by Paige Beyer
Like many true musical talents before them, WKCO’s latest project started in a basement.
Indeed, the WKCO headquarters in the basement of Farr Hall is where it all started for the radio station’s latest project: a compilation of student bands to be shared with the Kenyon community.
“I feel that a lot of people who play music on campus don’t know who else plays music or don’t know what other kind of music is being played,” Erin Delaney ’16, who is spearheading the project, said. “So I thought this would be a cool way to do a slice-of-life type thing.”
The compilation will showcase the Kenyon music scene, which is a community in itself. “One of the most exciting things … for me about coming to this campus, musically, is that I found bands that had people I knew in them and that I wanted to listen to on my iPod,” Delaney said.
WKCO finds itself right in the middle of it all, not only as a platform for listeners but also for musicians who use the station’s recording studio. Many of these acts will be featured on the compilation.
One of the project’s goals is a showcase at the Horn Gallery, where bands and artists will have the opportunity to perform their music live. The compilation will also be handed out for free as a physical CD.
“I feel like it’s better if you can hand people something physical and say, ‘check this out,’” Delaney said. “But it will also be on Bandcamp so you can download it.”
Below, read about some of the artists featured on the compilation.
Fever Bliss
Matt Delbridge’s ’16 solo project, Fever Bliss, draws influence from The Replacements, Guided by Voices, and Sparklehorse. A guitarist since seventh grade, Delbridge has experimented with folk and rock, talents which he drew on in Fever Bliss.
“I don’t really try to sound like one particular person,” Delbridge said. “I find when I do that I just hate the music I write, so I try to do something that’s a little different, that’s still similar.” Delbridge first records guitar and vocals, then works off the track.
“I’m definitely excited,” he said of the compilation. “I think it’s going to be really well received. … I think it’s going to get a lot music that’s really good on campus to a lot of people that wouldn’t get it otherwise.”
With an EP released this past fall, Delbridge is looking forward to sharing his music with a larger audience.
SPORTS
Comprised of Carmen Perry ’15, Benji Dossetter ’15, James Karlin ’15 and Jack Washburn ’16, SPORTS ought to be dubbed “either a power-pop band or a pop-punk band,” Dossetter said. SPORTS doesn’t try to sound like anything specific, but instead “sort of [does] what feels right,” Washburn said. Dossetter and Perry began playing together during their sophomore year along with Karlin and Catherine Dwyer ’14.
Since then, Washburn has joined the group and SPORTS released their debut album in June; they are currently working on their sophomore effort. Their influences range from Tommy Ramone to Rilo Kiley to a hint of J. Geils.
As a band that enjoys playing live, SPORTS hopes the WKCO compilation will encourage students to go out and see their live performances. SPORTS records at the WKCO recording studio and is planning on putting a new song on the WKCO compilation.
Rich After Taxes
Charlie Collison’s ’15 solo project, Rich After Taxes, draws influence from Oneohtrix Point Never and Andy Stott, artists who experiment with sampling and electronic music. Rich After Taxes is a project centered around computer music, and Collison simply records his music on his computer. “That’s the beauty of digital audio work’s basis today in production is that you don’t need instruments,” he said. “If you’re so inclined, you can do it all on your computer.” Collison has also begun experimenting with field recordings and says that electronic music is “a totally open game.”