***I know we said I’d be on hiatus while studying abroad in England, but surprise! The Atlantic Ocean can’t keep me from you. I’m still well committed in my endless search for good music, legit musicians, the perfect eggs Benedict, and love (gag) – and I’m taking you with me.  

Navigating the narrow cobblestoned streets of York, I struggled to keep up with my long-legged companions. We approached the venue, a homely little cinema that boasts a dirty indie chic. Downstairs it housed a tiny stage and seating area, aptly called The Basement. There to see two friends play acoustic guitar and sing, the open mic night consisted mainly of stand-up comedy acts peppered with bands and a few misplaced poetic performances. And for boosting my attention span through it all, I want to give a big shout-out to England’s lower drinking age.

Was it impressive? Not really. Not then. Kind of like a midnight music bootycall. But the venue, although bordering on pitiful, maintained an atmosphere I haven’t encountered since my angst-y teenage years roaming the Seattle music scene. So, when a flatmate invited us to another show there, I gladly accepted (with an impressive amount of pre-gaming). The bands playing turned out to be better. One in particular caught my ear and tugged on my finely tuned heartstrings.

Taming the Savage, a band of four from the university, played their set with a charisma and authenticity I haven’t witnessed on a stage, large or small, in far too long. Most covers that bands choose to do are cliché and not really within the skill-set necessary to pull it off, but what did Taming the Savage choose to cover? White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes – gasp! They did a beautiful job. (But don’t take my word for it! YouTube it, baby.) And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, think again. They are a disarmingly handsome bunch, particularly the bass player who has a face capable of turning my grossly homophobic neighbour into the next Elton John.

Named after the lead vocalist, Josh Savage, the band is barely two years old and has already experienced a few member changes and sound shifts. It seems they have settled well with Rob Stonehouse on bass, Adam Flores on guitar and keyboard, and Ollie Brenig-Jones on drums. Their development has been organic, starting with house parties and campus gigs last year. Now, they’re busy taking on in-town gigs and doing well for it. 

I won’t even try to define their genre, and neither will they. When asked what they would consider their genre to be, they simply replied, “We wouldn’t.” Each member lists off his own varying set of influences, and it’s clear that each maintains a piece of himself in the production. With clear and pleasing vocals, I would only challenge them to take more risks. The potential is there. As for the drums, Ollie’s lines provide a stable skeleton for the songs, meanwhile thankfully playing with a rhythm that prevents him from being lost in a monotony that many drummers fall prey to.

The band’s roots lie entangled with Josh Savage’s acoustic singer-songwriter history. And that’s just what it sounds like. It’s natural, unforced, and with more time to develop their sound, I really expect great things. Josh writes their songs, on love to alarm clocks to kidnapped blow-up dolls, and is most invested in the future of the band. The other three are just enjoying it for exactly what it is right now; being in a college band has it perks, friends, and don’t we know it.

Sitting with them during the interview, I can’t help but feel like I’m back home with the boys. They are entirely lacking in the pretentious apathy that afflicts so many of our up-and-comings. Free from self-imposed labels and ambiguous genre subscriptions, Taming the Savage is preserving an integrity that most bands lose before they’ve even begun. That is, it’s about the music. All of this manifests itself in their demeanour and stage presence with a genuine urgency, but without the fervency that tends to wax artificial. They’re just doing what they’re doing, because it’s here and it’s now. Bigger gigs and recording time are fast approaching. Here’s to keeping your eyes open as the lights get brighter, boys. 

Check them out! Watch on YouTube, listen on Facebook and photo stalk away, or get Twitter-pated. And if you’re really dedicated, come see a show! I’m small and always down for the cuddlin’. We can shack up, B52’s style if you get the airfare… I’ll even feed you baked beans and toast (oh, British delicacies). If you want a song stuck in your head for days, listen to “Love Fail” – the chorus has provided me a strikingly successful pick-up line. 

 

1. Finding your band mates.

Jam like crazy with everyone and anyone in your rooms. Everyone plays guitar nowadays, they’ll probably live just across the hall from you and there are more drummers in York than you’d think. We advertised around campus for one and we had several incoming all at once! If you’re really struggling, you can always go to Vanbrugh College’s weekly open mic or join band soc.

 

2. Rehearsing.

At some point with all that noise in your room, your flatmates will literally want to kill you. No matter, York uni has loads of spaces to accommodate bands on campus. As a music student, I was able to use the department’s rehearsal rooms. For non- muso’s, you can access rooms with a drumkit by becoming a member of either band soc or music soc. My best bet is to use Vanbrugh Garage with drum-kit, amps, PA system and a piano waiting for you to bash them about.

 

3. Recordings.

Once you’ve got a tight set of songs, record them. Covers or original, it doesn’t matter. Our fellow group The King’s Parade are one of the best bands on campus and they spent their first year sticking to covers. If you’re lucky you may have a music tech friend who could do it for you for free. If you want it done professionally, Melroseyard studios offer cheap recordings for live and multi-tracked demos http://www.melroseyardstudios.co.uk.

 

4. Getting gigs.

That’s the easy bit. Put your band up on all the social networking sites with your neat new demos, set up a band gmail account and email venues for gigs. York’s music scene isn’t great, but it’s not bad either. There’s Stereo, Fibbers, The Duchess and The Basement, all of them great venues in their own right. Make sure you keep an eye out for gig opportunities on campus. York has a stupid amount of societies who sometimes need bands for their events. In summer term especially, your colleges will be hosting their own unique festivals and then there’s the almighty Woodstock Festival on campus, that’s your chance to play in front of at least a thousand people.