| Band Profile: Chariot
By: Rachel Eichenbaum
If you dig Jimmy Eat World, Owen, and Wilco then you'll really flip for the chord licks of Chariot. Bringing a refreshing sound to Miami's local scene, the band's mature arrangements could fool you. Mike Fleming, a freshman at FIU, blends his mellow voice with The Casket Lottery-inspired screams of Matt Martin, a senior at Palmetto. The stark contrast in tone deepens the vocals to create a fresh fusion of energy.
The History
Back in the day, Mike and Matt were just buds who had math class together and who both enjoyed rhythmic jamming on the acoustic guitar. Mike took it to the next level when he started writing folk-oriented songs. With raw material for a band, everything else fell into place. Matt's longtime friend Andreas Wong Chong, also currently a Palmetto senior, signed on as the bassist. Then, from a random recording session at Andreas' Dad's house, the group picked up drummer Dennis Fuller, a junior at Southwest. Although he's the youngest band member, Dennis started drumming classically in the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra and then went on to take lessons from Dashboard Confessional's Mike Marsh. After a slew of unfitting names, the group finally branded themselves "Chariot" four months ago when they started recording their demo with sound engineer Don Hyink at Blackstar Studios.
Let's Get Technical
Although the band has an eclectic list of influences such as Coldplay and Hot Water Music, Chariot is far from sounding derivative or trite. Their trademark is in the tablature; a unique arrangement carves the group's crisp edge. All songs are written in open E instead of standard, "to fan out all of the strings and give it that resonant sound," Matt explained. In their most popular song, "Remember the Bells," the organic chords of acoustic and electric guitars ring out serenity in clear, airy notes. Matt also noted that the band creates songs collaboratively: "Mike will start writing the skeleton-the lyrics and the music-then I'll arrange it and add my guitar, and then Andreas and Dennis will add the cadence and beat." Most songs center on love, loneliness, and other life situations, but as the guys were sure to point out, "We are definitely not Emo."
Live
"Chariot performs with genuine passion and intensity, something that most local bands lack," raves Matt Silverstein, Chariot fan and member of the local band Summerfall. Swarms of high school kids flock to Chariot shows, no matter where they are. On December 5, the band joined forces with Summerfall and Your Amazing to "Sing for Soldiers" at St. Andrew's Church. Books, CD's, or DVD's granted admission to the show and were shipped off to soldiers in Iraq. "I'm a good friend of the band, so I've been to almost every show, but my favorite moment was rocking out to 'Evil of Your Love' at St. Andrew's Church," exclaimed Rene Rodon.
Genre: Indie/Rock/Alternative
Members:
Mike Fleming (guitar/vocals) - freshman at FIU
Dennis Fuller (drums) - junior at Southwest
Matt Martin (guitar/vocals) - senior at Palmetto
Andreas Wong Chong (bass) - senior at Palmetto
Influences:
American Football, Owen, Jimmy Eat World, The Casket Lottery, Coldplay, The Beatles, Hot Water Music, Mike Marsh, and Wilco.
Listen Free Online:
Check out http://www.purevolume.com/chariot/music to hear "Remember the Bells" and "Evil of your Love."
Upcoming Shows:
January 15th at Little Hoolie's
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