Chrome Scene and Sensation of Falling will co-headline a concert at Legends on Thursday at 9:30 p.m.
The bands tied for first place in the 2013 Battle of the Bands Competition.
“It’s crazy how Battle of the Bands catapulted us into playing with all the bands that were there,” said Dean Cates, senior economics major and guitarist for Sensation of Falling. “You might think that competition would make us bitter, but music is not about competition, it’s about creating something musically. The music community has become a fraternity.”
Sensation of Falling submitted demos for the Battle of the Bands two years in a row before finally having their demo selected for the 2013 competition.
Sawyer Johnston, lead vocalist in Sensation of Falling and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate said until recently they had been a four-piece band, but have since switched to a three-piece.
“The thing we are most proud of is that we worked really hard to learn to play as a trio,” Johnston said. “I never knew how to play bass, but we realized that bass had to be a central aspect of our music.”
Sensation of Falling currently records its music from home, and hopes to release new demos in the coming year. Cates said Sensation of Falling’s musical improvements in the last year have stemmed from having each band member in close proximity to one another.
“As of this last year we are finally all living in one place,” Cates said. “Our music went from us bringing ideas together once every three weeks to us having a daily collaboration where we try to play every day and check on everyone creatively.”
In addition to Cates and Johnston, senior psychology major Andrew Graves plays the drums for Sensation of Falling.
“I always think about people who made it, and they started from the bottom just like we did,” Johnston said. “There’s nothing that deems a band destined to make it, and I always say we need to take our break when it happens. If we’re prepared and it happens, we’re going to be ready to go.”
Chrome Scene, together since October 2013, has four band members – Christian, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Brad Steed, sophomore health care management major, vocalist and drummer Corey Hamilton, senior computer information systems major and bass player Christian Dolan, senior building sciences major.
Chrome Scene released its EP “Razzmatazz” free of charge on ReverbNation, Bandcamp and Soundcloud on Nov. 7, 2014.
“We’ve been working on it since last spring with Wet Bandit Audio in Boone. It was originally going to be six songs, but we decided to focus on those three,” said Glenn Christian, the band’s guitarist. “It took us a lot longer than we thought it would.”
Christian said last year’s show was the first time their band had played in front of a live audience.
“We didn’t have anything completely written yet. We had to finish writing songs and we set up a makeshift studio in our bedroom,” he said. “We definitely were confident in our songs, we just had to get everyone to hear it.”
Like Sensation of Falling, Chrome Scene also has aspirations of making it to a professional level with its music.
“I would like to find a way to use my entrepreneurship major and incorporate it into my music,” Christian said.
Both bands will play for an hour and fifteen minutes at Thursday’s show.
Admission is $4 for students who purchase in advance and $6 at the door. The event is all ages and BYOB. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at the Information Center in Plemmons Student Union across from Cascades with cash, credit card or App Express account.
Story: Kelsey Hamm, Intern A&E Reporter