The Courtesy Bandits
Denver, Colorado, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"...Sandwiched in the middle was a quirky band called Courtesy Bandits. And from the first chord combination played the crowd was hooked. With the duoing talents of a male lead guitarist/vocalist and sparkling female vocalist they brought a very magnetic chemistry to the stage and left everyone wanting more...." - Examiner
If, like me, you have recently had any doubts as to the variety involved in the local music scene, you will find true pleasure in being introduced to Denver band, The Courtesy Bandits. At the prime young ages of sixteen and seventeen, this six-piece project will take your breath away with the kind of soulful sincerity that is generally reserved for the tried-and-true veterans of music.
The sound that comes from this ensemble is difficult to describe. As there are six different members all with their own individual musical preferences, the band's influences span the length of the spectrum, ranging from the Arctic Monkeys to John Coltrane and from Bela Fleck to Switchfoot. Blending these influences together, the Bandits put out a sound that is a beautiful combination of Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, and Pop with that ever-familiar pulse that is Rock.
Despite the band's youth, they are nothing new to the Denver scene. The Courtesy Bandits were formed more than three years ago, when its players were still in middle school, and went by the name of Shinytime Station. Say the Bandits, "We started the band on the premise that we would have a band called Shinytime Station. Then, once we actually had a band, we realized that Shinytime Station is NOT a real band name."
After going through the same basic thought-process with "Melo-Luminescence" and "Philosophy On" they decided to "attempt self-description." When asked about current name The Courtesy Bandits, sax/keys player Maxwell Lewis Bessesen was quick to respond. "We're not really rebelling against much of anything, unlike many bands our age. We're trying to put out a 'Be You' kind of vibe more than anything else."
In the summer of 2010, the Bandits caught their first break. Prompted by their fellow band Rue, they entered into a battle of the bands put on by One Liquid House. Despite lacking one member (Maxwell Bessesen) for the length of the battle due to a Berklee music camp, the Courtesy Bandits placed first, which won them 36 hours of recording time with Isaac Slade (The Fray). The result was the band's first EP entitled Class, available on itunes, as well as at any Courtesy Bandits show.
"That weekend [recording] was kind of a turning point for us, creatively," says Bandit guitarist Eyob Sharew. "We spent a lot of time arranging our songs with Isaac Slade, and I think it moved us more in the direction of being a Pop band. After that, we decided we really wanted to be more of a Pop thing... we've become much more commercially accessible, and I don't think it has hurt us."
So what is in store for the future of The Courtesy Bandits? Right now the band's plan is to continue enjoying playing together as much as possible by continuing to write more material and play out often. "We're hesitant to have the 'College Talk' yet, but we would much rather do this than, say, become an accountant somewhere. Still, there are steps that must be taken first." - Colorado Music Buzz
Discography
Class, EP, March 2011
Photos
Bio
The Courtesy Bandits have exploded onto the Denver music scene in a short two years. Some may be deterred by the obvious youthfullness of the group, all of the members still being in high school, but they are far from amateur. In the past six months they have recorded their ‘Class’ EP with Isaac Slade of the Fray, and Joe Richmond of Churchill. They have been consistently been playing two or three shows a month around the Denver area for about a year, working on perfecting their sound and performance. Wrote the Examiner in a review of their live performance, "from the first chord combination played the crowd was hooked. With the duoing talents of a male lead guitarist/vocalist and sparkling female vocalist they brought a very magnetic chemistry to the stage and left everyone wanting more." Their sound has been described as many things, but a recently Denver Post blogger Eric Eyl aptly stated that “They occupy the melodic pop realm well-trod by Colorado band’s like the Fray and Meese.”
Early December in their freshman year of high school, the members of the band recorded for their high school's annual jazz band CD. After hearing one another at the recording, jamming was demanded. The result of these early sessions together did not end up a tired rendition of standards but rather a vibrant new sound, wound around popular songwriting. Jamming led to regular practice, and eventually to performance. In a short time the venues for these performances grew from family block parties to the Marquis Theatre.
After playing for about a year the band found it’s missing piece in Sakile Lowman. After seeing her at a school talent show every member know that she was the sound they had been looking for. With her talents as a “sparkling female vocalist” [The Examiner] she contributed irreplaceably and brought the band to a new level of uniqueness and well-roundedness.
Just a few months after this addition, in the Summer of 2010, the band found itself competing in the Spare Parts Battle of the Bands. This competition was judged by Isaac Slade, and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic. It was a difficult competition but the band placed first and received time in the studio with Slade himself in September of that year.
This recording time was a turning point in the musical mentality of The Courtesy Bandits, with greater self-reflection, with an agreement being found between members to musically underline themselves as poppy, although fans, critics, and parents still struggle to classify them under any genres that would be more or less holistically applicable. Since this recording the band has played more, and worked tirelessly to promote themselves. After long contemplation for a title for the aforementioned recording, the band agreed on the name 'Class' for their first EP, choosing a word that alluding to both a use of subtly and sense of style the band felt they exuded, and the thinly veiled fact that they were (and are) still in their secondary education.
The Bandits consists of Jordan Lamport on Guitar/Vocals, Eyob Tesfaye Sharew on Guitar/Vocals, Ben Lamport on Bass, Max Bessesen on Saxophones/keys, Sakile Lowman on Vocals/Percussion, and Taylor Ivey on Drum Set.
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