I've been playing in bands since 1996. I've always enjoyed playing in them, but these days, I like a slower pace of things. No multiple practices in one week where we play songs over and over and over again and still screw them up live. Nope. I just like playing shows here and there and playing with people I like to play with.
It's rare that I've played with more than one band at a time. Probably the heaviest workload was playing full-time with Voigt and the 11:30s. Building up and tearing down a drum kit a few times a week can be taxing on the body.
Despite all this, I've thought about forming bands over the years, but they never came to fruition for various reasons. Here's a list:
A melodic post-hardcore/hardcore band
The story?
When I moved to Fort Worth in 1998, I was in love with Lifetime's Hello Bastards and Jersey's Best Dancers. Coupled with my love of Jimmy Eat World's Static Prevails and Braid's Frame & Canvas, I wanted to start a band that pooled those influences. I posted an ad on a related music site and got a response from a guy named Jeremy. He didn't play anything, but he recommended a friend of his to me. We jammed once, but it didn't work out. I did stay in touch with Jeremy and we still see each other at shows here and there.
Why didn't the band happen?
Not finding anybody to jam with, I let the idea go.
Regrets in not forming the band?
Not at all. I think the lack of regret came once I heard Saves the Day's first album/blatant Lifetime knockoff, Can't Slow Down.
A melodically-tinged, 60s sunshine-pop rock band
The story?
From summer 2001 until about a year later, I listened to both Nuggets box sets religiously. I leaned more towards Nuggets II as I liked the more melodically-tinged stuff over the bluesy garage stuff. Coupled with Elliott Smith's Kill Rock Stars-era material and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, I wanted to do a record where I played all of the instruments.
Why didn't the band happen?
None of the stuff I wrote really worked once I started singing. After all these years, I have resigned myself to being a good riff writer, arranger, and drummer and not a good singer.
Regrets in not forming the band?
Nope, mainly because of the flood of Flaming Lips/Brian Wilson-worshipping bands in the last few years.
A rock band with post-hardcore influences
The story?
After Voigt let me go and the 11:30s dissolved, I wanted to start a new band from the ground up. I posted an ad on a local musician site, listing bands that I really liked, plus I knew would not be well-known to the average Guitar Center customer. Unfortunately, I got a lot of responses from people that obviously did not read anything beyond "rock drummer." Sorry, I'm not interested in playing 3 Doors Down covers or playing in a band that's like Radiohead meets the Deftones.
Why didn't the band happen?
Though I traded e-mails with a few interested people, it never got going. Right around this time, I got in touch with Jason through a mutual friend. Ashburne Glen needed a new drummer and I joined.
Regrets in not forming the band?
To a degree, yes. I still want to start a band like this from the ground up with influences as wide as possible.
A one-man, drums-with-some-keyboards project
The story?
A few months ago, after seeing and reading about a number of rock bands without a key component in their lineup (bass or guitar, most notably), I had a funny idea. What if the "band" was just a drummer who sang, had some keyboards, but who mostly sang with a drum kit? Ha ha, No Age, Times New Viking, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Death from Above 1979, right?
Why didn't the band happen?
Funny ideas don't often turn into something serious.
Regrets in not forming the band?
Nope. Other than the other reasons mentioned, I can't sing at all.
It's rare that I've played with more than one band at a time. Probably the heaviest workload was playing full-time with Voigt and the 11:30s. Building up and tearing down a drum kit a few times a week can be taxing on the body.
Despite all this, I've thought about forming bands over the years, but they never came to fruition for various reasons. Here's a list:
A melodic post-hardcore/hardcore band
The story?
When I moved to Fort Worth in 1998, I was in love with Lifetime's Hello Bastards and Jersey's Best Dancers. Coupled with my love of Jimmy Eat World's Static Prevails and Braid's Frame & Canvas, I wanted to start a band that pooled those influences. I posted an ad on a related music site and got a response from a guy named Jeremy. He didn't play anything, but he recommended a friend of his to me. We jammed once, but it didn't work out. I did stay in touch with Jeremy and we still see each other at shows here and there.
Why didn't the band happen?
Not finding anybody to jam with, I let the idea go.
Regrets in not forming the band?
Not at all. I think the lack of regret came once I heard Saves the Day's first album/blatant Lifetime knockoff, Can't Slow Down.
A melodically-tinged, 60s sunshine-pop rock band
The story?
From summer 2001 until about a year later, I listened to both Nuggets box sets religiously. I leaned more towards Nuggets II as I liked the more melodically-tinged stuff over the bluesy garage stuff. Coupled with Elliott Smith's Kill Rock Stars-era material and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, I wanted to do a record where I played all of the instruments.
Why didn't the band happen?
None of the stuff I wrote really worked once I started singing. After all these years, I have resigned myself to being a good riff writer, arranger, and drummer and not a good singer.
Regrets in not forming the band?
Nope, mainly because of the flood of Flaming Lips/Brian Wilson-worshipping bands in the last few years.
A rock band with post-hardcore influences
The story?
After Voigt let me go and the 11:30s dissolved, I wanted to start a new band from the ground up. I posted an ad on a local musician site, listing bands that I really liked, plus I knew would not be well-known to the average Guitar Center customer. Unfortunately, I got a lot of responses from people that obviously did not read anything beyond "rock drummer." Sorry, I'm not interested in playing 3 Doors Down covers or playing in a band that's like Radiohead meets the Deftones.
Why didn't the band happen?
Though I traded e-mails with a few interested people, it never got going. Right around this time, I got in touch with Jason through a mutual friend. Ashburne Glen needed a new drummer and I joined.
Regrets in not forming the band?
To a degree, yes. I still want to start a band like this from the ground up with influences as wide as possible.
A one-man, drums-with-some-keyboards project
The story?
A few months ago, after seeing and reading about a number of rock bands without a key component in their lineup (bass or guitar, most notably), I had a funny idea. What if the "band" was just a drummer who sang, had some keyboards, but who mostly sang with a drum kit? Ha ha, No Age, Times New Viking, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Death from Above 1979, right?
Why didn't the band happen?
Funny ideas don't often turn into something serious.
Regrets in not forming the band?
Nope. Other than the other reasons mentioned, I can't sing at all.
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