listeners
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by Seth in music
words > TROY R. WELLS
Practicing in an old warehouse somewhere between Old Town and uptown is a collaboration of musicians who—despite the hurdles to make it happen—make it happen. Listeners is the sum of individual efforts that blend to make an aggressively fluid sound, dense and inundating.
Listeners’ creation is described by guitarist Cy Rogers as “serendipitous.” Drummer Colin Fee, a native son, had moved back from Texas and was going nuts trying to find someone to play music with. The pieces connected through local message boards and random encounters. Cy and guitarist Ben Wells wanted to work with Colin. Spirit of the Stairs guitarist Zack Roach wanted to work with Colin, and had also wanted to work with Cy and Ben. Cy’s friend and former band mate Matthew Dover would come in on bass, and the last man in was solo acoustic guitarist Ryan Windham, doing vocals.
Trying to connect those dots is as difficult to trying to schedule band practice for this six-piece. The majority hold some sort of full time job—everything from floral design to social work—and other obligations, like family and touring as a guitar tech. Listeners makes the time to make it work, and seem to really enjoy the process. The collaboration between all, it seems, is just as beneficial and rewarding as the manifestation of an actual live performance.
Every member brings their own personality and musical influence to this bunch, from Colin’s awkward time signatures and fills to Ben and Zack’s ethereal and ghostly melodies and riffs. Matthew’s overlaying of fluid low-end and Cy’s sharp and dynamic riffing meld with the other three, opening the door for a natural front man in Ryan Windham to scream and whisper at all the right times.
Listeners’ sound is full and representative of the players who create it. All and all, it’s loud and heavy. You can’t be quiet with three guitarists, all of whom have a collection of mad-scientist pedal boards. And with Ryan screaming sharp and shrill, the collaboration can span from some sort of post-hardcore melody to something that is just doomy and heavy as a ton of bricks.
Listeners’ organic songwriting process is not without its complications, whether in the form of scheduling or spending an entire practice nailing down a particular part. They have an innate ability to be able to walk away from something and come back weeks later to cultivate a dynamic composition. The sextet is making time to perform more this winter and will be performing at Rock Island Live, December 11. For a band that can make it happen, you should try and make it out as well.
