Cold beers at Casey Moore’s in Tempe marked the last time Shannon Conley saw Zach Booher, who in the summer of 2012 had a fresh degree from ASU and plans to follow the Vans Warped Tour to promote his band While We’re Up.

“I just left being so inspired that they were following their dream,” Conley said. “They were just so excited about it.”

The community coordinator at Taylor Place and political science graduate student got to know Zach through supervising him when he was a CA at ASU’s residence halls. Conley said Zach would work the McClintock Hall front desk while jamming on his guitar with future bandmate Steven Rouk.

“He made it more than a job,” Conley said. “He was able to really blend it and make it a lifestyle.”

On July 8, 2012, a flat tire caused the car the band was driving from Chicago to Minnesota to roll over. Rouk and Trevor McCoy, who was traveling with the band, were injured, and Zach was pronounced dead on the scene.

Almost a year later, Conley is part of an “unofficial network” of people at ASU helping to coordinate a benefit concert for Zach on June 1. Zach’s parents, Joanna and Scott, and his sister, Samantha, began raising money almost immediately after his death hoping to create a scholarship in his name.

“He was so unique and so special that we wanted him to be able to live on in a way and something good to come out of our tragedy,” Joanna said.

Almost $20,000 later, the family has about $5,000 more to raise in order to fund the perpetuity. Warped Tour collected about $11,000 to donate to the cause, and Scott’s co-workers collected a little more than $1,100.

The scholarship was initially intended to go toward a music student, but the family decided it would be better suited for a student who created a music video that “captured the essence of what Zach was about.”

ASU’s School of Theater and Film created a temporary scholarship until the perpetuity is in place, and they awarded the first at this year’s capstone screening.

“Zach, I realize his passion was music, but I look back and even when he was young he was into making pictures,” Scott said.

Zach directed the music video for While We’re Up’s single, “Someday,” with ASU’s Tempe campus as the backdrop.

Conley, who bonded with Zach over a mutual love of music, planned TaylorFest downtown and Barrett, the Honors College’s Concert to Benefit the Hungry. The Boohers were busy with plans for what would have been Zach’s 23rd birthday, and Conley volunteered to take over the coordination of the While We’re Up Benefit Show.

She called her friend Aaron Hopkins-Johnson, the owner of Lawn Gnome Publishing in Phoenix, and asked to use his space as a venue. From there, the eight local bands that will perform at the festival-like show fell into place.

Watch for Rocks, a group made up of geology students and a religious studies student at ASU, will perform at the benefit show. Vocalist Sarah Robinson said the concert is a way to support artists like Zach who are part of Arizona’s growing local music scene.

Black Rose Mansion’s frontman Todd Hoover said Conley has invited the band to play at events in the past, and they were excited to participate in Zach’s cause.

“When I found out all the money was going toward a scholarship to sort of functionally commemorate (Zach), I thought that was really really great,” Hoover said.

Justin Lucia, A Careless Skyline’s vocalist, said the band will perform a song he originally wrote after his dad died. Lucia and bass player Jordan Robinson met Zach and Rouk by going to a While We’re Up show. Robinson kept in touch with the Boohers after Zach’s death, and Joanna invited A Careless Skyline to play at the show.

“I give (Zach’s) mom so much credit,” Robinson said. “She’s doing so much, and she’s definitely turned it into something positive.”

A piano in the Booher household holds photos and Zach’s ashes. (photo by Yvonne Gonzalez)

Hopkins-Johnson said while he never booked a show for While We’re Up, he’s hosted bands who played with the duo and worked with volunteers at the store who knew Zach through ASU. These ties compelled him to get involved.

“When a student or even someone from the local music scene passes, it’s always a huge blow to the community,” he said. “(The concert) is a way to have a wake or funeral, a way to celebrate his life and the things he thought were important.”

Music, family and friends were Zach’s driving forces, his family said.

“Music makes people happy,” Scott said. “If (Zach) could make people happy, that just made him over the moon.”

In the time since Zach’s death, his family members have turned to their faith, Compassionate Friends support groups, the music he left behind and advice from a family friend to “just keep swimming,” in the words of Dory.

Scott’s left forearm is nearly covered in a heart logo that Zach designed for his band, with his son’s name in the center and “Beautiful Son 1990-2012” beneath it. The inside of Samantha’s right upper arm bears a small dream catcher and the popular Death Cab for Cutie lyrics, “Every plan is a tiny prayer to father time.” She and Zach had planned to get the tattoo together.

Samantha, a communications senior, said listening to “Stars,” a song Zach wrote about how he would feel if his sister died, is bittersweet for her. She and her brother were only two years apart, which she said made them incredibly close.

“It’s hard, it’s really hard to listen to the CD,” she said. “But it’s nice to hear his voice. That’s a blessing that I’m sure a lot of people don’t have.”

Donations to the scholarship fund can be made through the ASU Foundation.

Reach the reporter at ymgonzal@asu.edu

Robbie Pfeffer sits on a stoop on 5th Street, what he calls a representative epicenter of local music in downtown Phoenix. Pfeffer has started his own record label, where he plans to sign on bands locally as well as nationally. (Photo by Dominic Valente)

Rubber Brother Records is the latest, greatest, weirdest thing on the Arizona music map, with recent ASU graduate Robbie Pfeffer, comparatively late, great and weird, as the all-original creator.

Ever since kick-starting Tempe Starving Artist in 2009, a local magazine and host of artistic community events, 23-year-old Pfeffer has been establishing himself as the king of local music in Phoenix and Tempe with his seemingly endless projects. He is the ultimate band man — booking bands, building bands, playing in bands, and now, officially signing bands onto his label.

“I thought it would be cool to pool resources so that interesting bands can establish themselves with (merchandise) and media and give them the chance to exist out of something more than someone’s living room or car,” Pfeffer said. “This is a very specific thing — it’s my thing — because I book all kinds of bands, but with this project, I want to get the weird, noisy and fun stuff that I like. “

The project still needs work when it comes to infrastructure, distribution of material and music releases, but Pfeffer plans to eventually incorporate old media, like VHS and cassette tapes, into the label so that the music will have a tangible, nostalgic aspect to it.

“It’s music, but it’s also like Pokémon cards, you know?” Pfeffer said.

Some bands that have signed on to the project include Wolves, Instructions, Via Maria, Mickey and the Mountains and Petty Things. Both surf-punk Mickey and Mountains and brand-spanking-new Petty Things, featuring Ladylike bassist Austin Owen and his brother Jordan Owen, started up in the last six months or less specifically because of the label’s introduction.

Release shows for the über-underground Wolves, as well at Petty Things’s debut will be happening soon, Pfeffer said, but first the label infrastructure and basics need to be fully established before Rubber Brother Records becomes the source for local artists that Pfeffer dreams of it being. However, he’s not putting too much pressure on himself.

“If it’s even just an excuse to get a bunch of people to make new stuff and get others excited about it and be a cheerleader for it, that’s all I really want,” Pfeffer said.

Pfeffer is a cheerleader for artists in general, but particularly focuses anyone looking to build their brand in Phoenix, which he calls a “unique, weird, alien city,” where nothing is seriously established music-wise.

“I like Phoenix, because with anything you want to do, you’re not really competing with a whole lot of infrastructure,” Pfeffer said. “In L.A. there’s a precedent. There’s a history. There’s a set standard. But here you just have to do it, which makes it a nice place to hone your craft.”

Pfeffer has also been working for the past year and a half on perfecting his performance as front man for his fun and scuzzy punk band, Playboy Manbaby. For any old-media fans out there, Pfeffer plans to release VHS video from Manbaby’s CD release show last month at Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe.

Comparable to Jerry Lee Lewis and his committed, energetic, crowd-enticing style, Pfeffer knows how to get his audience to let loose and get weird.

“I could never join a band and just play bass. I would get kind of bored,” Pfeffer said. “I don’t get the rush from music as much; I get it from the crowds reaction and being able to embody something. It’s interesting.”

In fact, boredom seems to be the source for Robbie’s side projects that, amazingly enough, have all morphed from ideas to actual developments.

“I can take two days off and watch Netflix and eat hummus, but then I’m just so lividly bored that I have to do something,” Pfeffer said. “I get frustrated sometimes with all of the things I’m working on, but that’s the motivation.”

Getting things done seems to have been instilled in Pfeffer ever since he was 13 years old, when he would talk his mom into driving him to punk shows in the family minivan.

“All my friends and brothers were in punk bands, so that was the first time I really heard music,” Pfeffer said. “As long as I’ve been able to make decisions, it’s what I’ve chosen to do.”

Probably because of his inert passion for punk, Pfeffer found a way to balance building his empire while pursuing a mouthful of a degree in global studies with a focus on community development in post-conflict regions, specifically the Balkans and Bosnia.

“I could technically get a job at the state department and be in Sarajevo in a few weeks punching passports for the next five years and work my way up, but that’s a full-time thing,” Pfeffer said. “I don’t have plans for doing that yet. I want to do weird art stuff.”

Pfeffer said he’s excited to really get this venture rolling, and that new involvement from ASU’s Downtown campus in the local music scene has really influenced its precedence.

“For the first time in a while, there’s a whole new group of people coming out to support the community and are excited, and that just blows my mind,” Pfeffer said.

What he calls weird, fast and fun, Pfeffer has big plans for Rubber Brother Records, but he will be splitting his time this summer representing local bands while interning for Burger Records, an L.A. label that has signed bands like the The Black Lips, Shannon and the Clams and The Go.

“Burger has a cool, weird attitude because a lot of independent stuff tries to be high brow and serious, but with Burger they just like weird stuff and booking bands that wear funny masks and are flamboyant and all that odd punk stuff,” Pfeffer said. “That’s always the stuff that has appealed to me, more of the fun stuff as opposed to the high art, super serious thing.”

Like the main line from Playboy Manbaby’s song, “Betty Blanca:” “Can’t stop now even if we knew how,” — Pfeffer is on a roll and has no plans to slow down.

Contact the reporter at kgumpert@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @cat2bekittenmee

The distinguished musician has dazzled audiences across Europe with his well-crafted songs. The State Press had the opportunity to speak with Anderson about the evolution of British music.

The State Press: How do you believe that rock has evolved since the ‘60s?

Ian Anderson: Since I first became involved with music as a schoolboy, it has evolved a great deal. I was 9 when Bill Haley and (Elvis) Presley became known to the British audience. There was an enormous amount of change then. Since the ’70s, there have been technological changes. The great years of rock were between the mid-’60s to mid-’80s, if you include some of the pop elements. The last 25 years haven’t been anything like that. You can’t have evolution forever. Rock is the music of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

SP: What are your thoughts of the current British invasion in music?

IA: I wish that they had some originality. Everyone loves Adele, because she’s generic. She’s a big girl, and we’re drawn to people who don’t perhaps have the classic good looks. We want them to succeed. She and many of those pop singers are clones of what has been done before. It represents some growing generation. They have ownership of that new fresh face, and I don’t think it really stacks up. … I like the wacky weird people who don’t sound like the others. If you want a wacky person that is creative, there’s David Bowie. He’s on the crest of a new album, which is very welcoming. It’s great to see people who can come back.

SP: Jethro Tull changes its genre every couple years. Why is that?

IA: I’m a restless soul. I like to explore different possibilities. I don’t want to settle. My influences are classical, folk, jazz and blues. We have a lot of influences that run through the songs. They (band members) brought their own musical differences to the table, and you have to factor in how the bandmates interpret their music. It always sounds a bit different.

SP: What influenced your decision to go solo?

IA: It’s primarily with the repertoire that I’m doing. If it’s a string quartet or something more project related, I tend to use my own name. If it’s generic, Jethro Tull is fine. I tend to work in project terms. If people see Jethro Tull, people expect two hours of the best songs. In a way, you have to position yourself intelligently. I’m a breakfast cereal with two kinds of packaging. I come with fruit and nuts, or high fiber. You choose.

SP: Can fans expect a reunion in the future?

IA: That’d be quite crowded. I’ve been playing with the current (band members) for 10 years and I’m happy to spend my time with them. They’re a good bunch of people. I don’t think I want to turn the clock back with people who don’t necessarily play music anymore.

SP: What are some interesting facts about you that people would not originally guess?

IA: I don’t have a driver’s license, because I prefer public transport. I don’t like being responsible for machinery that could kill people. Also, my son-in-law is in “The Walking Dead.” He never tells me anything about the show, though. The cast is sworn to secrecy.

Reach the reporter at lrogoff@asu.edu

CORRECTION: Because of a reporting error, a previous version of this article misquoted Ian Anderson in his response to the question ”What are your thoughts of the current British invasion in music?” The quote has since been fixed.

(Photo courtesy of wearephoenix.com)

Released: April 23, 2013

To say that French indie quartet Phoenix’s new album has been highly anticipated is a gross understatement. The band’s first album in four years, “Bankrupt!” is cut from the same cloth as the band’s 2009 breakout, “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” which provided the basis for a career that included a headlining spot at this year’s Coachella music festival.

Phoenix can give lessons in the right way to start an album. Lead single “Entertainment” is an uptempo dance-rock track with some great oriental influence. It’s got the kind of infectious melody that will be stuck with listeners for days, exuberantly masking a darker message (“Entertainment show them what you do with me / When everyone knows better”). It’s the same self-aware mantra that every introspective artist or band fights, and Phoenix has turned it into the synth-laden indie gold that has brought the band fame in recent years.

Dreamy “S.O.S. In Bel Air” marks another highlight of the compact album. It’s a wishful mix of ’80s influences and French-laden references to upper-crust indulgences. The track is part-observation and part-critique of high society in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of southern California. Traveling seamlessly between fast-paced cries of “And you can’t cross the line / But you can’t stop trying” and slow verses, the members of Phoenix show that they’re all too aware of the valuable strengths of the band’s past albums.

The songwriting prowess is even clearer on “Trying To Be Cool,” which manages to sound at once optimistic and dark. It moves from key to key, punctuating the track with discordant guitar slides and the ghostly repetition of, “Tell me that you want me / Tell me that you want it all.” The track fades away into an eerie piano that will leave listeners shaken and intrigued, ready to move forward into the album’s eponymous “Bankrupt!”

The quiet “Bankrupt!” is a musical interlude that plays like an experiment in production. There’s a bit of synthesized flute underscored by a quiet, metallic rhythm that segues into something harsher and quicker. The track is built like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” with several clear parts that come together in a jarring suite that will throw listeners, willing or not, into a trance. It’s drug-fueled wonder in a dirty, distorted seven-minute package, and it’s fantastically creepy.

A string of three wholly unspectacular tracks (“Drakkar Noir,” “Chloroform,” “Don’t”) is broken up by the beautiful “Bourgeois.” It’s yet another social commentary that argues against the dangers of always wanting something more. Lead singer Thomas Mars sings, “Bourgeois, why would you care for more? / They give you almost everything, you believed almost anything.”

The album comes to a close with “Oblique City,” which is as perfect a track to end the record as “Entertainment” was to kick it off. The complicated layers of synths and vocals makes for an anthemic end to what was a stimulating listen.

In many ways, this new album is similar to “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” but perhaps it’s the intermittent four years between records that has allowed the band to grow and tweak its sound just ever so slightly into what is arguably an album with more collective merit.

And hey, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Phoenix has taken that to heart, pumping out another 10 tracks of the type of music that made “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” so catchy and universally appealing. “Bankrupt!” proves that Phoenix has earned its spot atop the indie charts.

Reach the reporter at svhabib@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @discoanddessert

Released: April 16, 2013

Pop singer Olly Murs has joined the newest British Invasion of the American music scene with his upbeat jazz-influenced album “Right Place, Right Time.”

Murs first emerged onto the music scene as a contestant in the British version of the reality singing competition “The X Factor” in 2009. His charismatic stage presence set him apart from the equally talented singers on the show and landed him in second place.

As is often the case, the rankings on the show don’t always predict the success of an artist. While his first self-titled album was quite successful, it was his sophomore album “In Case You Didn’t Know” that skyrocketed Murs into the top of the charts and earned his two No. 1 singles.

This time last year, only those with a specific interest in British music had ever heard the name Olly Murs in the U.S. Then last summer he gained international attention and popularity as the opening act for One Direction’s sold-out summer tour.

While the album shares the title of Murs’s third album in the U.K., it includes a combination of songs from that album and a previous album. Although it initially seemed it was cheating the U.S. fans out of some of Murs’s new music, after listening to the U.S. version as a whole, it is clear the mash-up was the right decision.

“Right Place Right Time” offers the best of Olly Murs over the last few years and is a perfect introduction to his style for new fans. There is a clear difference between the old and new songs. The older songs have a heavier jazz sound with lots of instruments and a classic dance beat. The newer songs reflect the current state of pop music with a more electronic influence.

The first single off the album is “Troublemaker.” The song is catchy but not nearly as fun as some of his others. The song features Flo Rida, in a likely attempt to attract the American audience. The rapping feels out of place; it’s a forced marketing ploy that is ultimately unnecessary.

Included in the selection of songs from his sophomore album are Murs’s two No. 1 singles, “Heat Skips a Beat” and “Dance With Me Tonight.” Both have a heavy jazz influence and are easy to dance along to.

By adding Murs’s past hits to the U.S. version of the album, “Right Place Right Time” is made of primarily upbeat songs. All of the ballads were cut out, and the only slower songs left are “Dear Darlin’” and “Loud & Clear.”

The only downside of the album consisting of a mash-up of songs is that there is no variety in the subject. All 10 songs are about girls, pining after a girl, trying to get a girl and finally having a girl.

Still, his jazzy dance songs are refreshing compared to the heavily automated tunes that have become the staple for pop music today.

Reach the reporter at julianne.defilippis@asu.edu

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Moran)

An illustrious professional history that includes multiple movies and television shows could seem satisfactory enough for the general population, but actor Jeff Bridges breaks the mold by joining the music enterprise.

Surprisingly enough, the highly acclaimed star originally resisted a career in the entertainment industry.

A “product of nepotism,” Bridges said that his father, actor Lloyd Bridges, continuously encouraged him to pursue acting.

After devoting more than 30 years of acting, Bridges said that he finds it difficult to choose a favorite film.

“Actors say that their roles are like their own children and that they can’t have a favorite,” Bridges said. “There are a few that come to mind that are dear to my heart. I love family ones, such as ‘The Fabulous Baker Boys’ with my brother and ‘Blown Away’ with my father. I also enjoyed ‘The Big Lebowski’ and ‘Tucker: The Man and His Dream.’”

Technology has dramatically increased since the conception of Bridges’s profession. He noted that it was quite an experience to be in “Tron: Legacy” after nearly three decades since the release of “Tron.”

Bridges starred as Kevin Flynn in the original “Tron” film. His character had a son, Sam Flynn, in “Tron: Legacy.” Garrett Hedlund, a graduate of a high school in the Valley, played Flynn’s son in the sequel.

Bridges said that many of the technological innovations talked about in “Tron” became possible in “Tron: Legacy.” Bridges was scanned into a computer with different instruments to replicate Kevin Flynn’s more youthful appearance in “Tron.”

“I was a little over critical, (but) they pulled it off pretty well,” he joked. “It was helpful that it didn’t have to look exactly like me.”

Fans of the talented star can expect to see Bridges at the cinemas within a few months. Bridges plays Roy Pulsipher in “R.I.P.D.,” an action film about undead police officers. It is based on the comic book “Rest in Peace Department.” “R.I.P.D.” will be released toward the end of June.

In addition, he plays Master Gregory in “The Seventh Son,” a dark film about the clash between supernatural forces and humans. “The Seventh Son” is based on The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney. It is set to hit theaters in mid- October.

When Bridges expressed a passion for music, his father told him that it could be manifested on-screen. Sure enough, Bridges won an Academy Award for his role as country singer Bad Blake in “Crazy Heart.” Bridges role in the movie led to his self-titled album produced by T-Bone Burnett in 2011.

Jeff Bridges & The Abiders became another musical project. Bridges credited his friend Chris Pelonis, a guitarist and acoustic engineer, to finding excellent musicians to work with. He expected the search to be a long and harrowing process but was pleasantly surprised. “The first (musicians) that showed up were the cream of the crop,” Bridges added.

Bridges partakes in relatively peaceful hobbies when he is not occupied with work. He said he likes picking flowers with his wife, creating arrangements and enjoying ceramics.

Bridges also serves as a national spokesperson for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. The goal of the campaign is to end the hunger children suffer daily in America.

Catch Jeff Bridges & The Abiders on Thursday at the Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater in the Mesa Arts Center. The show will feature songs from “Crazy Heart” as well as cover songs beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase on the Mesa Arts Center website.

Reach the reporter at lrogoff@asu.edu

Musicians chart their education through the pieces they play, developing a repertoire filled with the classics from Bach to Beethoven. Music composition junior Garrett Miller began his career on a piano bench when he was 8 years old, but he found himself drawn not to what he could play, but what he heard.

What began as a “horrible punk band” that he and his best friend started in sixth grade would become Miller’s first introduction to composing. He started listening to more classical music around this time and was quickly drawn to the contemporary artists of the 21st century.

“That was really helpful for me, because I got that really early on in my musical development as opposed to much later in life,” Miller said. “I’ve really learned and picked up a lot from those guys. The classics are great too, but I’ve learned a lot from the less conventionally tonal people.”

In his three years at ASU, Miller said he has become a completely different composer than his freshman self.

“It’s just come from listening to a lot more composers, being exposed to a lot more music, more musicians and being encouraged by my professors to do all of these extra things,” he said.

One of those “extra things” is the annual ASU Composers Concert at the Phoenix Art Museum. Music composition faculty choose about eight students each year to compose their own piece that relates to works of art that will be on display from December, when the composers begin their work, to the concert in April.

Juilliard String Quartet violist Samuel Rhodes helps Herberger students rehearse a quartet by music composition junior Garrett Miller to prepare for the Phoenix Art Museum’s annual ASU Composers Concert.
(Photo by Yvonne Gonzalez)

Kathryn Blake, director of education at the Phoenix Art Museum, helps develop new “entry points,” or ways for patrons to connect to the works of art. Currently in its sixth year, the ASU Composers Concert is one of those alternative entry points, and began in April 2007 through a partnership between museum trustees and the University.

“We try to get students to come in and look at the pieces; then it’s really up to them how much background information they want to know,” she said. “Some want to know a lot, some just want to have a personal response to the visual.”

The pieces are performed in close proximity to the works of art by quartets made up of ASU student musicians. Patrons get to both see and hear the art as they move from gallery to gallery in a roving concert.

This year’s concert will start in the Phoenix Art Kids Gallery, then move to the main floor of the contemporary wing, up to the modern art gallery for two works of art, then finish on the second floor of the contemporary wing.

“Seeing high-quality student work, hearing what you see, opens up a different avenue of appreciation for patrons,” Blake said.

Miller chose a piece of modern art by Arnold Belkin titled “El Sueño,” and said his composition is focused on the mysterious way muscular body parts with nonhuman skin tones seem to grow toward the viewer out of a dark, greenish background.

“I heard these growing themes,” Miller said. “The piece starts with that initial hit, but after that beginning section, it grows into a more forcible, and then it backs off into a more lyrical thing and ends that way.”

Juilliard String Quartet violist Samuel Rhodes prepares to coach a student quartet by looking over the score by music composition junior Garrett Miller and comparing it to an iPhone image of the artwork that inspired the piece. (Photo by Yvonne Gonzalez)

In preparation for the April 20 concert at the museum, the students performing Miller’s piece were coached by Samuel Rhodes, the violinist for the Juilliard String Quartet, which is the Herberger school’s quartet in residence.

Rhodes helped the quartet members portray Miller’s notations, stay true to dynamics and tempo, and note areas where the music needed to be cued more clearly so that the musicians had a map to follow during the trickier, plucked portions.

“It’s very irregular; that’s part of what he’s doing,” Rhodes said after the hour-long coaching session. “There’s always somebody moving in a (ritardando), and you have to know who those people are.”

Larger ensembles have the benefit of a conductor to lead the way through the music, but quartet members rely on one another to stay together.

“An important part of learning any contemporary piece is to learn how to cue your part,” Rhodes said. “Know what to watch for, what to listen for. Or else play from score.”

Miller said because his piece is based off a painting of a dream, he wanted a feeling of pseudo-reality throughout. While that made it a difficult piece to play, with its intricate parts and disjointed structure with few areas of unison, Miller’s hope is that the quartet members enjoy playing it.

“I don’t care if it sounds exactly like it’s written on the page; no music does,” he said. “And plus, I like that aspect, that it could sound different every time, and I like what they put into it.”

The concert begins at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and is free with the cost of museum admission, which is $10 for ASU students with ID.

Reach the reporter at ymgonzal@asu.edu

(Photo courtesy of Elise Swopes)

PYYRAMIDS was formed by the unlikely combination of Tim Nordwind from OK Go and Drea Smith from He Say, She Say. The collaboration began when a mutual friend introduced the two via email, and they will be releasing their first full-length album, “Brightest Darkest Day” on April 9.

“We were emailing like pen pals,” Smith said. “We got to know each other for about six months before we went over anything musical.”

After getting to know each other’s musical interests, Nordwind began sending Smith musical arrangements for Smith to write lyrics. The final product of that electronic collaboration was the first EP, “Human Beings.”

“Brightest Darkest Day” combines Nordwind’s inventive guitar playing with electronic elements to produce a unique sound. With the addition of Smith’s relaxing yet meaningful vocals, the album sends a powerful message regarding the nature of relationships.

“The album is about the struggle of finding one’s identity in a relationship,” Smith said. “Relationships go through their bright times and their dark times just like the sound and the mood of the album itself.”

In order to capture a well-rounded message, Smith often capitalizes on her own personal experiences while also writing from the voice of others perspectives.

“In some instances, like in ‘Paper Dolls,’ it’s me writing from the perspective of someone who I don’t feel I am, but someone who’s not so sure of themselves,” Smith said.

PYYRAMIDS is quite conscious of the emotion and message it is sending to listeners. When reflecting on the finished product, Nordwind and Smith said “Brightest Darkest Day” is “music that makes you feel first and think second.”

The band will also be releasing the album on cassette tape for purchase from its website, pyyramids.com. Smith said this piece of merchandise fully encapsulates the true identity of PYYRAMIDS.

“I made mix tapes all the time for people,” Smith said. “It was my favorite thing to do. Some of the music we created reminded me of what I would have loved when I was 13, and I was 13 in the 90s.”

As technology has evolved, so has the music industry, and fans often purchase just a few songs from an album instead of listening to the entire product as it was intended to be heard.

“I believe the music industry is geared more towards singles than albums, but we’re hoping that with this album, we kind of bring the album back,” Smith said. “We even have interludes and an intro in there to kind of tie it all together, and the way that we sequenced the album is definitely not by accident.”

Reach the reporter at amkeiser@asu.edu