Music
Make it Meddlers 22 West kicks off the first of its “Live Sessions” series with an interview of local ska band.
By Tara Thomas A week before the start of the semester, The Meddlers ...you’ll be hit with came into our office to talk about their musical a unique brassy inspirations, their writing process and what it means to be a “Meddler.” rhythm that sounds If you listen to their songs you’ll be hit with a unique just as fun to play as brassy rhythm that sounds just as fun to play as it is to it is to listen to. listen to. The occasional change of tempo makes each song a journey in itself. You’ll especially enjoy the jazzy saxophone solos showcasing both musical skill and soulful freedom. This diverse group of bandmates has a wide range of personalities, ages and musical backgrounds. Alex Sundstrom, one of two “Alexs” in this group, is the lead guitarist. He started playing music at four years old and has a strong interest in audio engineering. In high school, Sundstrom joined up with Jonathan Eastly, bass guitarist, to form a band. Eastly also started his music career early; due to the influence of his musically-inclined parents, it was only natural. Another member, Eddie Cervantes, started playing the trumpet in junior high, then formed his own mariachi group with friends before eventually ending up with The Meddlers. The drummer, David Govea, grew up playing music in his church before he started playing ska. The newest member of the group, tenor saxophonist Alex Rodriguez, started playing in the fourth grade and continues to study jazz and classical music today. Lastly, Din Fernandez on the baritone saxophone has had seven-to-eight years of jazz experience and admits that the transition to ska is difficult but well worth it. The band has been together for about five years and is preparing to launch their new EP in the coming months. While recording, they had “As far as the creative the chance to work with John Avila, former bass for Oingo Boingo and producer for several process, he kind of tore player legendary 80s bands. our songs to pieces.” “As far as the creative process goes, he kind of tore our songs to pieces,” Sundstorm said. Even so, the band seems very happy with the results and is just waiting for the right moment to drop their new songs. When talking about the difficult writing process, Cervantes noted the importance of making sure everyone’s opinions are heard to end up with “a song that each one of us wants to listen to and play.”
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