B. Hamilton

B. Hamilton

Oakland

B. Hamilton is songwriter Ryan Christopher Parks and drummer Raj Kumar Ojha (Once and Future Band). They cut their teeth in the warehouse days of Oakland around 2010 and recorded ramshackle records in flophouse attics, former army barracks turned Mills College noise musician housing, and their rehearsal space in Jack London Square that looks like an early 80’s accounting office, and a set from one of the “Saw” movies.   Existing before and after tech created complete chaos in Oakland is the subject of a number of their songs. Other songs are about other things. Like cancer, John Wayne, and buying lottery tickets after church.   2024’s “The Freest Speech Ever Attempted Without Disintegrating” is about Elon Musk, kind of.   “I tried to write a bunch of stuff about him, but ended up writing about the same loneliness and lack of connection that everyone has experienced at some point in their lives,” said Parks. “It’s the same loneliness that humanity might be leaning into as we go toward whatever the future is.”   I wrote this entire bio like you can't tell it's me writing it. I even referred to myself as "Parks," in the last paragraph like I'm a Naval whistleblower on "60 Minutes." Writing these things is the goddamn worst. Alright, have a good day.