Music
Press
"Blueprint is making a name for themselves both locally and beyond. Their user-friendly sound and passionate vocal delivery make them easy targets for comparison to such bands as Counting Crows, Blues Traveler and the like, but
Blueprint has a promising, catchy sound all their own." - Good Times Newspaper Northern California
"This five piece California band drives an edgy alt rock machine ranging from jangly pop to crunchy, guitar heavy grunge with most stops in between. Tracks like "Step Away" and "Ten Years" show a more hooky side with more acoustic tinged rhythms and sharp harmonic vocals. Think bits of Radiohead and Dexter Freebish with a touch of old school pop alt like the Bodeans. Music that has some complexity in it's varied styles, but a simplicity in weaving those styles into a comfortable sound that still manages a fresh edginess."
- Music Morsels
"Santa Cruz's most promising rockers with the release of "One Way Out," introducing their acoustic fans to a new electric sound, These boys are on their way up" - Santa Cruz Sentinel
"Blueprint is one of the freshest bands in Santa Cruz today. They have a sound that's fun and spans generations, giving them across-the-board appeal."
- Sam Hiller, 103.9 FM. Santa Cruz's X103.9 - Santa Cruz X 103.9
"These Santa Cruzers show considerable promise on their full-length CD. The band's gift for positive-vibe pop-rock is voiced by singer Darren McClure...[and] there are more than a few moments, both in the material and performance, that suggest this band could be well worth developing." - Music Connection Magazine
"Blueprint is a band filled with incredible talent, spirit and strong vocals. This group of Santa Cruzers shows a great deal of promise in future releases and McClure's voice provides a positive, energetic pop vibe. For a band that is just beginning, Blueprint seems to have what it takes to make it in the music industry. Embracing many diverse sounds, they have created and produced some inspiring music."
- DC On Campus
Discography
Maybe Wednesday (10 track cd) Released 2001
One Way Out (5 track ep) Released 2002
Wilderness of Mirrors (5 track ep) Released 2004
Our songs have been receiving regular airplay on regional commercial and college radio stations. Our songs Siren, California and Ten Years are receiving airplay on Santa Cruz X 103.9 (commercial), while a variety of tracks are being played on KZSC (college), WGBT (college), KSJS (college) and KALX (college). Other regional commercial stations playing our songs Siren and 3 Days include KSCO and KKUP. Our cds are sold in stores throughout the California Bay Area and online through Target, Amazon, VirginMegaStore, CDBaby, Borders and more. In addition, our songs have been featured on two films and two television programs.
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Bio
Blueprint is one of the most captivating and upcoming artists in the music industry for one very simple reason: their reflections of life, introspective lyrics and powerful pop melodies combine to make them instantly identifiable. They are a band whose music immediately attracts and captures your attention while building a relationship with the listener. While sometimes compared to artists such as the Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty, such a comparison would be too simplistic. Blueprint has established themselves as a band that combines elements of expression not often found in the mold of modern rock music. Fusing together a new form of complex simplicity they forge personal connections with their unique ability to embrace the intricacies of life through melodic tapestry. Using this framework, Blueprint blends a range of eclectic influences to create a distinctive style of their own.
From Robert Johnson and Miles Davis, they draw a sense of rhythmatic patterns and melodic structure. From Tom Petty to Jackson Browne and understanding of acoustic-based rock and melody. The music of acoustic pioneers Simon and Garfunkle to Joni Mitchell combine with elements of hair bands such as Warrant and Skid Row to create the harmonies and large choruses of Blueprints songs. They incorporate all aspects of life in an album that reads like a revealing autobiography.
From Blueprints debut album, Maybe Wednesday, songs such as Ten Years tell Darrens story of a relationships coming-of-age and the hardships it produces. A similar theme is expressed in the song California, where themes of a broken relationship and the exorbitant costs of living in California are explored. The two songs follow the story of Step Away, where the uncertainties of change, both in relationships and location, are discovered. Blueprints next two albums, One Way Out and Wilderness of Mirrors continue on lifes themes. The song Crossing Nine, off of One Way Out, tells the true story of friends suicide and everything he left behind. From their most recent release, Wilderness of Mirrors, the song Siren tells the story of having only one person to turn to in a time of need.
Blueprint is a decisive departure from the mundane. They are in a realm of artists who can take something complicated and make it seem simple while still presenting it in a compelling manner. Their songs have been featured in movie soundtracks, won numerous national songwriting awards, received airplay on stations in the U.S.A., Europe, Canada and the Philippines and won accolades in readers polls in their hometown in each of the last three years. Guitarist Zach Friend believes Blueprint provides a direct connection with their audience not found in a lot of modern music. This direct connection might just be through their musics sonic narrative of life, love and regret.
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