Raushan Melton
Staff Writer
Juniors Cameron Steen and Matt Hodges played at their first live concert with their band “Kelp” at the venue Amplifi in Los Angeles on March 20th, performing a blend of original songs and covers.
A group of four, the band also features Sean Matsukawa, a freshman college student from SAE Institute and David Hodges, Matt’s older brother and Costa graduate of 2015. The group formed after attending a music summer camp in 2009 that was created by the Hodges’ father, Brett.The four instantly recognized each other’s talent, leading to their friendship and frequent jam sessions.
“We started the band because we were all interested in music and sounded good together,” Matt Hodges said. “It’s also used as a time for us to all hang out and have a good time.”
The band defines themselves as not having a specific genre, but close to progressive metal. They are inspired by artists such as Mastodon, Gojira and Intronaut for lyrics and musical styles. The band has curated original songs based off of these bands, while also incorporating interesting riffs, dramatic lyrics and an occasional synth.
“Our music is a blend of what we all personally listen to,” guitarist Cameron Steen said. “With the addition of what we think sounds good to us.”
Last sunday was their first formal concert, held in the small venue “AMPLIFi”, which held a homemade, independent artist only atmosphere. Located in Los Angeles, the small venue had a back alley entrance and no sign, leaving it discreet and a perfect place for a small gathering to enjoy the music. According to Matt Hodges,the group found this underground venue through signing up on an online booking company called Afton.
“It was pretty exciting and nerve wracking to perform in front of people, but it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be,” Steen said.
Cameron Steen also enjoys music due to the gratification one can feel after. Steen started his musical career at the age of 8, after his mother decided he should take music lessons. Steen enjoys playing guitar and wants to broaden his skills by learning various types of styles beyond that of which he has already mastered, which includes metal and classical acoustic guitar.
“It’s cool realizing you can play the same songs that the people you look up to can play,” Steen said. “It’s even cooler to know you just have the ability to do some cool tunes, which I guess a lot of people can’t do.”
Matt Hodges, the drummer of the band, has been playing the drums since he was seven. Hodges was inspired to play because of the music he listened to, such as Metallica and Black Sabbath. His father bought his first drum kit and he instantly found satisfaction in his new hobby. Though metal is the main genre Hodges focuses on, he also likes to experiment with a jazz sound as well.
“It’s a way of expressing myself and I love being able to play a song all the way through with no mistakes after so much practice, it’s rewarding,” Hodges said.
The band aspires to eventually gather a larger fan base and play as many shows as possible. Currently, the band practices weekly and take on different roles individually, such as writing lyrics or riffs. They hope that eventually their band will be recognized and can be enjoyed by anyone.
“I don’t know the next time we will be playing live, but hopefully it’s soon,” Hodges said. “And I hope there’s a big crowd.”
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