How to Grow a Band with The Forefall
Editor | Nov 02, 2009 | Comments 0
Great band, great sound.
by Jesse Gernigin
Sitting down with The Forefall at a local Denny’s I get the chance to discuss their first album, what is behind their sound, and why they do what they do. Dan James, founder of the St. Louis band, is sitting across from me dressed in a sports jacket with a button up shirt.
Having heard them both live and recorded, I ask Dan what the band was going for when they wrote the music.
“Well,” he begins, “I wanted it to be a cross be Zeppelin and Radiohead.”
When I asked why he became focused and spoke directly at me without breaking gaze, “Because we are rock fundamentalists. We believe in a clean and full sound. Our music is there to explore the soundscape of the venue with musicians, not electronic filler.”
The Forefall (story continues below)
The Forefall’s music does have a full sound in which I hear hints of Radiohead. Not being a big Zeppelin fan I can’t comment on whether or not they achieved that, but I can say they do possess a full sound, one that filled the venue at Cicero’s without overwhelming it.
When I mentioned this Dan said, “Well it shouldn’t. We build all our own amps so we have a large amount of control on how people hear our work. Remember we aren’t there to be noise filler while people drink. The Forefall wants to engage the audience.”
I mention that a lot of bands seem to do that today by crossing the boundary between musician and entertainer. His lead singer, Justin Volker, a willowy southern Missourian who transplanted himself in St. Louis to finish his M.B.A pipes in, “We don’t want to become entertainers. We don’t want to cater to the audience. That shortens the audience’s attention span and makes them kings over you. Instead we are performers who let the audience decide how to experience our sound.”
“You can control what it sounds like,” Dan adds, “And you can engage them (the audience) but you have to let them think their own thoughts.”
“Yeah,” the Volker picks up, “You have to let the audience know you have faith in them.”
When asked about the future of the band they reply simply, “Play more shows, generate interest, work hard to get good reviews, rinse wash and repeat.”
I laugh at this. There is something organic about it. But then again there is just something organic about the Forefall. And how could there not be? What is not natural (i.e. organic) about a band that not only plans to grow over a period of time through hard work and exposure, but also builds all their own amps and doesn’t dilute their work with electronica.
Surely this is how you grow a band. The Forefall’s future promises to be an interesting one, and I for one, intend to watch it grow.
Check out The Forefall on MySpace for info on upcoming shows, their album and more on the band.
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