Thursday, February 25, 2009 » Although they formed only a week and a half before their debut at last semester�s Battle of the Bands, the members of Cloud Comma White promise that they are truly a legitimate band � but maybe not as �professional� as others.
�We love music, but the professionalism of it takes away from our creativity,� said band member Dan Weaver (sr).
The members of Cloud Comma White want to get to know people through their music, and in turn serve God through those relationships.
�We love people and we wish that we could get to know them and they could get to know us offstage,� Weaver said. �And we would most definitely be their friend and we love them. We�re not going to be professionals in any sense. We love people and we love being intentional and serving God through our music and not being big-headed.�
Cloud Comma White formed when Jodi Ravier (sr) heard about the on-campus Battle of the Bands. She said she had always wanted to be in a band, so she invited her fianc� Weaver and Darla Digangi (jr), with whom she had played before, to join her. Ryan Heck (sr) joined the band four days before the Battle of the Bands performance, and Luke Fausett (so), the drummer, played against Cloud Comma White in the competition. He joined just recently.
The members describe their sound as folk and lullaby, with a touch of indie. Weaver, Digangi and Ravier wrote all of their songs prior to forming, but with added input from the other band members.
All of their songs have been �renewed, refurbished,� said Digangi. �Every time we play a song it�s like we change it. � We like the creation.�
Both Digangi and Ravier described similar writing patterns: lyrics and melody first, later deciding what instrument should play each part. Weaver does the opposite by first deciding on an overall theme.
Weaver�s songs tend to have a �solid� concept, Ravier said.
�[My songs] are meaningful, and then I mask them in sweet melodies and simple words,� said Digangi, �but I�m saying a lot more than it sounds like I�m saying.�
Added Heck, �[There is] diversity in all our songs. It keeps us fun, but grounded at the same time.�
All of the band members, except for Fausett, are upperclassmen and know that realistically their future as a band may not be very long.
�I feel like if we were all in the real world, we could do this better, but since we�re students and we�re from all over the country � I just don�t know how long it could go after graduation,� said Ravier.
Cloud Comma White�s members are going to record some of their music after break and will also play a few shows through the rest of the semester.
The band members joked that they should do reunion shows when they�re 70 years old.
Digangi said to her band mates, �How about every show after FNL we call reunion shows? They�re back: Cloud Comma White!�
In the spirit of their devotion to fun and people-loving, the members of Cloud Comma White want to invite students to their Bible study at 9 a.m. on Saturdays in townhouse 510. Anyone planning to attend should send a Facebook message to Weaver.