Síren Call Records brings a brand new band to you. Taking the World is going to "take the world" by storm. The newest band on the Síren Call label, Taking the World, stands poised to be one of the hottest acts of Year 48 as they’ve taken Year 47 to really hone their craft. A modern rock act out of New York City, they’ve only recently started playing real gigs. Juanito Cinco had a chance to talk to Lexi Sweeney and Chris Dumais in the lobby of Síren Call Records, where they were waiting for their producer, Sénia Urban. All in their teens, the members of Taking the World include Lexi and Chris, ages seventeen and nineteen, as well as Stu Harrington and Dave Mitchell, seventeen and eighteen, respectively. They’re an energetic bunch, reflecting a typical teenage rebellious spirit in their demeanor, coupled with a positive attitude that’s sure to take them far in their lives. Lexi and Chris have been friends since elementary school out in Long Island, where they met in detention (which she got “for kicking some girl’s ass,” according to Chris). They bonded over their love of music and have been inseparable since. One Saturday in late 46 they met some bad-ass looking kid, fresh out of juvie, with a bass in his hands. That was David. Later, they came across Stu, who was looking for some people with whom to start a band. He and Lexi became co-leaders of the band, mainly because Stu “had no idea how to run a band.” His shyness probably factors into that. The band’s name, Taking the World, sounds all powerful and symbolic, no? Turns out, not so much. Chris explains, “Me and Lexi were just being dumb, Googling random words like ice box and foot cream. When we Googled earth, we found this super cool picture of some guy holding the earth and that’s where Lexi got the name.” As for their music, everyone in the band has at least one song in their repertoire, but Chris and Lexi have done most of the writing. “Lately, even Davey’s delinquent mind managed to give us a song or two,” Lexi says. As a testament to their friendship, both Chris and Lexi chose a song written by the other as their favorite. Lexi’s isBurning Ice, and Chris picked In a Shot Glass, which is about Lexi’s life with Chris and Dave in it. The band sings about whatever they want. Love, lust...dead cats on the side of the road. With Dave’s mysterious bass lines and Chris’s odd lyrics, they’re a break from the monotony that is today’s music. Chris sums it up as saying, “Our music isn’t ordinary. Our lyrics aren’t ordinary. WE aren’t ordinary and that appeals to a lot of people.” When asked about their ‘normal’ lives in high school, both Lexi and Chris deny having any label, although some might classify Chris as a burnout; “I was one of those guys who didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought. I was the one who always listened to my iPod at full volume in class and flipped the teacher off when she got on my case.” Lexi, on the other hand, was more of a social butterfly. One minute she’d be hanging in the hall with the cheerleaders, then eating lunch with the emo kids. I’m sure that the open and friendly attitude is what led to the following proposition: Several weeks back, after a show, “some hot guy,” according to Lexi, “came up to me and invited me and the guys to an outdoor orgy.” Dave and Stu convinced her to go. When asked about the experience, she just ducks her head with a sheepish smile and admits it was fun. Aside from the wild orgy, promotion is tough for the band, since Chris is always drunk and Dave’s in and out of juvie. Band photo shoots end up being constantly rescheduled, as well as radio talk shows and other promo spots. However, Chris recently put the band’s name on his monster truck, so they’re getting some exposure at rallies. Their promo problems fall under some of Lexi’s pet peeves. Nothing makes her crazier than Dave or Chris missing a show due to their “habits”. Conversely, Chris hates it the most when the store down the street doesn’t have any Heineken. There are clearly some obstacles the band will have to overcome to make it big, but they’re on their way. Lexi agrees that they’re not ready to hit the road yet. Chris worries that the bus might leave while Dave’s back in juvie. “We have to get our priorities straight first,” Lexi says. Hopefully those priorities include a single or an album, featuring the songs we talked about earlier. Síren Call owner and producer Sénia Urban rushed in then, literally just on the heels of her own tour and hideously late for this meeting. She apologized profusely upon seeing me. Before I parted ways with Lexi and Chris, I asked if they had any final thoughts. Lexi wants their fans to “Live. And don’t think shit of what anyone says of you. You are you and that’s all you need.” Chris has a similar opinion, “Do not take any kind of shit from anyone else. They didn’t make you, so they just have to deal with you the way you are. And don’t drink,” he got up to leave with a twinkle in his eye. A little bit of ‘do as I say, not as I do’? The pair followed their producer towards the elevators and just before the doors closed, Stu Harrington ran into the building. Guess Dave’s doing another stint. We’ll just have to wait and see what Year 48 has in store for Taking the World. By Juanito Cinco. Written for the city of Melbourne. Article ID 36865 Comments are closed.
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