INSIGHT Magazine February 2014 | Page 52

atre. It’s a sound unlike anything else in Calhoun County. “I’ve been influenced by everything I’ve ever heard,” says Ford. When pressed to explain their influences, the band will collectively mention Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd and Santana, among others, but the individual members find inspiration in vastly different genres. Warren names jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius and Rush’s Geddy Lee, while Ford mentions influential drummer Steve Smith and Neal Peart, another Rush alum. Bates says his guitar work is influenced by horn players like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. “We’re a fusion band that leans more to the rock and roll side of things,” says Bates, noting that fusion generally leans toward jazz. “There’s still a lot of jazz in what we do.” The melting pot mentality of the band leads to songs that are both complex and easy to nod along with, from Disaster Area’s pulsing rock and anthemic central riff to Spy Song’s jazz fusion and Staring Into the Sun’s spacey, funky vibe. There’s no aural dead weight; each member of the band is doing something interesting all the time, lending repeat listeners a chance to find something new with each go round. “I call it ‘music for smart people,’” says Warren, eliciting immediate laughter from the rest of the band. Bates, Warren and Ford are artists, but easy, affable, egos-left-at-the-door artists, without the pretentiousness that progressive art-rockers in Los Ange- les or New York might insist upon. Usually a group’s singer is considered the face of the band, but Bates scoffs at being called the group’s frontman. Most of the group’s material is made up of instrumentals that feature each member equally. “With what we’re trying to accomplish musically, I don’t think every song has to have vocals,” said Bates. They’re so reachably human that it’s not difficult to get swept up in the band’s master plans. First is a full album release within a few short months, probably April. Then it’s time for live shows in the big, metro areas, where music that isn’t country and cover bands might find a home. After that, they’re taking their recording experience and equipment and setting up a studio where they can help other musicians produce their own albums, artwork and physical CDs. Here in the now, though, From Outside Beyond continues to jam, practice, rehearse and, when the mood is right, rock out. “Imagination is the key element to what we do,” says Bates. “We’re only limited by what we can imagine.” ✤ Connect with From Outside Beyond by visiting them at their Facebook page, facebook.com/FromOutsideBeyond, or hear their live recordings at reverbnation.com/fromoutsidebeyond. 52 February 2014 INSIGHT