Throwing Color

One of my favorite songs of all time is Nickelback’s Rockstar. Can I play a guitar? No. Can I sing a tune? No. I can sing out of tune. Would I want to be a rock star? Oh, hell yes. I would “trade this life for fortune and fame and even cut my hair and change my name” in a heartbeat.

But I know damn well that the road to living in “hilltop homes driving 15 cars” and “hanging out in the coolest bars” is one paved with hard work, steadfast determination and deep love for the music. And know I am not up to the challenge.

But New Jersey’s own good guys who rock, alternative rock band Throwing Color is.

Dave Ryan, guitarist and vocalist for the group, took time out to talk to The Ride following the band’s return to the Garden State from Austin, TX and the SXSW Music Festival which brings together a slew of bands from all musical genres and levels of notoriety. Dave described the experience as “brutal and fun”. The brutal part was the 33 hour ride there and back. The return trip was especially hard with the band having to sleep in a parking lot of a McDonald’s.

That’s right. No limos. No tour bus. Nothing except free neck and leg cramps for everyone. Obvious discomfort aside, Dave said that it was a “great experience”. “Everyone in Texas is nice and genuinely excited about music. They respect music,” said Dave. “It opened [our] eyes to people who love music for music. It’s something you don’t see a lot anymore.”

Back in NJ, that appreciation for music isn’t always present. And although Dave has great love the state of NJ, gigging in the Garden Staten can be a bit rough at times. There are fewer venues and with fewer venues comes fewer opportunities to be seen, and importantly, heard. And there is that small problem of everyone fashioning him/herself a rock star. Just like every person with a computer thinks himself a writer, every person with guitar (air or real) thinks he’s rocker and has a band of his/her own to prove it.

When talking with with Dave, you get the sense that he’s a dude that has been in the game a while. At one point, he mentioned something about having been at it for about 10 years. Wait a minute. I had to ask how old he was. He’s 22. Okay, I’m impressed. So what the hell was I doing at 12 years old when Dave was working on his craft? You guessed it. Nothing. (because watching cartoons doesn’t count). Yet another reason why I am NOT a rock star.

Like I said, Dave started early. He talked about meeting lead singer and songwriter, Drew Duddy while in high school through a bass player in one of Dave’s old bands who was looking for a singer. The band broke up but the two stayed together and went on to play with other bands.

The Dave and Drew were in and out of bands for a while. During the downtime, Dave decided to enroll in college and major in media production. “I wanted to do something to keep learning about music and about life.” Dave has almost finished his college education. And just in time.

After a number of years and several bands later, Drew and Dave finally found a group of like-minded individuals that they could grove with. And Throwing Color was formed. According to Dave, the band recorded their first record in August 2008, played their first show in November, will release their debut EP The Static Seas in April and will begin touring this summer.

You might be inclined to call Throwing Color some kind of overnight success. That’s only if your measure your nights in years rather than hours.

So, I guess you are wondering about their sound?

Dave described Throwing Color’s sound as high energy alternative rock with some pop elements. The band’s influences include Blink 182 and Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters.

Throwing Color’s process is pretty uncomplicated: Dave mainly writes the music and Drew writes the lyrics and the rest of the band members work together with Drew and Dave to help shape the songs. When asked about the recording process, thinking it might be like that of the hot mess fiesta called MTV’s Making the Band 4 in which band members literally come to blows over a song, Dave said that working in the studio was “tedious” but without conflict. “Recording is fun but brutal. We are all best friends so it’s super fun.”

The product of their labor of love (sorry about the trite phrase), the six song EP Static Seas is described as “a journey through overcoming life’s everyday obstacles and challenges”.

Sounds like they are singing about the real rock star life to me.

Throwing Color’s “The Static Seas”, released on April 14, will be available on iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, and Amazon. Want to check out Throwing Color on MySpace, click here.

MORE WITH DAVE RYAN OF THROWING COLOR

What’s in a Name?

Singer Drew Duddy came up with the name Throwing Color which, according to Dave means “taking something dull and dark and brightening it up.”

Dave’s Fantasy Rock Star Life

Buying a cup of coffee from Starbucks in the morning. Producing records. Touring and writing songs for television. Yes, that’s it. No big house. No bling.

What is Dave listening to on his iPod?

You might be surprised: Katy Perry. (”Can’t help it,” he said. “I love her.”), Green Day and “some random stuff.”

Has he ever played Guitar Hero?

Dave said played it in college and was so “embarrassingly good” that he had to stop playing.

Worse Advice Anyone Has Ever Given Him

To cure a hangover, take a drink the next morning. He tried it. Needless to say, it didn’t work.

Best Advice

It came from his dad who told him, “What’s the point of living if you are not doing what you love.” Sounds like a pretty smart dad to me. - The Ride Blog

(Big Machine) On April 14th, Northern New Jersey natives Throwing Color will be releasing their debut EP titled The Static Seas. The groups concoction of high-energy instrumentation, fine-tuned vocals, tightly constructed anthems and youthful exuberance was captured on songs such as "How to Feed a Skeleton", "The Weather Patterns" and "All I Know" by producer Rob Freeman (Hit The Lights, Armor For Sleep, Cobra Starship) at The Pilot Studio in Boonton, NJ.

Drew Duddy, lead singer for the alt-rock quintet is joined by guitarists Dave Ryan and Chris Colon, drummer Tim Morgan and bassist Matt Kulper. Since forming in the spring of 2008, Throwing Color have carved quite a notch in the Tri-State area music scene building a strong legion of fans while successfully catching the attention of tastemakers and industry insiders through their strong work ethic and belief in letting the music do the talking.

The Static Seas EP1) The Weather Patterns 2) How to Feed a Skeleton 3) Empty Frames 4) All I Know 5) Let It Out 6) - Hear the entire EP here - antiMUSIC.com

Who ever said rock was the devil’s music?
Give a listen to Throwing Color and you’ll see there’s still virtue in today’s music without being completely lame. Adorable-faced lead singer Drew Duddy describes the band as “high-energy alternative rock”.

Throwing Color’s six-song debut EP The Static Seas will be out April 14th. Drew explains the band wants their music to speak to their fans by providing “positive ways to overcome teenage issues”.

Although the band only formed last year, they have gelled together nicely since they were friends on the music circuit for a while. Drew and fellow Throwing Color guitarist, Dave Ryan were in another band together. “We’re all really excited because we’ve been friends for so long,” Drew explains. “It’s just coming together really well and quickly.” The rest of those friends turned band members are drummer Tim Morgan, Chris Colon on guitar, and bassist Matt Kulper.

In their short career together, Throwing Color has managed to snag a spot on the highly acclaimed South by South West tour (SXSW) in Texas and are vying for a spot on this year’s Bamboozle. The band never dreamed they’d have such opportunities before they even released a CD!
By the summer, Drew says the band hopes to be touring full-time and as for now, they’re already thinking about a full-length album. “We’re just taking it day by day.” He explains their focus is getting their music out to the fans. Drew also says that’s what Throwing Color is about rather than immediately landing a record deal.

The Static Seas EP is sure to please many listeners. Each song is filled with perfect melodies and meaningful lyrics. The first single off the CD is the interestingly titled “How To Feed A Skeleton”. The song is about breaking free from negative friends.

Drew says if Throwing Color could dedicate a song to their fans, it would be their ballad on the EP. “Let It Out” is a soothing track that instantly makes you fall in love with it. ”It’s a universal topic of anything that’s happened in your life,” Drew discusses the song. “Whether it be any type of addiction or anxiety; pretty much just letting all those feelings out and just realizing that you can overcome anything.”

Look out for Throwing Color painting your town red in the near future. It sounds like this band wants to devote their career to playing live audiences. Those are the best kind of artists! Make sure you visit their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/throwingcolor and get a sneak peek of The Static Seas before its April 14th release! - Starshine Magazine

Independent Release
Rating: 7 Out Of 10
Reviewed by: Bam-Bam

As a unique lesson in how a band’s singer can completely determine the category of music genre they fall within, New Jersey’s THROWING COLOR bounces onto the scene sounding like no other band before them. That is, only when you listen to the entire package as opposed to the sum of its parts. On just the musical level; the band sounds easily like any other well-produced Alternative Rock outfit climbing the charts (Canadian band FABER DRIVE immediately comes to mind). However, when coupled with singer Drew Duddy’s very desperate and commanding vocals, the music becomes even more defined, yet harder to categorize. This could possibly be the biggest catch the band has going into this business head-first since the art of standing out in this business is one that only legends are made of. Duddy could be THAT ace-in-the-hole the band needs to boost them above the thousands of other bands vying for the same spot they’re shooting for. As The Static Seas opens with the tune “The Weather Patterns”, the band show they can truly rock with the best of any Modern Rock chart-buster, but again it’s Duddy’s signature vocal phrasing that completely send this tune into a new realm of universal appeal. When hit with “How To Feed A Skeleton”, one can draw comparisons to MUTE MATH’s “Spotlight”, albeit with a heavier riff, and even JIMMY EAT WORLD, with a much better singer in the case of THROWING COLOR’s Drew Duddly.

There’s not much to dislike about the band at all if you’re a fan of strong Modern Rock hooks mixed with College Alternative Rock attack, but strangely enough, it’s the E.P.’s title track that kind of throws me for a loop. The song is not bad, but vocally, it leaves a bit more to be desired than from the other five songs that make up this effort. This vocal inconsistency is more on the shoulders of the band’s back-up singing on this track, which sometimes seems to have pitch issues. While this may be totally on purpose, it takes away from the initial feeling I get for the band at the beginning. Head over to THROWING COLOR to hear samples and get acquainted with the band, and then click HERE to grab a digital download of The Static Seas for yourself. The E.P.’s official release date is April 14th, 2009 where it will be in stores and on Itunes, Rhapsody and other internet download ventures. Highly Recommended! - Away-Team.com