Unsigned Spotlight: Those Damn Eyes

January 4, 2018 Jordan Mohler

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Meredith Williams - lead vocal

Graham Goetz - bass

Jake Rabin - drums

Daniel Corder - guitar, piano

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Those Damn Eyes? How long has the band been around?

The band has been around for four years.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

One of the early band-members found the phrase "those damn eyes" in a Charles Bukowski literature-excerpt.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

Meredith creates melodies and lyrics. Topics are comprised of painful endings and new beginnings that overlap one another. I believe the topics could go anywhere - through more life experience that gets thrown her way. Daniel writes raw musical ideas; we rehearse the raw idea together with Graham and Jake. Bass and drums play a huge role in creating the orientation of the arrangement; then we forge it into a final draft.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Deftones, Regina Spektor, Intervals, Animals As Leaders, Every Time I Die, Strawberry Girls, Karnivool

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Not particularly. Each of us have a love for music that eventually brought us together.

What do you do to prepare for a show?

Daniel - I squeeze a foam ball with both hands to warm-up my hand-ligaments/tendons, and take 2-3 shots of Jameson a half hour before our set.

Meredith - I sleep with my humidifier running the night before, drink tons of water, vocal rest, vocal warm ups, and a beer with 2 shots.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Releasing our brand-new music video and EP!

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

We'd be interested in touring with the likes of Deftones, In this Moment, Heart, Jefferson Airplane, Incubus, Coheed and Cambria, Chiodos; we all share common dynamics in our music. Each of them give us goosebumps with their killer instrumentation and powerful vocals.

Is there anything else you would like to add?