ArtQuench Introduces The Responders
Friends, curiosity of music and a whole lot of talent and drive has led this band to pursue their ultimate dream of becoming the worlds next big success of artistic sound.
“ArtQuench says…This is the band you want to keep your eye on!”
This is the story of how it all happened so far……
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Shane Fitzgerald (guitarist) and I (drummer) have known each other practically forever, but we really became friends when our lockers were next to each other’s in eighth grade. We ended up talking about music often, and it turned out we both were into a lot of the same bands, like Modest Mouse and Beirut. During the summer, Shane picked up a half-broken toy piano that was laying around my basement — he didn’t really know how to play it, but we thought what he played sounded great. Shortly after, I started playing a drum kit that had been abandoned in my basement for roughly fifteen years. Around then, Shane and I started a project that we called Tuna Inequality. We recorded a few improvisational pieces in one take as sort of a joke, but we ended up really liking how it came out. Tuna Inequality is really what let Shane and I to see music as a dream and gave us a drive to succeed as musicians.
We spent a few years trying to build connections and find dedicated musicians to join our band. We went through tons of iterations, playing at every school event we could under names like “The Sun Will Eventually Explode” and “Skinny Moth and The Prospect”. Unfortunately, Shane and I had a lot of trouble finding other musicians whose drive matched ours — it felt like every time we had a good band and material ready to record, somebody got too busy for the group or went off to college. Having to start over so many times was really discouraging, but we kept auditioning new members anyway in the hopes that something would take. The thing that really drew us to our current lineup is their drive and desire to improve just as much as their talent. We really feel like we’ve hit upon a group that is willing to put in the effort we need to make a real career of this.
How hard was it to make it to where you are now?
I know we haven’t really made it very far yet, but even getting here has felt like the hardest thing in the world. When you’re a musician, you want to put all your time and energy into music and take every possible opportunity to showcase your ideas, but life gets in the way. More than that, money gets in the way, and it’s sad because I think it takes away from the art of music. Shane and I have worked hard on managing our social media accounts and trying to engage our followers with our work, but sometimes even that feels cumbersome. Just making it to the point where we have music to show people has been very hard, and building a fan base seems nearly impossible. That said, we feel rewarded by all the work we’ve put in, too. Even though we’ve gone out onstage and failed to nail it countless times, it’s really allowed us to recognize our weaknesses and improve upon them.
How do you keep each other strong?
Shane and I have been friends for a very long time and know each other well, so when either of us has doubts, the other’s always there to lean on. We try very hard to make sure everyone in the band is happy and comfortable coming forward with ideas or issues. Whenever someone feels like it’s not their place to make suggestions or speak up about a problem they have, he and I usually are the ones who pull the band through that. I think everyone in the band keeps each other strong, though — we’re all just trying to create something together, so we pick each other up when we have to.
Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?
In five years, I see us still gigging, whether we’re making money or not. Beyond that, it’s hard to know — while me, Shane, and the rest of the group would love if music were our actual career, whether that’s a realistic goal is up to the band as a whole. It’ll take a lot of luck to get there, but we’re working as hard as we can to achieve our dream.
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