Band feels more like brotherhood
By Melissa Fryer - Nanaimo News Bulletin - May 27, 2008


If they weren't musicians in a band, they'd be buddies.

"This band feels like a brotherhood," said Aaron Bethune, guitarist for Chasing Satellites, a local band releasing their first album Thursday (May 29) at the Queen's.

Bethune and lead singer Dan Bryant were introduced by album producer Rick Salt just over a year ago. Adding Carl Schleppe on bass and Zack Friend on the drums created a formula that worked.

"The first time we jammed together we just gelled," Bryant said. "It was a good vibe off the start.

"We knew we had a good thing going."

But rather than booking gigs and playing on their home turf, the band wrote and recorded original music and played to audiences in Alberta.

They headlined a 1,000-seat venue in B.C.'s neighbouring province and saw their photo on a massive poster beside other major Canadian acts.

"I guess they thought we were a big deal," Bryant said.

Their album release party on Thursday is their first local show.

"We've done things kind of backwards," Bethune said. "We did the business side of it first."

But recording didn't come without setbacks.

During a session, Friend broke the tip of his drum stick, which flew back and embedded five millimetres into his eye.

For nearly a year, the world looked like a stained-glass window until he could get the lens repaired.

Recording complete – or so they thought – they sent the songs to the printer, only to find files missing.

Bryant wasn't entirely happy with how his voice sounded on those songs anyway.

"He got his way," Bethune said. "Sure enough – they're way better than the original."

Music is life for the band, with members picking up instruments at an early age.

Bryant taught himself to play guitar, which Bethune also started at age seven, three years after taking up the piano.

"I play music because there's no way around it," Bryant said.

"I think that's the same for every member of the band," Bethune added.

Hard copies of the album can be purchased at HMV in Woodgrove Centre or downloaded through iTunes. CDs will be available at the release party Thursday (May 29) at the Queen's, beginning at 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at the Queen's and Music Maxx. The show will be recorded and filmed.

To get a taste of what to expect, visit www.chasingsatellites.com or myspace.com/wearechasingsatellites, where the band uploaded songs from their first album. Music is also available on their Facebook page.

arts@nanaimobulletin.com

Nanaimo News Bulletin
Hard work paying off for band


Chasing satellites play the Queen’s.

If you haven’t heard about Chasing Satellites, you will.

Rather than a declaration of supremacy, it’s a statement of dedication from a quartet determined to be a household name, achieved through old fashioned hard work.

“We play because we really believe in what we do,” said Dan Bryant, frontman for the band, which includes Aaron Bethune, Carl Schleppe and Zack Friend.

Since releasing their first album in May of last year, the band set out to alert people to their music by touring in Alberta and B.C., becoming regulars on the Vancouver music scene. They garnered interest from record companies and radio stations and had their songs included in compilation albums.

“Somehow, something’s working because people are getting a hold of us,” Bethune said.

Each member comes with a different musical background – Bryant and Schleppe from the Nanaimo music scene and Bethune and Friend from the music program at Vancouver Island University.

Their varied backgrounds and styles had the members doubting they could pull off a cohesive unit.

“The first few jams I thought, ‘this is never going to work’,” Bryant said. “We just jelled.”

The band members struggle to pinpoint a band their sound is comparable to.

“That’s pretty hard to do today – to have your own sound,” Bryant said.

What they’re most excited about this week is a home coming show at the Queen’s Thursday (Jan. 22).

“We’re still like a bunch of little kids before we go on stage,” Bryant said.

Opening the show is the Vancouver-based band Krome.

Music starts at 10 p.m. and tickets are $10 at the Queen’s or from band members – e-mail theband@chasingsatellites.com.

arts@nanaimobulletin.com

New bands defined in Canada

by Geetha Subramaniyam


Greetings music fans! In the final three issues of the Endeavour for this semester, this series will highlight some of western Canada's brightest budding talents in the music scene. This week we take a look at two rising stars in rock: Chasing Satellites and Vilot. Both bands hail from the West Coast and are making waves at home as well as abroad.

Chasing Satellites
Chasing Satellites

Chasing Satellites

Photograph by Tyler Simpson, Crooked Path Photography

Longing for the days where good rock songs had solos that were terrific enough to inspire a whole generation to stand in front of their bedroom mirrors, and bend that last note on their air-guitars, one fist raised up towards imaginary masses of screaming fans?

The glory days of the extended guitar solo may seem to be fast fading but this four-piece act from Nanaimo, B.C are not ones to get swayed by fleeting fads.

Although still fairly new, Chasing Satellites have already received a lot of airplay on radio stations in British Columbia, Los Angeles and Europe – even before the release of their first album!

Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Daniel Bryant, former frontman for the band Shifted, delivers powerful vocals, reminiscent of Silverchair's Daniel Johns.

What sets Chasing Satellites apart from a lot of the currently popular bands is that they manage to combine elements of classic rock songs, (such as blisteringly phenomenal guitar solos), with a more modern edge, creating a refreshingly unique auditory experience.

“We love to write music that comes naturally to us, and we hope to please our listeners,” explains lead guitarist Aaron Bethune.

“But at the same time, we want to maintain our originality, rather than trying to forcibly fit into an industry-defined mould.”

Together with a tight rhythm section, Carl Schleppe (former member of Self Control) on bass, and Zack Friend on drums, Chasing Satellites is a definite contender in mainstream music. Prior to being in Chasing Satellites, some of its members have performed alongside industry heavyweights such as The Trews, Sum 41, ZZ Top and Evanescence.

Chasing Satellites is currently putting the finishing touches on their debut CD, 'Dinosaurs in Stanley Park', which is set to be released early next spring. They are also planning to tour Canada and Europe, including dates in Spain, Sweden and Germany the summer '08. The single from their album will be available on iTunes shortly and interested music lovers can check out their music on their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/wearechasingsatellites