Pat Maley

Pat Maley came from the greater Philadelphia area to Olympia in 1981 to attend the Evergreen State College. During his time as a student he familiarized himself with analog and emerging digital recording technology as well as immersing himself in Olympia’s scrappy independent music community. In 1984, he opened his studio Yoyo Recordings, whose early sessions included Beat Happening, the Go Team, Some Velvet Sidewalk and his own band, Big Idea. In 1991, Pat volunteered to document the International Pop Underground Conference, and the resulting recordings were released as a compilation bearing the same title. In 1992, Yoyo Recordings began releasing their own series of compilations featuring both local and touring bands who Pat had invited to record in his studio free of charge. The first in this series, Throw - The Yoyo Studio Compilation, included early recordings by Kicking Gint, Unwound, Bikini Kill, Mecca Normal and the band Courtney Love, a duo featuring Pat Maley and Lois Maffeo. In 1994, Pat teamed up with Michelle Noel to organize the first Yoyo A Go Go festival, which brought bands from around the world to Downtown Olympia and continued the framework established at IPU. Pat currently works as a professional therapist, has been drumming with the Lincoln Elementary Parent/Community band since 1998 and continues to perform and record music at Yoyo Recordings with his bands Guidon Bear and Bundt Cake.