After being asked by a class to record their music, local instrumental band Fangface is set to release a full album before the end of the semester. The group contains three musicians including senior magazine journalism major Jordan Martich (guitar), senior geology major Dylan Gaffin (bass) and Ball State graduate Taylor Reynolds (drums).
All three members attended Carmel High School, but were never acquainted. It wasn't until college when Martich came over to Gaffin and Reynolds' house for multiple jam sessions.
"Jordan met Taylor in class and would come over and play with us, and he was really talented," Gaffin said. "Taylor had a couple bass players come through who weren't so good, so I finally picked up my bass one day, plugged it in, and they haven't kicked me out since."
Fangface has been dappling in instrumental math rock for about a year and a half. Martich describes the genre, which is not common in the local music scene, as post-hardcore that contains many complex and technical guitar riffs.
"It sounds like you'd have to do a lot of math to figure out how to play [our guitar riffs]," Martich said.
Gaffin describes the music as heavy, loud and deep, but doesn't contain the distracting qualities that vocals can provide.
"It's nice because it's not hardcore and doesn't include a screaming person, which can take away from the overall sound," Gaffin said.
In fact, Gaffin believes that being an instrumental band sets them apart from other groups and allows the listener to easily grasp the hidden message within the music.
"I think the lack of vocals emphasizes the importance of music," Gaffin said. "I used to listen to the lyrics of songs, now I listen to the music. The reason we just play music is because we can't describe it with words. Instead, we paint a picture with notes."
After many practices and numerous shows, Fangface decided to record an album containing five or six songs. Martich explains that there are two major ways to record - live recording, when the band plays the song all together, and tracking, where each musician records separately. Martich believes both ways have their pros and cons.
"Recording can be frustrating because the longer you go on, the less you want to be honest with yourself and the music, and sometimes you just want to go home after a while," he said.
Gaffin says portraying a band's true sound can be difficult when in the recording studio.
"We try and keep it as raw as possible, and sometimes the studio doesn't capture that. It's like forcing emotion out of someone," he said.
The recording process can be difficult without outside support. Both Martich and Gaffin are thankful for their supporters, which include family, friends and fans.
"My parents are really supportive, especially with the album," Martich said. "They wanted me to go here for music in the first place."
Gaffin is grateful for the fans that come out to the shows and show an interest in the band.
"Our supporters are the fans and the people who care. You can give me $100, but to have someone take interest in something I'm interested in is priceless," he said.
Above all, Fangface is sure to remind listeners that they are entertainers, and intend to give the audience a good show every time.
"If you do something, you have to do it 100 percent," Gaffin said. "We smash guitars, knock over amps, and destroy things. It sounds diabolical now that I say it, but it's full-throttle, and there is no excuse for not giving your all. People can make music all they want and put it on the Internet, but when you entertain, it's a whole different story."
Fangface will be releasing their album on Bandcamp.com, and hope to make it downloadable free of charge. They would also like to make it available for sale at Village Green Records.
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