Color of mind is a alternative rock band, hailing from Keene NH, made up of students. I recently conversed with Andrew Johnson, Lead guitarist for the group about recording, writing styles, and many other topics.
Tom MacLennan- when did you guys start
Andrew Johnson- We started about a month or two into school, I met Ian through my RA
and then I went to some Affirmative Jackson Gigs and met Sammy, who then introduced me to Owen.
TM- how did you decide the instrumentation?
AJ- I got put to lead guitar because I was deemed the most technically proficient on electric, Although everyone can play pretty damn well so I don't really know what they're talking about hahaha. Sammy is easily the most accomplished on drums, although all of us can play in some capacity. Owen initially bounced between electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass and piano, But now he's primarily acoustic and vocals. Ian is the most talented out of us on bass and has the nicest equipment out of all of us.
TM- You guys recently released an EP, what was the recording process like?
AJ- Recording was awesome, We hunkered down at Clark Creative studios in Amherst NH for two days and tracked and mixed 5 songs. Working with Mike Clark is always a joy, the man's a consummate professional and very good at what he does. It was our first experience as a band in the studio and some of the guys were pretty nervous going in but it turned out to be really fun.
TM- Who mostly writes the material?
AJ- Ian and Owen collectively have the most songs but we all have equal creative share. We play songs written by all 4 members of the band Ian and Owen just have more at the moment.
TM- Any plans for the summer?/upcoming gigs?
AJ- Well we're playing may 1st at handsome grandson studios in Keene with a bunch of other awesome bands,and we have some gigs here and there set up right now. The idea is to set up a more cohesive tour sometime soon. We want to get out there as much as possible.
Color of Mind on Facebook
Color of Mind on YouTube
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The 123's
I recently conversed with Jordan Reynolds over Facebook about his band, the 123's, a folk/rock band that has been causing a splash in Keene for the last three years.
Tom MacLennan -When did you start the band?
Jordan Reynolds- I started writing my first 123's song the summer before college (Springtime). I moved to college and, as always happens with me with a change of environment, I had a HUGE burst of creativity. I wrote a bunch of songs the month I got here. I met Megan Allyn, a former music major, who played flute and sang with me, this was the core of the group.
TM- What were your first gigs?
JR- Back then they used to have open mics in the Night Owl Cafe on a weekly basis; this was probably our biggest gig at this point. It was pretty fun, people used to come and watch and play, it's kind of too bad they don't do that anymore.
TM- I understand the lineup has changed frequently, what can you tell me about that.
JR- Our friends Dan started playing guitar, and Alec started playing bass. We practiced in my tiny triple in Carle and in Megan's room in Randall. People got pretty annoyed. Especially when my friend Charles Walker, another former music major and GREAT singer/songwriter/drummer/guitarist/musician in general, started playing drums with us. We played around campus but were, for the most part, upstaged by other bands that had been around here longer. Charles transferred back to New Jersey and Dan decided The 123's may not have been his thing; we still thank him for the name idea. We began playing as Me on drums/voice; Megan on flute/piano/voice; Alec on bass. We were not the tightest ensemble. Megan and I started playing as a duo. We didn't play as much my junior year. Charles transferred back and started playing with us again. As well as some other random people a couple of times. Charles, again, moved back to Jersey. TJ started playing with us. Then Chris Meyer who introduced me to Chris Robinson, who I had never even met before. This was the quintet we played as for a while. As we got a little more serious Chris Meyer decided he could not make the commitment; then TJ; then Megan. Chris and I played a show or two together as we juggled around some names of drummers. Sean played with us; he was great. We've worked the past few months as a trio on working on and polishing some of the songs I've written the past few years.
TM- What are your playing/songwriting influences?
JR- We have lots of influences. We all love lots of rock music: Coheed, The Mars Volta, Zeppelin, Death Cab, the list goes on. Some of my biggest songwriting influences are Death Cab, Simon and Garfunkel...mostly Simon, Connor Oberst and, lots of my friends music and people I play/have played with. I kind of hate Bob Dylan. We all REALLY LOVE the people in our music scene right now.
TM- Whats the current situation in the group?
JR- We've since played with some other great musicians like Joe Viola McConaughy, Nate Shower, and other members of the KSC music department. We have started working on our first full-length album at Handsome Grandson studios in Keene. You watched as we won biology club's battle of the bands!
TM- That’s great thank you.
JR- No problem.
The 123's on Facebook
Tom MacLennan -When did you start the band?
Jordan Reynolds- I started writing my first 123's song the summer before college (Springtime). I moved to college and, as always happens with me with a change of environment, I had a HUGE burst of creativity. I wrote a bunch of songs the month I got here. I met Megan Allyn, a former music major, who played flute and sang with me, this was the core of the group.
TM- What were your first gigs?
JR- Back then they used to have open mics in the Night Owl Cafe on a weekly basis; this was probably our biggest gig at this point. It was pretty fun, people used to come and watch and play, it's kind of too bad they don't do that anymore.
TM- I understand the lineup has changed frequently, what can you tell me about that.
JR- Our friends Dan started playing guitar, and Alec started playing bass. We practiced in my tiny triple in Carle and in Megan's room in Randall. People got pretty annoyed. Especially when my friend Charles Walker, another former music major and GREAT singer/songwriter/drummer/guitarist/musician in general, started playing drums with us. We played around campus but were, for the most part, upstaged by other bands that had been around here longer. Charles transferred back to New Jersey and Dan decided The 123's may not have been his thing; we still thank him for the name idea. We began playing as Me on drums/voice; Megan on flute/piano/voice; Alec on bass. We were not the tightest ensemble. Megan and I started playing as a duo. We didn't play as much my junior year. Charles transferred back and started playing with us again. As well as some other random people a couple of times. Charles, again, moved back to Jersey. TJ started playing with us. Then Chris Meyer who introduced me to Chris Robinson, who I had never even met before. This was the quintet we played as for a while. As we got a little more serious Chris Meyer decided he could not make the commitment; then TJ; then Megan. Chris and I played a show or two together as we juggled around some names of drummers. Sean played with us; he was great. We've worked the past few months as a trio on working on and polishing some of the songs I've written the past few years.
TM- What are your playing/songwriting influences?
JR- We have lots of influences. We all love lots of rock music: Coheed, The Mars Volta, Zeppelin, Death Cab, the list goes on. Some of my biggest songwriting influences are Death Cab, Simon and Garfunkel...mostly Simon, Connor Oberst and, lots of my friends music and people I play/have played with. I kind of hate Bob Dylan. We all REALLY LOVE the people in our music scene right now.
TM- Whats the current situation in the group?
JR- We've since played with some other great musicians like Joe Viola McConaughy, Nate Shower, and other members of the KSC music department. We have started working on our first full-length album at Handsome Grandson studios in Keene. You watched as we won biology club's battle of the bands!
TM- That’s great thank you.
JR- No problem.
The 123's on Facebook
The Lake and the Lion
I recently sat down with George Barber, Lead singer and writer for the Lake and the Lion, a Indie/Folk/Rock/Americana band comprised of students from Keene State.
Tom MacLennan- When did you decide to start the band?
George Barber- I that the idea of the band has been around since 2008, because since I’ve been here I wanted to get a band together. When I was a freshman I focused on songwriting, sophomore year I was trying to find the sound I was looking for. I first started playing with Viola Joe and the band came to fruition of September of 2009.
TM- Now there’s been a revolving door of members, how do you feel about this?
GB- The core of this band has been Me, Joe, Chris Clark, and Drew Hodgeden. We just added a bunch of new people to the band, and I think that they help round out the sound very nicely. This incarnation of the band is much more family-orientated, just from being around so much together, and we’re all fitting in very well together.
TM- I understand you recently recorded an EP, what was the recording process like?
GB- There was 6 of us in a studio for 13 hours. We went to Loud Sun studios in Jaffrey, and it was the first time I’d ever been in a studio, but not for everyone else.
TM- What are your future plans for the band?
GB- We have some summer recording sessions, and we might be playing at a festival in Maine this summer. We plan on playing a whole lot next year, and trying to sell more CD’s.
TM - What’s the writing process like?
GB- I write mostly all the lyrics and chords, and then the band contributes their parts. Sometimes it might be a few chords and we jam over them until we get the feel down.
TM- Any particularly ridiculous situations after gigs?
GB- We spent 60 bucks on Wendy’s after a gig, thats about as rowdy as we get. We also recorded in a haunted warehouse, that was interesting.
TM- what do you think of the current musical scene going on in Keene?
GB- I think we desperately need a record label, its the last thing thats missing. Other than that there are a lot of great bands, no two are a like and they’re all great at what they’re doing.
The Lake and the Lion on Facebook
The Lake and the Lion on YouTube
Tom MacLennan- When did you decide to start the band?
George Barber- I that the idea of the band has been around since 2008, because since I’ve been here I wanted to get a band together. When I was a freshman I focused on songwriting, sophomore year I was trying to find the sound I was looking for. I first started playing with Viola Joe and the band came to fruition of September of 2009.
TM- Now there’s been a revolving door of members, how do you feel about this?
GB- The core of this band has been Me, Joe, Chris Clark, and Drew Hodgeden. We just added a bunch of new people to the band, and I think that they help round out the sound very nicely. This incarnation of the band is much more family-orientated, just from being around so much together, and we’re all fitting in very well together.
TM- I understand you recently recorded an EP, what was the recording process like?
GB- There was 6 of us in a studio for 13 hours. We went to Loud Sun studios in Jaffrey, and it was the first time I’d ever been in a studio, but not for everyone else.
TM- What are your future plans for the band?
GB- We have some summer recording sessions, and we might be playing at a festival in Maine this summer. We plan on playing a whole lot next year, and trying to sell more CD’s.
TM - What’s the writing process like?
GB- I write mostly all the lyrics and chords, and then the band contributes their parts. Sometimes it might be a few chords and we jam over them until we get the feel down.
TM- Any particularly ridiculous situations after gigs?
GB- We spent 60 bucks on Wendy’s after a gig, thats about as rowdy as we get. We also recorded in a haunted warehouse, that was interesting.
TM- what do you think of the current musical scene going on in Keene?
GB- I think we desperately need a record label, its the last thing thats missing. Other than that there are a lot of great bands, no two are a like and they’re all great at what they’re doing.
The Lake and the Lion on Facebook
The Lake and the Lion on YouTube
The Mild Revolution
I recently spoke with Morgan Little, bandleader with the Mild Revolution, a folk/ rock band made up of students at Keene State
Tom MacLennan: How did your band start?
Morgan Little: The Mild Revolution is a band I started 6 years ago. It was originally for all the music I was writing while I was playing in multiple other bands, It has gone through many changes since then, I have had many musicians play with me over the years which has led me to living and performing in Keene.
TM: How did you meet the current players in the group?
ML: When I first moved to town the only person I had that I knew I was going to play with was a drummer named George Robinson, he was my orientation leader and I sent him a link to some of my music that he then told me he would love to start something with me. The day I moved to Keene I met a guy that was standing outside of Carle hall helping kids move in. He then introduced himself as George Barber.
TM: How did George have an impact on your sound?
ML: I didn't know then but he would soon become the man that would influence me more then any other musician ever has. Because of George, I met Chris Clark, a kid who was eager to play with anyone. He told me he was a drummer but I found out quickly that he played bass as well.
One day I was playing music with my RA Colin Daly in our kitchen and a kid came into the room with a really impressive looking guitar, his name was Matt Caputo but all I got for a name was “Puto”. After playing for a while I asked him if he was playing with anyone else. He said no and I could tell that he didn’t think that playing guitar for a folk singer was anything he had had in mind. It only took him a few minutes to decide. We played a few shows as our four piece and we played a Night Owl Café open mic with George Barber as a special guest.
It took us only a few shows that we were missing something. We tried out a few different people and ideas but we settled on a piano player named Dan O’Rourke. We played many shows in this combination but with George and Dan being accomplished musicians on their own schedules became hard so I started playing with the musicians that I have grown to love in Keene. George Barber and I play in a group called the Elm City Orchestra with three other musicians Marc Perreault, Adam Hogue, and Cory Stein. These musicians have been playing with me all year and just recently in The Mild Revolution. The band has become an artist collective over this year. I love the revolving ideas and musicians in The Mild Revolution. It provides a different style every time we play. A few days ago we played a show in Keene at The Starving Artist that was just Marc, Cory, Puto, and me and I can only describe our set that night as Jungle Folk. Every time I play I hope it is going to be nothing the crowd has ever heard before in Keene. That’s our aim every show, to try and be the best we can every time.
To contact the Mild Revolution, check out their Facebook and Myspace and Youtube pages
Tom MacLennan: How did your band start?
Morgan Little: The Mild Revolution is a band I started 6 years ago. It was originally for all the music I was writing while I was playing in multiple other bands, It has gone through many changes since then, I have had many musicians play with me over the years which has led me to living and performing in Keene.
TM: How did you meet the current players in the group?
ML: When I first moved to town the only person I had that I knew I was going to play with was a drummer named George Robinson, he was my orientation leader and I sent him a link to some of my music that he then told me he would love to start something with me. The day I moved to Keene I met a guy that was standing outside of Carle hall helping kids move in. He then introduced himself as George Barber.
TM: How did George have an impact on your sound?
ML: I didn't know then but he would soon become the man that would influence me more then any other musician ever has. Because of George, I met Chris Clark, a kid who was eager to play with anyone. He told me he was a drummer but I found out quickly that he played bass as well.
One day I was playing music with my RA Colin Daly in our kitchen and a kid came into the room with a really impressive looking guitar, his name was Matt Caputo but all I got for a name was “Puto”. After playing for a while I asked him if he was playing with anyone else. He said no and I could tell that he didn’t think that playing guitar for a folk singer was anything he had had in mind. It only took him a few minutes to decide. We played a few shows as our four piece and we played a Night Owl Café open mic with George Barber as a special guest.
It took us only a few shows that we were missing something. We tried out a few different people and ideas but we settled on a piano player named Dan O’Rourke. We played many shows in this combination but with George and Dan being accomplished musicians on their own schedules became hard so I started playing with the musicians that I have grown to love in Keene. George Barber and I play in a group called the Elm City Orchestra with three other musicians Marc Perreault, Adam Hogue, and Cory Stein. These musicians have been playing with me all year and just recently in The Mild Revolution. The band has become an artist collective over this year. I love the revolving ideas and musicians in The Mild Revolution. It provides a different style every time we play. A few days ago we played a show in Keene at The Starving Artist that was just Marc, Cory, Puto, and me and I can only describe our set that night as Jungle Folk. Every time I play I hope it is going to be nothing the crowd has ever heard before in Keene. That’s our aim every show, to try and be the best we can every time.
To contact the Mild Revolution, check out their Facebook and Myspace and Youtube pages
Monday, April 26, 2010
Music at Keene
Music is literally in the air. Keene State has given birth to many different musical projects in the past year, with local talent providing new and exciting sounds for a very receptive audience of students and locals. Local venues like the Starving Artist and Armadillo's on Main street have been graced with the presence of these bands and I am almost positive they will be back. Below are the links to the group's facebook pages that I will be covering.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
blog assignment
5 entries
100 words or less
accuracy, clarity, efficient, precision, informative, express your point of view, multimedia
news value
100 words or less
accuracy, clarity, efficient, precision, informative, express your point of view, multimedia
news value
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