Shades. He is a veteran of stage and screen, the recipient of numerous accolades for nearly two decades of public performance . . . and does a pretty decent Jack Nicholson impression.

Also involved in performances from a young age, Belinda & Jonathan Bach were raised in a “show-biz” family. The children of a retired rock-n-roll celebrity and professional opera singer, the two were used to music being a part of every day life. From a very young age both were taught the fundamentals of singing and performance in front of large groups. Both loved every thrilling minute they spent performing live on stage.

Belinda first took the stage at the age of four when she played the youngest “Snow child”, in the Papermill Playhouse production of “Carousel”. As a result, she spent most of her grammar school years in some of the most prestigious Magnet Arts Schools in South Florida. One of these schools was New World School of the Arts, a Presidential Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Belinda began playing the guitar and composing music at fifteen, and after only a couple of short years with her instrument, she received a full performance scholarship to Brevard College of Music. Among her many musical achievements, she attended Interlochen Center for the Performing Arts on a half scholarship, and also studied guitar at North Carolina School of the Arts while still attending high school. When she was sixteen years old, she was invited to be the sole composer for the “Spellman/Corben” production of “Seven Minutes In Heaven”. Since then, she has made her mark performing in Miami, FL - Asheville, NC – Brevard, NC – Greensboro, NC - Ferndale, CA and Los Angeles, CA.

Jonathan, like his sister grew up with the language of music, and has always been able to perform extremely difficult vocal harmonies when he sang alone and in groups. It wasn’t until 1994, when he began learning to play the standard drum set and other percussive instruments that his musical talents really began to take form. Although he had begun playing much later when compared to other drummers in his age group, he was marching snare with his high school band soon thereafter. Among his many honors and achievements he was invited to participate in the “Spirit of America” marching band ensemble tour of Europe. Only one out of five applicants is accepted into this coveted national honors marching band. Most recently he performed in the marching band of Appalachian State University, and was responsible for choreographing dance marches for the band and trick moves for the percussion section in a display of visual percussive arts. Jonathan has performed with many large ensembles, such as jazz bands and orchestras, and has proven himself on many occasions as a proficient and well qualified studio musician.

Jeremy Wheeler was the fourth addition to the band, and his talent was beyond belief. He was able to pick up, duplicate and elaborate on both piano and synthesizer parts after only a few moments of listening to a piece of music. The band was amazed at how swiftly he picked up on the music and how fluidly he played. Jeremy not only plays the piano, but turned out to be a software and hardware wizard who understood not only the instruments, but the electronic devices that power them. Jeremy is also a classically trained trumpeter who had played in both small bands and large ensembles. His raw talent and ability to quickly pick up several new instruments made him an invaluable member of the band.

Watch this space for Sheldon's bio (coming soon!)

Ockham’s Razor is building a loyal following throughout the Los Angeles and surrounding areas. When the nightclub doors swing open for the performance, this band easily has the potential to draw new customers off the streets and in for drinks!