Yes, for many, that was a rite of teen passage; endless hours of practice to create the world’s greatest garage band.
Thanks to technology, garage bands have come a long way. They are able to take their music out from behind the lawn mowers and meat freezers right on to CDs, or across the web, to attract a following that is not limited to the neighbors telling them to “quiet down.” Four young men (two from Holly Springs High School, one from Fuquay High, and one Wake Tech student) are the latest quartet of musicians who are giving their sound a major tryout, and have already met some success with CD sales and a fan base.
Danger From a Distance, comprised of Kevin King, 20, vocalist and bass guitar; Nick Schilling, 17, guitar and bass; Dillon D’Ambro-sio, 17, guitar; and Chris Lusuriello, 17, drummer and backup vocals, has a sound equated to that of Fall Out Boy or Panic! At The Disco.
D’Ambrosio likes to clarify, “Our vocal quality can sort of be like Fall Out Boy, but instrumentally, I don’t think we are like them. I do think we are ‘listenable.’ We are not like some bands that are just loud and scream when they sing. They have their fans, but we don’t sound like that, and our fans appreciate it.”
Not wanting to stick themselves into a musical genre corner, the members of Danger say they pull from many different influences, and as a group, have brought many different musical backgrounds to their mix.
King writes all the songs. The son of an English teacher, he reveals, “I guess words come easy to me, and usually in the middle of the night. I think that’s because I have nothing else on my mind.”
“He brings us the seeds for a song,” Lusuriello explains, “and then we all grow it by adding in the music.
Plus, Kevin does bring in ideas for the music as well. It all just works.”
Lusuriello is the son of a drummer. His craft has been part of his life from birth. D’Ambrosio says, “I taught myself guitar. My first song was a Beatles song. I did take two weeks of guitar lessons to learn bar codes, but that was it as far as formal musical training.”
Schilling and King have roots in music theory. King is an accomplished piano player, and Schilling began music with the trombone in sixth grade, followed by the guitar in seventh grade.
The band cut their first CD, (although they like the old school reference of album), “Open Casket Birthday Party,” and have already sold half of the available copies. King says, “We cut 10 songs on this album, and we have already started working on another.”
With their first “album” under their belts, Dan-ger From a Distance has also played four live shows, including one to a crowd at Holly Springs Teen Band Night. “That was such an awesome show,” D’Ambrosio said.
“We like to do the unexpected,” says King, “so we did a cover of Outcast’s Hey Ya and the crowd went nuts. They totally got into it. It was so much fun. We like doing covers like that with our twist, it blindsides the crowd and that’s what makes our band so much fun.”
While the young men would like to realize their dream of being signed to a record label, they continue to work to build their fan base, stage presence and perfect their sound. “We have appeal to a wide range of audiences,” says Schilling.
King believes, “If you like to listen to G105 on the radio, you’ll like us.”
To give Danger From a Distance a listen, Facebook users can join the band’s Facebook Fan page or check out the MySpace link to hear cuts from their first album: www.myspace.com/omgtrialanderror.
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