POZ Showcase: A Common Year
A Common Year plays a highly catchy, melodic, and raw style of rock that has yet to be achieved by most bands. Though in the same vein as alternative rock heavyweights The Dangerous Summer and Jimmy Eat World, the band has created two starkly distinct records showcasing their musical ingenuity as well as their unwavering passion for their craft. Since forming in 2009, the band has grown from humble beginnings in DIY recording studios in their bedroom to performing at legendary venues like Irving Plaza in their hometown. Check out what the band had to say about their debut on “The Real World,” why they would love to resurrect and perform with the Beatles, and more by reading on.
For Fans Of: Jimmy Eat World, The Dangerous Summer, Acceptance
Social Sites: Facebook, Bandcamp, Twitter
<a href=”http://acommonyear.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-light-still-shines” data-mce-href=”http://acommonyear.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-light-still-shines”>Where The Light Still Shines by A Common Year</a>
Where is the band from?
Indianapolis, Indiana
How did the band come together?
The four of us were friends first, and things kind of came together at the right time. We’ve been playing together as A Common Year since 2009.
Why should people listen to your band?
I like to think we write songs that are honest and relatable. I think the average person has been through a lot of the same experiences that fuel our songwriting, and that matters. If you like honest, big sounding rock, you’ll probably enjoy our band.
How have you grown since you started?
We’ve grown in pretty much every way conceivable. When Coleman and I first started playing, we each owned an acoustic guitar and recorded everything through a $10 microphone that we’d taped to a drum mic stand and set on Coleman’s desk. We had to sing really quietly, too, because we’d record at night and didn’t want to wake up his parents in the room across the hall.
Now, I think we’ve started to define our sound, gotten a lot more comfortable and skilled as musicians and songwriters, and we’re a bit more mature (just a bit, though). We’ve gotten comfortable just writing songs we want to write, without worrying if we sound exactly like our favorite band or whether the songs are destined to be radio pop hits.
What sets you apart from other bands in the scene?
We’re certainly not the only band who operates this way, but I think the fact that we do everything ourselves sets us apart from a lot of bands. We do everything from recording and engineering our own records to creating our own album art. It can bog you down sometimes, but it’s also really rewarding and a great feeling to sort of control your own fate.
If your band could open for any band past or present, who would it be and why?
Since I don’t think the four of us could ever completely agree on an answer to that question, I’m gonna say the Beatles. Their music is just immortal, and I couldn’t think of a more humbling/terrifying/amazing experience than opening for them. Although, I’m not sure Beatles groupies in the ‘60s would’ve loved our music. But hey, who knows?
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