Emit

Charles Martin
November 24, 2010

Emit with The RocketTops, Wunderjazz and Tree Farmer
7 p.m. Friday
ACM@UCO Performance Lab
323 E. Sheridan
www.emitrock.com
$5

OK, yes, a mature understanding of the value of a college degree isn’t exactly in lockstep with the rock-’n’-roll lifestyle, but like any career, knowledge is power.

Members of Emit, Oklahoma City’s emerging powerhouse rock band, have rock ambitions on temporary hold until they finish their degrees. In the meantime, the act will celebrate “Out of Reaction,” a sophomore album packed with polished anthems, at Friday’s CD release show in Bricktown.

The roots of the group go back to cousins Brian and Caleb Collins tooling around with guitars more than six years ago. Lifelong friends Austin Brimacombe and Benjamin Killebrew were recruited. Now, all four approach Emit’s seven-year mark, with another year and a half remaining until the last members wrap up their college careers.

“Our main concern is getting school done,” Caleb Collins said. “Earlier this summer, we worked on our two-year goals, and we are all very passionate about school. We feel it is something important to be accomplished.”

Small tours between semesters and intense writing sessions over the holidays will build a foundation of fans for the band, but Brian Collins said they are focusing on their maturation as musicians ahead of the major push that will follow the last graduation ceremony. He currently studies vocal education at the University of Central Oklahoma; the classical training has shifted his own creative process significantly.

“When we were kids fooling around with guitars, it was an accidental process,” he said. “The only time you came up with something cool, it was when you played something wrong. That still happens today, but I’m not limited to that primitive process of clunking around until you stumble onto something worth recording. I can be driving around in the car with a melody in my head, and I know what scale to use and what chords to go over it.”

“Out of Reaction” follows the progression of the band members, starting with an early love of Switchfoot that evolved into a progressive, arena-sized sound more in the mold of Muse.

“A lot of the songs range back to when we started out, but there are newer songs that are 1 or 2 years old,” Brian Collins said. “There is a track called ‘Would You’ that we wrote when we were all about 15 and 16 that ended up No. 1 on a Japanese podcast when we released it as a single. That was cool.”

He hopes that post-UCO, Emit will be free for national tours, and that the complexities of life after college won’t pull the tight-knit band apart. Caleb Collins believes that the ties formed after knowing each other for so long are strong enough to survive the transition.

“We will continue growing musically and maturing in our own ways,” he said. “But, before we had formed the band, we were hanging out and playing together, so it isn’t just the music that is holding us together.” —Charles Martin - Oklahoma Gazette

Woodward, Okla. — Oklahoma City rock band Emit will be bringing their "Symptoms Begin to Show" tour to Woodward this Saturday at 9:30 p.m. as they perform at Bandits and Barbies.

Also performing with Emit will be Woodward’s own rock band Sodder. The 2 bands have performed together many times in Oklahoma City, Emit band manager Mark Maxey said.

According to Maxey, one of the first connections between the 2 bands was Ray Bell. Bell was a teacher at Union High School in Tulsa where Emit’s manager was attending high school. Bell then came to Woodward High School, where he taught Jennifer Newton, lead vocalist of Sodder, and her brother and drummer Brian Newton.

Maxey describes it as a “small world coincidence.”

“It was strange that we knew the same guy, but at different times,” Maxey said.

However, he said the bands themselves didn't meet until about a year ago as they both performed at Club Bora Bora in Oklahoma City.

During that performance, the bands fell in love with each other's music, finding it relatable to their own sounds, he said.

“It is phenomenal watching Emit and Sodder perform together,” Maxey said, noting "it's like a pure rock ‘n’ roll show" when they get together.

According to Jennifer Newton, it's a great experience performing with Emit.

“We have performed a couple times together and we have an energy together that makes for an incredible show,” Newton said.

While the bands have played several shows in Oklahoma City, this will be their first time to perform together in Woodward.

“Sodder suggested that Emit come to Woodward so they could perform again, and Emit was thrilled with the idea,” Maxey said. “They are very excited for the performance with Sodder, because they are getting the chance to perform in front of Sodder’s fans.”

Newton said local bands need to stick together.

“We wanted to help them out by having them perform somewhere they haven’t and that is Woodward.” Newton said.

Maxey said Emit is wanting to branch out and let their music be heard by a new audience. The band even held a couple out-of-state concerts this summer including shows in Missouri and Kansas.

According to the band’s publicist Douglas Stevens, Emit’s concert is all about a synthesis of thought and music.

“The more experience one gets as a musician and writer, the easier it is to write music and lyrics in the same emotive stroke,” Stevens said.

Emit’s lyrics are about everyday problems that people go through and the paths they take to reach their goals in life, Maxey said.

Newton said Sodder can relate to those lyrics, because their own lyrics are about moving forward and taking the next step in life.

Besides sharing a similar lyrical theme, she said “Both bands are really passionate about music and we want the audience to enjoy it.

“I think when people come to our shows they can see how passionate we are about out music,” Newton said.

Maxey described watching Emit and Sodder perform together as watching “lightning on stage in a controlled environment.”

“I have been involved in music business for 35 years, and when I see these bands play together there is a certain energy or force I have never seen duplicated by other bands,” Maxey said, noting fans will witness an awesome show.

For more information on Emit visit their official website at www.emitrock.com and and for information on Sodder visit their official Facebook and Myspace pages. - Woodward News

Emit, an Oklahoma City-based rock band will be performing at Jerry’s Bait Shop, 302 S.W. Main, Lee’s Summit on Labor Day.

Emit, an Oklahoma City-based rock band will perform at Jerry’s Bait Shop, 302 S.W. Main St., on Labor Day. The band is comprised of cousins Brian and Caleb Collins, and Austin Brimacombe and Benjamin Killebrew. The band is on tour to support their latest two singles releases, “Emitting Light” and “Smile Again.” They also plan to release a new album in November and have recently completed filming a movie.

Tell us about the band.
Benjamin Killebrew: “Emit is the culmination of years of friendship and musical training. We have a passion for music that comes through strongly in our high-energy performances. People like to see that love when they’re watching a band and we both show it and bring them into it right there with us.”

How would you describe your music?
Brian Collins: “After the addition of our good friends Austin and Benjamin, the music has taken a progressive turn. It’s a pretty broad sound and I think it provides an intriguing show for everyone. The music encompasses such a broad range of rock and pop that anyone who has been listening to the radio for the past 50 years can find something in it to appreciate.”

Austin Brimacombe: “I can’t answer this question without naming off bands we sound like. Our sound is so broad that I can’t explain our sound in a couple words. If I could list genres it would go like this: Rock, Pop, Indie, Jazz, Techno Rock and a splash of hardcore. Not even those genres completely explain our sound.”

What are your influences?
Collins: “Everything thing that goes into my ears is an influence. In the early days it was all Switchfoot. Now I’m largely influenced by classical music and just the pure theory behind it, much like how Muse writes. I think that is largely true for all four of us. When we jam through a new tune, everyone hears new ideas and the song becomes a unique collaborative work.”

What has been your favorite experience as a band?
Brimacombe: “I couldn’t put my finger on a specific event but my favorite experience is always the last minute of a show. That last minute you don’t care about breaking a stick, cracking a cymbal or losing your voice. That is the time to go all out and not care about a thing.”

Tell us about the movie you are shooting.
Killebrew: “‘Rivalry: A Quakecon Story’ is a film that is being made by Equinox Visual. This is the video production company that does all of Emit’s professional videos. They are also some of our closest friends, and I even help a lot with the business. Our own Austin Brimacombe is one of the four stars of the film. I helped write, direct, played a small role, and am doing a complete original score for Rivalry. Also Emit’s song “Rivalry!” is the opening track and featured song of the movie. Be looking for its release in late fall on www.equinoxvisual.com”

Describe your album.
Killebrew: “Our new album has four singles. We’re releasing them at the beginning of the month leading up to the CD release show in November. We’re already put out two of the four, “Smile Again” and “Emitting Light,” which are for sale via CD baby, and i-Tunes. The album has a wonderful sound full of energy and thought. It’s good both to just listen to while on the run or to delve deep in your heart for personal connection, which uplifts and joy fills.”

What can we expect from your show at Jerry’s Bait Shop?
Collins: “People can expect a rock performance that they can relate to. We have more than six years experience in the live scene and being a Kansan myself, I am particularly excited to be playing in the Kansas City area. We’ll be kicking it a step up so all the good folks of Lee’s Summit can get the best rock show they deserve.”

For more information on Emit, visit www. emitrock.com.

- Compiled by Miranda Wycoff, the Journal
- Lees Summit Journal

EMIT’s Music is Getting International Exposure

(OKLAHOMA CITY) Local Oklahoma City band, EMIT, has been releasing singles at the first of each month. These singles are leading up to a new album which will be released near the end of the summer 2010. Emit is comprised of two cousins, Brian and Caleb Collins, along with Austin Brimacombe and Benjamin Killebrew. Recently their music has been featured in several international podcast shows. Michael Angel’s Cosmic Grab Bag and DaleCast from United Kingdom has featured their music this past weekend. Both their podcasts are available from Itunes and are linked on Emit’s website, www.emitrock.com

Michael Angel had this to say about Emit, “When I first checked out Emit, I thought “ok…here’s another college rock band” but was I ever wrong. It’s obvious to the listener that these guys have put thought and depth into every tune. Songs like ‘Emitting Light’ ‘Time To Make A Move’ and ‘Smile Again’ make you realize that these guys are cutting edge, but can also do a tune that is radio as well as podcast worthy. I’m not only looking to play more of them on my podcast, but hope they can get down here to Texas and play in Sherman so I can hear, see, and meet them in person. I’m nearly 52 years old and have heard alot of music, seen the best and worst, and I’m telling you that these guys impress me and give me hope that rock is still alive and well. “ Emit was featured in episode 205 and 206 at www.michaelangel.podomatic.com.

Brian Coliins is a vocal music student at UCO while Benjamin Killebrew of Emit is an Oboe major at Oklahoma City University. “Being part of Emit builds upon my early training,” states Killebrew, synthesist for Emit. He has played in the past with the Oklahoma Youth Symphony, the Oklahoma Youth Wind Symphony. “I was also fortunate to attend summer camps at Quartz Mountain’s Summer Arts Institute and at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. I received a scholarship to attend Oklahoma City University where I am currently a student majoring in Oboe Performance.”

“We will have two more songs released by October and the album released before Christmas,” said Brian Collins. “We also have a DVD which will be released soon, featuring several live shows, a five camera produced set of our last album Symptoms Begin to Show, and a cool little interview with the band.” Many of these live stage shows have been at many of the prominent stages in Oklahoma.

Emit’s singles are available through their website, www.emitrock.com as well as ITunes and CD Baby.

-30-
- Many various international music newsires and Oklahoma press media outlets

Emit Concert Part of National Tour

(OKLAHOMA CITY) There’s a rock star inside each and every teenager, and this summer Disney Channel star and number one selling Hollywood Records artist, Demi Lovato, and General Growth Properties (NYSE:GGP) mall owner and operator of more than 200 properties across the country, are partnering to host a music-inspired mall tour, Shop Til You Rock, that empowers teens to look and feel like rock stars through live local musical performances, exclusive teen activities and special mall offers and giveaways.

Local Oklahoma City rock band Emit will be part of this national event, at Sooner Fashion Mall, 3301 West Main ST., Saturday, August 28 in Norman, Oklahoma.

Shop Til You Rock celebrates teen lifestyles and combines this year’s hottest fall fashions with special performances from more than 100 of today’s popular music artists, brought to you by Hot Topic. The free events take place at more than 120 GGP malls across 39 states July through August.

For the complete list of Shop Til You Rock event dates, activities and exclusive mall deals visit
www.ShopTilYouRock.com. Teens also can go to the website and stream Shop Til You Rock band playlists, play games, follow the tour on the road via a dedicated blog and live Twitter feeds, and download exclusive Demi Lovato icons and wallpapers. You can see Emit’s page on Shop Til You Rock at http://www.shoptilyourock.com/bands/emit/

“Shop Til You Rock is all about making a summer trip to the mall an experience that’s completely devoted to teens,”
Lovato said. “We’re bringing out some of my favorite bands, hosting tons of activities to let teens embrace their own
rock star style and showcasing cool fall fashions from today’s hottest retailers.”

Emit has just finished a heavy marketing summer with choice placement on many national and international podcasts and radio shows. Michael Angel’s Cosmic Grab Bag podcast said, “You will remember the name of this band, Emit. I am so grateful to them for being as talented as they are. It’s obvious to the listener that these guys have put thought and depth into every tune. Songs like ‘Emitting Light’ ‘Time To Make A Move’ and ‘Smile Again’ make you realize that these guys are cutting edge, but can also do a tune that is radio as well as podcast worthy. I’m telling you that these guys impress me and give me hope that rock is still alive and well.”

Emit has just returned from a movie production with Equinox Visuals with a short movie filmed during Quakecon 2010 in Dallas, Texas. The movie is part of an on-going movie experience with several band members’ interaction with the annual gaming convention. The August 28th concert with Emit in Norman will be their first performance since starting the movie location shoot earlier this month.

Emit’s singles are available through their website, www.emitrock.com as well as ITunes and CD Baby.

-30-
- local and music industry news

(OKLAHOMA CITY) Local Oklahoma City band, EMIT, has been releasing singles at the first of each month. These singles are leading up to a new album which will be released near the end of the summer 2010. Emit is comprised of two cousins, Brian and Caleb Collins, along with Austin Brimacombe and Benjamin Killebrew. August 1st will see the latest release of their signature work, “Emitting Light”. In July they released the single “Smile Again”. “We wanted to follow up with our album from last year with all new material that reflects our growth,” says Brian Collins, bassist. “We have been working with Jeff Hickman, student at ACM@UCO, and his suggestion of releasing singles resonated with our goals.”



Brian is a vocal music student at UCO while Benjamin Killebrew of Emit is an Oboe major at Oklahoma City University. “Being part of Emit builds upon my early training,” states Killebrew, synthesist for Emit. He has played in the past with the Oklahoma Youth Symphony, the Oklahoma Youth Wind Symphony. “I was also fortunate to attend summer camps at Quartz Mountain’s Summer Arts Institute and at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. I received a scholarship to attend Oklahoma City University where I am currently a student majoring in Oboe Performance.”



“We got our start opening up for shows in our early teen years at Bricktown Live,” says Caleb Collins, guitarist. “Since then we have been honing our stage shows at various venues in and around Oklahoma.” Austin Brimacombe, drummer says, “This is where we first met our current manager. He use to book shows there and we have remained in contact ever since.”



Emit is a social conscious band that performs a stadium rock show wherever they play. “Their tight knit synchronization is evinced by their combined efforts in playing and writing their music. Emit has proven to be progressively maturing all along their six year history. Each of the musicians have studied and prepared by being musically trained at the most respectable colleges around today,” said Mark Maxey, manager. “Emit’s members play various instruments and are not shy to showcase their natural powerhouse in rocking their musical sets. Both Musicians and fans appreciate Emit's ability to craft their songs solidly on music theory.”



“We will have two more songs released by October and the album released before Christmas,” said Brian Collins. “We also have a DVD which will be released soon, featuring several live shows, a five camera produced set of our last album Symptoms Begin to Show, and a cool little interview with the band.” Many of these live stage shows have been at many of the prominent stages in Oklahoma.



Emit’s singles are available through their website, www.emitrock.com as well as ITunes and CD Baby.
- Various music news in Oklahoma

(Edmond, OK) Local Edmond, Oklahoma band, Emit, will open for Analog Rebellion (formerly Play Radio Play) on Tuesday, May 18 where they will perform at The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western in Oklahoma City. Emit has recently broadened their musical skills to a more progressive rock sound. Their recent recordings reflect a more radio friendly blend of vocals and rock with a nice mix of synthesizers. “We have been together for over six years and have really grown in how we write and play on a total different level,” Brian Collins, bassist says. “Our goal is to present a positive message while at the same time rock your face off with off the wall riffs and musical skill.”

Emit has shared the stage with regional acts such as The Non, The Uglysuit, Vannadine, Eden Sharmaine, Mayola, Fires of Atlas, Radial Angel, Hollow, and The Noise FM. “Now opening for a major recording artist this year is a goal we have had for the past few months,” Benjamin Killebrew, synthesist, said. “In the past few months we have collectively set some major goals that are now coming to past.”

Emit hit the streets playing at the hottest and most visible venues at an early age and now with years of stage presence have given rise to a rock act any audience gravitates towards. Their tight knit synchronization is e evidenced by their combined efforts in playing and writing their music. Emit has proven to be progressively maturing all along their six year history. Each of the musicians has studied and prepared by being musically trained at the most respectable colleges around today. Both Brian Collins and Benjamin Killebrew are students in the music programs at University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University. “We really have used what we have learned and immediately applied the theories to enhance what we knew we could produce as a band,” Brian Collins states.

“The shows we have done with The Non really compliment what we seek in our musical interpretations,” Caleb Collins, guitarist says. “We always had an idea of where we were heading, but musically the past year we have steadily progressed into realizing the potential of our collective work.” “I also think that our many stage shows through the years have prepared us now to present a show that typically you would see with major bands. And opening for Analog Rebellion is that synthesis of our combined effort to reach higher.”

“I think what I bring is the rhythm that holds our expressions musically,” Austin Brimacombe, drummer said. “I try to improvise and add another dimension that compliments the overall goal of the song.”

“We have done some shows with local promoter Andy Loper, who used to manage Minutes Too Far, one of our earliest influences,” Caleb Collins states. “He has watched us mature and supports what we are doing and it is nice to get to open for Analog Rebellion as they are one of our bands collectively we totally respect.”

Emit will open for Analog Rebellion on Tuesday, May 18, at 7pm at The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western in Oklahoma City. Tickets are nine dollars ($9.00) and can be purchased through TicketStorm. Their website is www.emitrock.com and their online press kit is www.sonicbids.com/emit .
- Various music news in Oklahoma