My Instant Lunch

Hungry for fame

After competing on stage at Coyotes for five weeks, My Instant Lunch was named the winner of Band Aide 1

BY ASHLEY HERRING WHITAKER

AUGUSTA, GA – When the Band Aide competition emerged, it had a large task ahead of it: Pick one winner out of an impressive lineup of local bands.

Over the span of five weeks, 17 bands competed for the prize, which was a $2,000 store credit at Rock Bottom and a promotional package from the Metro Spirit for the upcoming year.

Each Thursday, a new collection of bands competed for the prize until only five remained. The finalists consisted of Twice Removed, Blurring the Line, My Instant Lunch, Bleeding Counterfeit and Great Day in the Morning. Every band that made it to the finals had something different and unique to bring to the table.

The final show brought a largely mixed crowd, with fans of each band in attendance to show support. Many members of bands that participated in the Band Aide contest, but didn’t advance to the finals, showed up to give support to the remaining bands. Eric Rinker, the drummer of Suns Collide, said that he was there to see all the bands play again.

“I think a lot of great bands were left out of the finals, but that is the nature of the beast with a battle of the bands,” Rinker said. “Personally, I love My Instant Lunch.”

Erin Foley, an Augusta native and fan of the local music scene, said that she came out to Coyotes to specifically support Great Day in the Morning and Bleeding Counterfeit. She has never really frequented Coyotes.

“I’ve just been here as a designated driver twice,” she said. “I just came because of the bands.”


The first band of the night, Bleeding Counterfeit, started the night off with a bluesy rock set. Frontman Josh Pierce’s powerful Southern drawl belted out lyrics that pulled directly from his life but were somehow still relatable. Pierce said that his band has beengoing through some changes and that the band’s sound has recently been “revamped.”

When asked if he was nervous or excited about the show, he said that he was a “little bit of both.” He said that he was really excited to share the stage with his friends and commented on the competition as a whole.

“Music as a competition is a double-edged sword for me,” Pierce said. “I’m not really big on competing with my friends. You just have to take the competition out of the equation and share the stage with your friends.”

Also sharing the stage that night was Great Day in the Morning. This band’s performance was pure rock ‘n’ roll that generated a ton of crowd participation.Although the band is new to the music scene in its current lineup, members of the band have played in other popular Augusta bands such as Blue Collar Blue Heart and the Kilpatrick Project.

Miles Kilpatrick, the guitarist of Great Day in the Morning, said that playing at Coyotes for the Band Aide competition was a new experience for him.

“I think it is a really cool event,” he said. “We weren’t sure how it was going to turn out, but it has been great.”

When asked about the chance of his band winning the shopping spree at Rock Bottom, Kilpatrick said that it would be put to good use.

“I was planning on buying 2,000 kazoos,” he said. “Just kidding. Musicians are always broke. We have families and kids so there is not as much money on hand to buy good equipment.”

At the end of the night, the two metal acts that made it into the finals were given the chance to take the stage. Blurring the Line brought energy to the show and invited everyone up to the dance floor to dance and sing with them.

Jason Hayton, the lead singer for the band, said that the band entered the competition for both practical and personal reasons.

“The prize didn’t sound too shabby,” Hayton said. “We haven’t been playing together for very long. We wanted to build some recognition.”

Chris McCarthy, the drummer for Blurring the Line, said that he was looking forward to performing.

“I’m pumped,” he said. “We’ve had a really good time playing here. It’s been a big party for the last couple of weeks.”

The final act of the night was Twice Removed, a metal act that drew on hip-hop influences within their performance. The band probably generated the most crowd participation with their heavy-metal cover of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. The band has only been together for eight months, but they have already formed a decent-sized fan base. Chris Robinson, the band’s lead singer, said that his band stood out from the rest.

“We’re more unique than anything around here,” he said.

Dean Massaro, the band’s guitarist, added that the band is still growing.

“We don’t follow any genres,” Massaro said. “I think this (Band Aide) will help us get more followers. We need more local fans.”

While all of the finalists put on animpressive show, only one could be crowned as the first winner of Band Aide. This honor went to My Instant Lunch, a band that sounds like it just stepped right out of Athens.

The band is made up of members that are ex-military, a teacher and a 17-year-old high-school student. It was hard to pin down an exact sound because it was as eclectic as the band’s members.

Danny Rankin, the lead singer for the band, said that My Instant Lunch’s sound was influenced by a long list of musical acts.

“Our influences are diverse,” Rankin said. “The Beatles, Radiohead, Mute Math, The Talking Heads, The Who… I could keep going on and on.”

My Instant Lunch also had a few different reasons for entering the contest. Jordan Lucas, the band’s guitarist, summed up the band’s motivation.

“We need money,” he said. “And we wanted to share our music.”

Before going on stage, Rankin was quick to point out that the final show was full of great acts.

“It’s really eclectic in the finals,” he said. “It’s a good mix. I’m excited about it.”

Jonathan Karow, owner of Rock Bottom Music, announced the winner at the end of the night. He was quick to give praise to all of the participating bands.

“I hate competitions like this because music is an art form,” Karow said.

My Instant Lunch was handed a large stage check made out to the band for the sum of $2,000 in store credit at Rock Bottom Music. They also won a year’s worth of promotions from the Metro Spirit. After being announced as the winner, Rankin kept it short and sweet.

“I’ve never had a giant cardboard check before,” he said. “No, really. I’ve always wanted a giant cardboard check.”
- Metro Spirit

BY ASHLEY HERRING WHITAKER

AUGUSTA, GA – The members of My Instant Lunch want everyone to know that they are more than a band — they consider themselves to be artists, complete with real creative interests and personality. The group is a relatively new one, having only been together since the summer of 2008. Despite their newbie status, My Instant Lunch has been collecting fans from day one. All four members, who include a high-school teacher, a 17-year-old student, an Apple Store employee and an ex-member of the military, say they just want to play music and have fun. The band, which consists of Danny Rankin, Michael Ray, Adam Kronowski and Jordan Lucas, agreed to sit down for a shortened game of 20 questions.


Q: How did the band come into existence?
Rankin: “It started out with Michael and I meeting up at this jazz jam.”
Ray: “We just kind of found out that we liked the same stuff and then Danny had this party. Danny played the piano and sang and I was like, ‘Holy crap, you can sing and you like Weezer.”
Rankin: “And then we did that ‘Badger, Badger, Mushroom, Mushroom’ song. We performed a cover of that in the party in three-part harmony with Jordan. And that’s when Jordan joined the band.”

Q: How did you come up with the name My Instant Lunch?
Lucas: “I will say this — the name of the band was already made when I went to the first rehearsal. They were like, ‘This is the name of the band’ and I was like, ‘Cool.’”
Rankin: “Well, we’ve all been in those band situations when you can’t really think of a good name. My wife, Rene, went to the grocery store and she loves buying unusual Ramen. She found this stuff in the Hispanic food section. It was called ‘mi almuerzo instantáneo.’”
Ray: “And we were all like, ‘that’s my instant lunch in Spanish’ at the same time.”
Lucas: “We actually debated about changing it, but stuck with it.”

Q: If My Instant Lunch could play onstage with any band, dead or alive, who would you play with?
Rankin: “Should we all say it at the same time?”
Ray: “Danny (Rankin), do you mean like on 1-2-3 we all say it, or separately?”
Lucas, Rankin and Kronowski (in unison): “1-2-3… The Beatles.”
Rankin: “Wait, Michael (Ray) didn’t say anything.”
Ray: “I was going to say Queen.”
Lucas: “I would say Queen and The Beatles… at the same time. That would be so cool.”

Q: What should your band mascot be?
Kronowksi: “A platypus.”
Rankin: “I don’t know, what is the most bad-ass animal?”
Ray: “A polar bear?”
Rankin: “How about a fire-breathing grizzly bear with a horn. And with the face of a man.”

Q: If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would people put on you?
Rankin: “I was kind of hoping you would ask me what kind of vegetable I would be.”
Lucas: “If I was a salad, I would be a Caesar salad because I love Caesar salads.”
Rankin: “But we have to pick a salad as a band, not as individuals.”
Ray: “We could be a taco salad.”
(All band members agree)
Lucas: “And what would people put on us? Salsa!”
Ray: “And meat. And cheese. A whole lot of cheese, but onlyprocessed cheese.”

Q: What are your plans for the next year?
Rankin: “In the short-term we need to take over the world, go in the studio… in no particular order. We want to put out a full-length record.”

Q: Adam (Kronowski), how does it feel being in high school and winning Band Aide?
Kronowski: “No one really knew what Band Aide was until I told them and then they thought it was awesome. Lots of kids at school like the band, I guess. My parents are totally cool about it. My dad is at every show.”
Rankin: “Yeah, Adam is the most on-the-level 17-year-old drummer I’ve ever met.”

Q: What are you guys listening to right now?
Rankin: “The newest As Tall As Lions.”
Ray: “I keep going back and forth between the new Muse album and the soundtrack for ‘Batboy: The Musical.’”
Lucas: “Mute Math, As Tall As Lions, The Beatles. I’ve really been on a heavy Beatles kick.”
Kronowksi: “Angra. And a lot of jazz infusion stuff.”


Read this article at: http://www.metrospirit.com/index.php?cat=1993101070588705&ShowArticle_ID=11010112093337411 - Metro Spirit

Space + future + love + tragedy bundled into one alternative band equals? My Instant Lunch, of course!

Settling into a booth with the four members of the band, I immediately grasp their cohesiveness. Daniel Rankin plays ringleader and starts the round of introductions. "I'm the lead producer of sweat," the lead singer/bassist jokes. He turns to keyboardist Michael Ray, "and we like to call Michael 'Magic Fingers.'" Jordan Lucas grins and introduces himself as simply guitarist, and Corey Baxter as the "unofficial" drummer. The small group bounces off of each other, tossing wit and humor as if it were the easiest thing in the world. "We really like being in a band," explains Rankin. "And we like Ramen," adds Lucas.

This goes without saying. The band received its name from the box of an exotic cup of noodles. "My wife and I were in a Hispanic grocery store, and she found a box that said ‘Milunch Instantánea.’ We translated it to ‘My Instant Lunch,’ and that was that," Rankin explains matter-of-factly. The affinity for packaged meals does not end here: pictures posted on the band's MySpace are mostly of them eating out of the Styrofoam cups and the stage of Sky City has been lined with packets of Maruchan for tonight’s show.

The performance is a sort of celebration for the first My Instant Lunch EP release, "Tales of Woah." The band spent three days recording in Atlanta's Open Sky Studio, paying for the cost without any outside endorsement. The presale of the album included a free oatmeal raisin cookie, baked fresh by the band. A simple six-tracker, the jams range from the harmonic, piano-driven "Into the Sea" to the lyric-less "Challenger," a reflection on the STS-514 explosion. "I like performing ‘Tales of Space,’" says Rankin. "I’ll play the acoustic, which is different, and it's got a folksy swing to it." And "Tales of Space,” though styled as an epic ballad, is quite a catchy dance tune. Of course, all MIL songs provide that key ingredient: danceability. “Our main key is audience interaction. It’s something that live shows have lost.”

My Instant Lunch is no less than instantaneous: their style is so very unique it must be experienced firsthand. "A lot of the time, bands create songs for the making of noise. We try and create music with storytelling, and engage the audience. And you can take that to the bank."
Catch My Instant Lunch’s next live performance at Sky City on May 9. For more information on the EP, contact the band through www.myspace.com/myinstantlunch.

MY INSTANT LUNCH: FLAVOUR SURPRISE!
verges asks: covers?
MIL answers: Muse, the Talking Heads, Band of Horses, some Gershwin.

v: mascot?

MIL: we have a man in a tuxedo introduce us for every show. he’s great.

v: superpower?
MIL: we asked the genie to give us the power to melt people’s faces off with our rock 'n' roll. now everyone just… well, you get the picture.

v: if you could add an instrument?
MIL: this has to be a group decision?
v: yes.
MIL: Theremin. No doubt about it.

v: slogan?
v: Become a My Instant Lunch Fan!

(From the May Issue of Verge magazine. Read the whole article and see photos by visiting www.vergelive.com) - Verge Magazine