MUTEMATH rocked the local music scene at People’s Court on Oct. 1, with booming beats, soulful riffs, luminescent lights, homemade instruments, and piano stomping.
The band has been together since 2001, and these four 30-somethings have hit the big time. MUTEMATH got its start in New Orleans, and is comprised of Paul Meany, lead vocals and keyboard; Greg Hill, guitar; Darren King, drums, samples, and programming; and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas, bass.
MUTEMATH is on the road with the Armistice Tour, promoting its new album, “Armistice.” The tour, which began in New Orleans last August, will see its end in Tokyo on November 19. “We have already sold quite a few tickets, so that is exciting,” King says. So long United States, MUTEMATH is taking over the world.
Aside from their five albums, they were also featured on the “Twilight” soundtrack with the song “Spotlight,” which is played in the credits. “I feel good about it,” Meany says. “It was the first song we had completed in studio, and it seemed like a convenient way to get out some new music. No one had any idea it was going to be the phenomenon that it was—it just blew up.” Blew up is right. Since then, MUTEMATH’s popularity has been on the rise—especially with the ladies. “Ladies are good,” Meany says.
People’s Court was crammed with over 300 fans trying to get a look at the quartet. The band started their song “Typical,” with a piano jump that would make Coldplay cringe. They played “Reset” with enough lights to give a healthy man a seizure. These effects gave the crowd a reason to throw manners aside and dance like there was no tomorrow.
The show also featured ambient sounds and instrumental dominance, especially with their song “Reset,” which has no vocals. “I stayed up all night working on my sampler with old records, sampling old songs, changing the pitch of them, chopping them up, and I made an instrumental track out of it,” King says. “Yeah, that’s how that [Reset] came about. It was fun.” The show was a musical eye opener with a variety of techno effects straight out of a horror movie—flashing light patterns, colorful background images, and foreign digital voices.
MUTEMATH was joined by As Tall As Lions, a band originally from Long Island, N.Y. “I am really enjoying touring with As Tall As Lions,” Meany says. As openers for MUTEMATH, they set the scene for a bold and high-powered night. King has obtained more than memories while on tour with other bands. His fave: “Well, Eisley, because I got a girlfriend out of that band,” King says. “Yes, a very lovely one, too—a real keeper.”
MUTEMATH brought their soulful New Orleans vocals and their rock star swagger to the DSM. “Playing in the Midwest keeps us humble,” King says. “We may play somewhere for 5,000 fans and then come to a smaller venue and only play for a few hundred. It’s hard to keep a straight head and not let our egos get the best of us. We are thankful for the talent we have and our fans.”
Direct link to this page: http://orgs.l3.drake.edu/drake-mag/Music/Mutemath.html
The band has been together since 2001, and these four 30-somethings have hit the big time. MUTEMATH got its start in New Orleans, and is comprised of Paul Meany, lead vocals and keyboard; Greg Hill, guitar; Darren King, drums, samples, and programming; and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas, bass.
MUTEMATH is on the road with the Armistice Tour, promoting its new album, “Armistice.” The tour, which began in New Orleans last August, will see its end in Tokyo on November 19. “We have already sold quite a few tickets, so that is exciting,” King says. So long United States, MUTEMATH is taking over the world.
Aside from their five albums, they were also featured on the “Twilight” soundtrack with the song “Spotlight,” which is played in the credits. “I feel good about it,” Meany says. “It was the first song we had completed in studio, and it seemed like a convenient way to get out some new music. No one had any idea it was going to be the phenomenon that it was—it just blew up.” Blew up is right. Since then, MUTEMATH’s popularity has been on the rise—especially with the ladies. “Ladies are good,” Meany says.
People’s Court was crammed with over 300 fans trying to get a look at the quartet. The band started their song “Typical,” with a piano jump that would make Coldplay cringe. They played “Reset” with enough lights to give a healthy man a seizure. These effects gave the crowd a reason to throw manners aside and dance like there was no tomorrow.
The show also featured ambient sounds and instrumental dominance, especially with their song “Reset,” which has no vocals. “I stayed up all night working on my sampler with old records, sampling old songs, changing the pitch of them, chopping them up, and I made an instrumental track out of it,” King says. “Yeah, that’s how that [Reset] came about. It was fun.” The show was a musical eye opener with a variety of techno effects straight out of a horror movie—flashing light patterns, colorful background images, and foreign digital voices.
MUTEMATH was joined by As Tall As Lions, a band originally from Long Island, N.Y. “I am really enjoying touring with As Tall As Lions,” Meany says. As openers for MUTEMATH, they set the scene for a bold and high-powered night. King has obtained more than memories while on tour with other bands. His fave: “Well, Eisley, because I got a girlfriend out of that band,” King says. “Yes, a very lovely one, too—a real keeper.”
MUTEMATH brought their soulful New Orleans vocals and their rock star swagger to the DSM. “Playing in the Midwest keeps us humble,” King says. “We may play somewhere for 5,000 fans and then come to a smaller venue and only play for a few hundred. It’s hard to keep a straight head and not let our egos get the best of us. We are thankful for the talent we have and our fans.”
Direct link to this page: http://orgs.l3.drake.edu/drake-mag/Music/Mutemath.html
Concert Footage
Check out footage from the Oct. 1 concert.
Check out footage from the Oct. 1 concert.