Blueprint
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Blueprint

Santa Cruz, California, United States | SELF

Santa Cruz, California, United States | SELF
Band Rock Alternative

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Santa Cruz Metro"

"Here is a prediction for the new year: MTV, CMJ Magazine and CD 93 are all going to fall
head over heels for local five-piece Blueprint. Clean cut, confident and full of rock-star
panache, singer Darren McClure, guitarist Zach Friend, guitarist Julian White, bassist Ben
Edwards and drummer Dave Price have created the perfect alt-rock pop record. The music
is so friendly, well produced and, more importantly, commercial-radio accessible, it's a
shock that a major record label didn't produce it. Singer McClure's voice ranks somewhere
in between Counting Crows' Adam Duritz and Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins with all the
necessary feel-good lyrics and music to back him up. The rest of the album follows a
similar format: catchy drumbeats, sing-along-choruses and, yes, honest pop-guitar solos. - David Espinoza


"Musician's Trade Journal"

Blueprint is a band filled with incredible spirit and promise. Certainly we will be hearing
more from them"
- n/a


"- Fish Rap, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz"

"Blueprint is the kind of band that the local music critics begin to buzz about the moment
that they release their first album... they are the kind of band that, well, sells a shitload of
records."
- Brian Heater


Discography

Maybe Wednesday--full length album released January 2002.
We have a number of songs available for download or streaming available from our website, http://www.blueprintradio.com
The band has also been receiving regional commercial and college radio airplay off of its songs "Lush" and "Ten years."

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Sometimes it only takes a little luck - or a run-in with the devil’s
brother. In Blueprint’s case, it took both. On a foggy day during the
autumn of 1997 guitarist Zach Friend took a stroll down Pacific Avenue in
downtown Santa Cruz. He came across an elderly blind man playing a
1930s National guitar behind a coffee can filled with spare change. After
a few bars the man stopped. “My two chords can change the world boy,
and guitarists like you ain’t never going to play like me.” The timing was
perfect. Zach had been immersed in the Modern Rock Fake Book for
days. The only conclusion he reached was that catchy tunes required
three chords, not two. After a short discussion and a handful of Coronas
at noon, the pair began to discuss the secret two-chord progression.
With these two chords Blueprint was born.

The musicians-wanted ad was placed that day. All the essential
locations were hit - the local record store, the University, and various
gentlemen’s clubs around town. Vocalist Darren McClure was the first to
answer. The band has never discussed where Darren saw the ad, but
everyone has their suspicions. Drummer Dave Price and Bassist Ben
Edwards quickly followed suit. Their calling came from a different sort -
the University of California, Santa Cruz. Zach and Dave were freshman
hall mates and all three attended the same residential college. You see,
a bond is formed when everyone has attended the same school. After
all, it provides a mutual understanding of athlete’s foot from the shower
and girls without makeup at 5:00 a.m.

While based in Santa Cruz, the band’s roots actually stem from
southern California. Growing up just outside of Los Angeles, Darren was
surrounded by, in fact lived in the same neighborhood with, the sounds
and members of Social Distortion, Zebrahead, and No Doubt. Ben’s
West L.A. upbringing placed him in the forefront of some of the world’s
finest music clubs and bands. Zach’s San Diego background allowed his
previous band an opportunity to open for Blink-182 and Rocket from the
Crypt. Julian spent many nights playing That’s Amore in Japan and
Guam to sold-out venues. Dave, however, is the only non-tan member.

His San Jose background is mostly kept quiet for PR purposes. So,
many will ask, what the hell is the band doing in Santa Cruz? “The
answer is easy,” claims Ben, “we heard that Phish made it big by living
in old school busses and smelling like patchouli oil. We figured the best
way to surround ourselves in this ‘creative’ environment was to move to
Santa Cruz. Hey, we’re a jam band without the song length, solos,
patchouli or school busses… ok, maybe we are pop.” And there you have
it. This is the basis of Blueprint. Is it revolutionary? Yes. Is it butter?
Yes. Is it revolutionary butter? Only you can decide. Until then, the
band vows to keep the two chords a secret. Go ahead, dance with the
devil’s brother tonight.