Wednesday, Sep. 26, 2007

Dust to Dust

They may joke their favorite color is "rainbow" but don't let their silliness deter you. One of the latest bands to come together in the Tri-Cities, From the Dust is gaining an impressive following.

The four-man band consists of Al Craddock on vocals and guitar, Chris Plummer on bass, Travis Sawada on guitar, and Ryan Tidrick on drums.

Unlike many of the local bands here, this group has an unconventional beginning. Sawada and Tidrick first began jamming together, then eventually put an ad on Craigslist where they acquired Plummer, and then gained Craddock through MySpace.

Despite placing ads, the group fits together superbly, as if they have been childhood friends. Instead of looking at the band as a marriage, they see each other as family - stuck for life. Oh, and did I mention they've only been together for six months?

Their sound is melodic rock with a little spunk. Their lyrics are purposefully contemplative. In both areas, every band member is involved in its creation. With an array of influences, such as Deftones, Staind, Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and Sigur Ros, no voice or creative opinion is stifled... except for Tidrick's.

"If I don't get picked on, I actually feel bad," Tidrick admits.

Other than the occasional ganging-up on Tidrick, the group has no beef with one another. Recently competing in the third annual Battle of the Bands at the Toyota Arena, the Dust didn't place, but they did open some doors.

"Meeting all these other great talented musicians, talking with them, and being able to do shows with them in the future; that makes us winners," Plummer said.

"We made a lot of friends that night," Craddock adds.

Their main goal this past summer was to get their name out and do as many gigs as they could, just to get a feel for it and to take the training wheels off. Frequent performers at The Hot Zone in Kennewick, they began drawing in decent-sized crowds.

It also helps to know other people in the business, such as Beefy. The group is best friends with the Nerdcore rapper, and frequently are put on a bill together. Infusing the Nerdcore style with a touch of rock, the two collaborated on Beefy's track "Tabletop." This has led to many cheers from the crowd, and so far one smashed Guitar Hero guitar on stage.

With summer over, a few gigs under their belt, and a Battle of the Bands in the can, the group is focusing on completing a demo for upcoming shows.

"Now that people know who we are, we want to get that out there," Plummer explains.

As for the future, the group plans to sell-out and build up an entourage. Of course, you can't always believe what they tell you...