CRYPTIC

While it may currently be assumed that any unknown music must be "emo" or "hardcore," CRYPTIC breaks that stereotype. Instead, they are all about the rock.

"CRYPTIC is against the grain: an anti-cliché, emotional tidal wave of melodic, modern rock," said Luke Aton, the group's bassist.

This trio of Minneapolis-based musicians manages to maintain both an edgy sound and soulful melodies. Their provocative lyrics and intensive drumming complete their unique sound and persona.

Along with Aton, CRYPTIC consists of vocalist/guitarist Mitch Hoglin and drummer Andy Gagnon. Gagnon and Hoglin originally created CRYPTIC in 2000 and later added Aton in 2007, just after their entrance album "If a Kiss Could Cure My Disease" was released.

This trifecta of modern rock performs all over the Twin Cities area and even does some charity events. They have opened for semi-unknown bands such as Sevendust, Drowning Pool, 12 Stones, Nonpoint and The Worlds Fair, as well as some well-known bands like Quietdrive. They even joined forces with Kinetic Music for management and booking for a short time.

While CRYPTIC's main focus is rock, they also play love ballads and acoustic sets that their audiences go crazy for.

While many of their songs deal with the bright and dark sides of relationships, they will be releasing a new album shortly with a couple of less serious songs. Fans can listen to the band's music on many different online venues such as Facebook, YouTube, ReverbNation, purevolume, Unsigned, mtvU's Best Music on Campus and MySpace.

Not only do Aton, Gagnon and Hoglin have their songs posted on these various Web sites, they also have video blogs posted on each of these fan sites. These blogs are there for their fans to be able to connect with the band and for CRYPTIC to let its readers know what is going on with the band.

Along with the blogs, there are performance videos and discussion areas for fans to familiarize themselves more with the band's work. The discussion areas also allow for CRYPTIC to receive feedback from their fans. Fans can tell the bandmates how they thought the shows went, what their favorite songs are and what their favorite CRYPTIC moments are. CRYPTIC really concentrates on their fans and how to get them involved with the band.
Also on CRYPTIC's Web sites are dates of their upcoming concerts, a must-see experience, say fans.

"In concert, they are very energetic and they really work the stage," said Ashley Herrmann, a high school Minnesotan fan. "They are definitely a band I would go see again because not only do they have a good sound, but they are all also very nice and friendly. They go and talk to their fans in-between plays, which makes them easy to connect to."

The word cryptic means having hidden meaning or being mystifying. This descriptor easily applies to CRYPTIC's songs. People who listen to their music will want to find the hidden meaning behind it. By listening to one song or watching one video of a performance, CRYPTIC can captivate anyone.

With musical influences like Theory of a Deadman, Nickelback, Default, 3 Doors Down, Matchbox Twenty, Creed and Staind, CRYPTIC's fan base will only continue to grow and prosper. CRYPTIC has the potential to be one of the best upcoming rock bands and they recognize this fact.

"We see ourselves going big," Aton said. "We are extremely motivated. When other bands are sitting on their couches, we're brainstorming, promoting, writing new material. We see CRYPTIC in big lights with explosions and fireworks and thousands of screaming fans."
- The Time Delphic

On its second go around, Cryptic is hoping the code will be cracked to reach the next level of their music.

Cryptic is a three-member band comprised of Burnsville High School alumni who just released a professionally-made EP (extended play) album “As the Gun Drops to the Floor,” that features five tracks; two fresh favorites and three perfected and pulled off their debut album, “If a Kiss Could Cure My Disease.”
Cryptic

Two days into the New Year the modern alternative rock band introduced their new album during a release party the Cabooze in Minneapolis in front of over 200 people.

“The first album we made in my basement, and that’s pretty much where it stayed,” said lead singer and guitarist Mitch Hoglin, of Savage.

With time, however, their cryptic code has been deciphered.

“When you’re up there and you see people singing along and they know the words and they’re feeling it – there’s no feeling like it in the world,” Hoglin said.

Bassist Luke Aton, of Savage, agreed, saying the feeling on stage and seeing fans get into the music is “intoxicating.”

“For me, I’m still part of something people are in love with and they are screaming the words and their fists are in the air – it’s absolutely awesome,” he said.

New songs

Cryptic’s songs, Hoglin said, are typically about relationships, but have recently expanded to include “more fun” topics. One song, “Colonel Mustard” is loosely based off the board game Clue. And “Evil Step Sister” is sung from Prince Charming’s point of view, and is about the wicked ladies from fairy tales.

“We’re trying to write more songs that deal with things other than relationships,” Hoglin said.

The new album took over a year to make because of various setbacks, including retracing their steps a few times and rerecording tracks. So the CD wasn’t ready until literally a few hours before the scheduled release party, Hoglin said.

“We all at one point had dreams of being up on stage naked and we don’t have strings on our instruments, and well …” he joked.

Hoglin’s guitar actually broke during the sound check before the show and he had to tape it together and cross his fingers hoping it wouldn’t break.

“Luckily, it held up,” he laughed.

Aton said he thinks the stage Cryptic is currently in is part of a process.

“Anyone who’s seen ‘VH1 Behind the Music’ knows everybody has to go through really hard times, a struggle and get past it, and then, they’ll catch that break,” he said.

The break, they hope, will come soon.

2009

Cryptic has spent the past nine years getting the word out.

They’ve performed at many local venues, hitting the typical band scenes like bars, parades, battles, free shows and colleges. Their biggest show was at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisc. in August with hard rock bands Sevendust, Drowning Pool and Nonpoint.

Their plan this year is to market themselves by playing less. Hoglin said he hopes fewer shows will mean a higher demand and draw more fans.

“We want to make it more of a monthly event – like ‘Where are they going to be next month?’ and then they can all come out and bring their friends,” he said.

While some of their fan base is built on friends and former classmates, they’ve also made a name for themselves by appearing on Web sites.

Their own site, www.crypticiscoming.com, has links to the band’s MySpace site. Getting the cryptic code translated there, Hoglin said, took time.

“It felt like it took forever to break that 100-hit mark,” he said, “Recently, though, we’ve had a few thousand hits.”

They also have pages on Facebook and YouTube where they feature videos of their daily routines.

“We want people to just get to know us, and who we are,” Aton said. “We’re pretty silly guys, we like to have fun.”

Roots

Cryptic formed in 2000 with Hoglin and drummer Andy Gagnon of Savage. Aton joined the band as a bassist in November 2007.

Hoglin, who Aton described as “the music of the band,” grew up surrounded by music. He took piano lessons, spent time as a percussionist in school bands and sang in the Metropolitan Boys Choir.

“All that came together and influenced song writing,” he said. “When I was 14 I picked up a guitar and started hashing it out.”

For Aton, his mother is a music teacher and forced him to take up an instrument. He admitted he was reluctant at first, but eventually became “a band geek.”

“I got really into band, I was captain of the drumline,” he said, as he was wearing a zip up drumline hoodie from high school. “I got hooked on it.”

And even though he plays bass guitar in Cryptic, he feels like a “drummer that plays bass.”

Reading music for the band’s drummer Gangon, however, is literally cryptic, as he was never in band during school and has never taken a music lesson. Growing up, his dad had a drum set and taught him the standard four-beat progression, Hoglin said.

“He’s completely self taught. To see where he is now just from listening to other people’s music and adapting his drumming technique, it boggles my mind to know he was never trained, but that he just fell into it,” Hoglin said. “He does things on the drums sometimes that blow my mind that I can’t even wrap my head around.”

All three band members being drummers, Aton said, keeps the beat alive in their songs.

“We’re really aware of it,” he said. “It’s like a constant metronome.”

The trio went to school together and the band’s name came from a high school English class where vocabulary words were pushed hard.

“Andy and I were bouncing (band) names back and fourth and he suggested ‘cryptic’ and I asked him what it meant, and he said ‘hard to understand, confusing, coded,’” Hoglin said. “And we ran with that, and it stuck.”


Article by: Keighla Schmidt, Staff Writer
- Savage Pacer - Savage, MN - Jan. 09, 2009