The Symbols
by Tim Wenger
I’ve heard it said that you better know how to run a business if you want to run a successful band. I don’t know how the Fort Collins-based group the Symbols are when it comes to the monetary side of things, but if unfaltering organization, and jumping on top of opportunities has anything to do with good business traits, then they have about as good of a chance at progressing their band as that lawyer from the ‘90s does at hiding the truth inside a small black glove.
The band released two EPs last year, and plans on releasing two more this year, with a compilation of videos for each song available alongside the music itself. “What I would like is an accompanying DVD to go along with our CDs,” says Jasco, (guitarist, and the band’s road-hardened production backbone.) “If you go see any band in Denver, they will have a CD of their stuff. Not many bands have DVDs of their stuff.” Even in today’s digital age, the Symbols like to distribute hard copies of their music, in addition to having it available for download. “It’s something that people can remember,” says Jasco, who spent 12 years on the road with a blues band before moving to Colorado and eventually meeting vocalist/songwriter Mer Sal. “The more something physical you have, the more people will remember your band.”
“We’re doing the five song, five dollar CD format,” says Jasco. “Five dollars is the price of a medium quality beer, so I figure people can fork that out” The Symbols have been promoting their song “Kristin” as a single, giving out business cards with a link to download the song for free, as well as promoting it through Facebook, Craigslist ads, and their website.
Jasco does the band’s recording and producing in house. “Jasco is an amazing engineer,” says drummer Hans Mueller, a man who has been behind a kit for most of his life. “As a drummer, I’m a little picky about how drums sound in a recording, but they are pro recordings; they speak for themselves.”
“I try and do as live of a take as possible,” Jasco says. “Then I go back and fix things that need to be fixed, and format things. I don’t do pitch correction or time correction, so what people hear is us playing.” “Not enough bands are going natural,” adds Sal.
“We’re trying to do a pop format, so that we are accessible to a lot of demographics,” says Jasco. “Bands do a lot of different things really well, but I think what’s different about how we approach it, is that this is the real deal for us,” adds Mueller. “We practice regularly, we promote ourselves professionally, and we follow up after gigs. We look at the music industry for what it is.”
The band just invested in a light show to accompany their live performance. In addition to the new lights and fog, Sal leads the stage show as an energetic front person, leading the crowd into dancing and getting into the music. “It’s neat how the energy develops with the audience,” says Mueller. “There’s a lot of different things that show up. We get people excited during certain songs, we notice the audience getting into a groove, and we’ll play on that groove.”
Mueller also suggests that some of the crowd come out to watch the technical abilities within the band. Each member has a very different and very significant musical past. Sal, in fact, credits some of her natural talent to benign childhood epilepsy that was a part of her life until about age seven. “There are a few books that Jasco and I are reading currently that suggest that early seizures contribute to musical understanding,” she says. “I outgrew the epilepsy and started writing songs shortly after that. I (also) studied with a Broadway singer for a few years.”
Current bassist, Joseph Gavronsky, and Mueller came into the band after meeting Sal on separate occasions, and earned their spots in the band after winning over both Sal and Jasco; both come from strong musical backgrounds.
They let Sal do her thing onstage, while the other three focus on holding down rhythm. “The guitar player is the least important part of the band. If you’ve got a solid rhythm section and a good singer, you’ve got a good band,” says Jasco. “Mer is a very charismatic front person, she is definitely the energy center of the band as far as stage presence.”
The Symbols may very well be Colorado’s next band to watch. They are four very talented musicians that have it together as well off stage as they do while performing, and have the drive to continue pushing the envelope as their fan base increases.
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Thursday, Feb. 9, Herman’s Hideaway, Colorado Music Buzz February Issue Release Party
Category: The Rock
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