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Having just recently played two amazing shows, right here in their hometown of Pella, Iowa, Cantus Firmus proves they have what it takes to please the fans.
The band consists of Kellee Van Hemert (guitar, vocals), Kerry Van Hemert (drums), and Phil Davidson (Bass). Before Cantus Firmus, Kellee and Phil played together in a popular local band by the name of Ish, before they broke up to go to different colleges.
The three boys decided to come together in the name of music to challenge current “emo” trends.
Too many bands had all fallen into the same post-hardcore/screamo monotony trap, and Cantus Firmus was on a mission to be different.
“I try as hard as I can to avoid that at all costs. It’s overdone and will soon be a thing of the past” says Kellee. Most fans agree they’ve accomplished just that.
With inspiration from bands like Gatsby’s American Dream and Brand New, they’ve managed to create a unique sound that has gotten them shows booked with more famous bands like The Plain White Tees.
Overall, they wish to expand their music ever further away from what’s being played these days.
“The stuff we're writing right now is hopefully going to turn out to be much less dependent on our influences” says Kellee.
The first CF show was at The Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines. They played six songs that the sound manager claimed was the best first show he’d ever seen from a band.
From this point, Cantus Firmus proceeded in scrapping their old songs, thinking they could do better.
Thirty-eight hours in High Octane Audio Studio with John Bain proved them right, producing their first EP in the form of “The Pablo Cruise EP” a five song disc now available for sale at two dollars.
The band can be reached at thatpsychostud@hotmail.com or vanhemertk1@central.edu for copies of the EP or t-shirts.
In some cases, the band will even deliver to where you live. Also, www.myspace.com/cantusfirmusmusic is a great site to keep up to date on when and where the band is playing.
They’re currently scheduling shows for all over Iowa this fall, and by next summer they hope to be touring full time. As for now, the future of the band is unknown, but their goals are clear:
Write creative new music for the masses that avoids stereotypical pitfalls, play as many shows as possible, and never stop trying to better themselves. - www.centralmania.com
Discography
The Pablo Cruise EP
1. Interest Me
2. Televisionary
3. My Alibi
4. Comebacks and the Like
5. Perfect Town
Two New Songs Recorded in 12/2005
1. Strike A Pose
2. Thank You
New song 2/06
1. The Terrible Turns
Photos
Bio
Bio
purevolume.com/cantusfirmus
Cantus Firmus was formed out of absolute necessity. Kellee Van Hemert (vocals, guitar) and Kerry Van Hemert (drums) are brothers so the band is very connected and tight knit. With the addition of our bass player, Phil Davidson, we are just a three piece, something you don't see as often in rock and roll. While many might see this as restricting, it forces us to focus on the quality of our songs instead of making multiple guitar parts to cover up an inferior song. So while at first we succumbed to thinking that three members was a setback, we now look at it as an advantage.
As the band began to write songs, they realized that everything they did as a band could not be typical. That mindset has led them to think outside the musical box. Whether it was interesting rhythms or unique melodies, the band had a mission. Their brand of alternative rock would be different.
The first CF show was at The Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines. Six songs were played that night to a crowd hovering just above single digits. After the boys’ set, the sound guy came down and told them it was the best first show he had ever seen. All that from a guy who sees shows every night, it was encouraging for them to say the least. However, they were still not satisfied with the sound that they had in these songs. So they scrapped all their material to that point. Back to the practice room they went and emerged with five new gems. 38 hours in the studio produced their first EP in the form of “The Pablo Cruise EP.” Right now the boys are writing more new material with which they hope to keep evolving past where they have been. The future may be unknown for this band but for now their mission is clear: Write creative new music for the masses that avoids stereotypical pitfalls, play as many shows as possible, and never stop trying to better themselves.
Email us at: cantusfirmusmusic@hotmail.com
Visit our myspace: myspace.com/cantusfirmusmusic
Visit our purevolume: purevolume.com/cantusfirmus<---lots more songs here. some of our songs went over the 5mb limit so we couldn't upload them. please listen to "The Terrible Turns."
Links
