Disaster Class is an ambient rock band from right here in Cincinnati. The trio came together to cure a musical fix. You can catch them Saturday, June 10th at Urban Artifact with Comprador and The Bascinets!
In anticipation of their debut album, we chatted with the fellas of Disaster Class!
Give us some background on Disaster Class…
Steve: We started playing about a year ago, after booking shows and realizing that we should probably have a band together to play them, so we did that. Mostly started off playing songs Gabe had been working on and have been expanding out from there.
Gabe: After sometimes (Steve and my former band) kind of imploded and my wife and I having a child made playing in Little Lights together increasingly difficult, I had to find some way to get my musical fix. I've always said the only reason to play music is if it's impossible not to and I definitely fall in that category. So I started putting feelers out for who would want to do something with the backlog of songs I had sitting around.
Charlie: I'd seen Sometimes, State Song and Little Lights around town for the past few years and occasionally shared bills w them with my band Comprador. I was consistently impressed with Gabe and Steve's songwriting and sonic palettes so I was excited when Gabe reached out about my involvement in Disaster Class. I'm less experienced as a drummer than on guitar so it's a compelling challenge to maintain tight grooves on an audibly unforgiving instrument without getting in the way of all the great disorienting stuff Gabe and Steve are doing
What can one expect at a live show?
A lot of custom equipment and odd instrumentation. We are a three piece which is a pretty standard rock band set up but we are focused a lot more on textures and mood than the typical "power trio".
Gabe: I have built both of the guitars I'm using in our live setup and plan on putting together an electronic clap hi-hat for Charles's kit as it's something we've discussed a need for.
What inspired the new album?
Gabe: I would say the album is mostly about loss and the repercussions of pain. The lack of real support for the mentally ill in this country led to some people close to the band and me personally not being part of this world anymore. So, a lot of the lyrical content is inspired by that loss and the situations that led those people to be where they were. Maidenhead, the only song currently available on our bandcamp page is more about disappointment with humanity in general, but still has attachment to those same situations.
What is next for Disaster Class?
We of course are working to get this debut record out. Right now, it's a planned digital release with an option to get either an enamel pin or t-shirt for the physical components to the album. We are also in the midst of writing new material as a band which will hopefully become another full length that's a little more representative of the band as a whole. There are solo compositions from each of us on the album we are planning to release soon but they are whole representative of group compositions.
