PureVolume

Members: P. David Handy, Randee Eimer, Jeremy Blount & Trevor Wathan

Call it the curse of the uncategorizable. Or call it indie pop-rock genius.
Indianapolis Extra Blue Kind arent going to make it easy for you. Theyre not going to fit neatly into that little niche genre, thereby facilitating ready categorization. The vocabulary of words youll need to describe their sound is going to be fresh, varied, thoughtful.
Or hell, you can just forget about trying to explain the music and just enjoy it.
Explains singer-songwriter-frontman P. David Hazel, I always tell people that I have no idea how to write an Extra Blue Kind song, and I have no idea how to describe it to people, either. Extra Blue Kind has always been kind of eclectic. Its like a mixtape of stuff. For proof of this, you need look no further than EBKs debut release, The Tide and the Undertow (Opulent Records).
To help meld together their eclectic elements, EBK enlisted the help of their musical hero, Vess Ruhtenburg (Zero Boys, United States 3), on Tide. What resulted is a brilliant debut from start to finish, shimmering with EBKs crisp, upbeat arrangements, Ruhtenburgs stylized approach to recording, and their shared musical philosophy.
Hazels voice, first and foremost, is flexible and dreamy, rich and beseeching. The backing vocals and harmonies are beautiful, high notes mixing perfectly with Hazels wide range. And the songs are well crafted, the power-popleaning guitars pointed and neat, smooth and straightforward; the drums and bass adding just the right undercurrent of groove and desire.
Though Hazels the creative vision behind EBK, the other members play above-the-title roles the songwriting process. Sometimes one of us will bring a song and everyone will contribute, Hazel says. Sometimes well get a case of beer and write an albums worth of songs in one night. We approach every song in a different way.
Behind Hazel (vocals, guitar), then, youve got Randee Eimer (drums, programming), Trevor Walthen (guitar, vocals) and Jeremy Blount (bass, vocals). Live, the four read each other so well, crashing out the melodic tunes with such a singular mind, youd never guess they hadnt been together for years. But such is Hazels leadership, his creative vision.
May 2006 found the band in New York City, recording an EP with Ray Martin (Gorillaz, Bloc Party, Madonna) and showcasing for labels large and small. Through the summer months, though, the band members are back to doing what they do best: Logging the miles on the rental van and playing their hearts out, night after night.
Fresh and invigorating, ear-pleasing and challenging, yet comfortable, like that best friend you never knew you hadthats Extra Blue Kind for you.

Extra Blue Kind is currently on tour in support of The Tide and the Undertow. (Opulent Records)