By Shana Dines
Daily Bruin Reporter
Brought together by a common bond, three of the four members of
Atticus Fault currently sport shiny bald heads. Lead singer Todd
Evans admits that it may have drawn him to lead guitarist Jason Noe
originally.
“We were actually trying to figure out if one of us should
grow hair,” Evans said. “We didn’t want to look
like a bald-head band or a skin-head group or something.”
Hairstyles, or the lack thereof, aside, Atticus Fault is an
up-and-coming band out of Nashville, Tenn., a city known as the
home of country music. The group, which will be performing at the
Roxy tomorrow night, made a name for itself in the meager but
growing non-country Nashville scene by playing the lighter side of
alternative rock.
Evans said that starting out in Nashville did have an effect on
the band, though not with a country influence. With nearly everyone
there having some kind of involvement in the music industry, all
audience members seemed to be critics.
“It was sort of hard to get started, but we just kept
doing it because we really believed in it,” Evans said.
“I guess it sounds a little stereotypical.”
Just as the band’s difficulty getting started seems to fit
into the average band story, its music is solidly within the
boundaries of mainstream rock. Atticus Fault is likely to find a
fan base among those who enjoy the radio-friendly songs of modern
rock bands like Alien Ant Farm and Nickelback.
In addition to being musicians, all of the band members are also
writers. Poetry writing is a continuous activity for the group,
while short story writing has become less prominent.
The name of the band is actually derived from a short story
Evans wrote. Atticus does come from the famous “To Kill a
Mockingbird” character, Atticus Finch. The full name Atticus
Fault comes from a name of a creature who protects faults in the
ground in an unfinished short story about an outerspace world. The
name had a pleasant ring to it that Evans, Noe, bassist Chris
Laurent, and drummer Paul Asciutto quickly agreed upon.
When it comes to the songwriting, Evans started out as the
primary writer, but has come to share the responsibility with the
entire group.
“We all sort of contribute now. We’re all learning
how to do it as a band,” said Evans.
They first met while Evans, Noe and Laurent were working as
dance floor security at a local club. The coffee bar in back held
open mic nights, and there Evans first got a chance to showcase his
musical abilities. Asciutto was also playing there and the four met
and got together to collaborate.
The influences the band named as adding to its style are The
Cure, New Order, Fleetwood Mac and especially U2. Experimental
music also had a major role in its music writing. Atticus Fault
feels close ties to the college rock genre, though it doesn’t
fit into it very well, according to the members.
“We consider ourselves part of the college scene, but
we’re definitely not like an indie rock, emo band, or a jam
band,” said Evans. “We’re much more poppy, I
guess.”
Live shows are important to Atticus Fault, just like any other
band. Evans describes the band as very passionate performers. While
Noe often jumps around with the most energy of the group, Evans
prefers to stay in his spot in the center of the stage. He also
spoke of the wide variety of audience members, ranging from college
students to a few older couples at each show. Though they appear
different, he feels that everyone finds something they can relate
to in the music and that gives the diverse audience some
cohesion.
The live sets do not tend to differ from the recorded album,
with little improv seeping its way into the songs. Though they
don’t want the music to get stale, the men still stay as
close to the original versions as possible.
“We’re playing for a lot of different crowds for the
first time, so we want them to hear us and get a good taste of us
how we are,” said Evans.
MUSIC: Atticus Fault will be playing at the Roxy Theatre in West
Hollywood on April 18.