starting Thursday
“As of Tuesday things start to improve.” This is the mantra, when broken down to its core, for a new and largely unknown band based out of Chapel Hill, NC.
As of Tuesday, as the band is officially called, it is a band with a message and purpose in mind. They strive to deliver and achieve these two fundamental qualities every day. The message is one of finding yourself and making peace in a world of “manic Monday mornings,” says lead singer Scott Cash. Metaphorical Mondays produce and proliferate the stressful lifestyles and routine we are all familiar with. The music speaks of serenity and wholeness, both spiritual and personal. His goal is to bring some truth, direction, and maybe even a bit of enlightenment to listeners.
A conventional band has a unique and difficult challenge to overcome. It must bridge the gap of widely varied musical preferences. At the same time, you also need to find common ground among potential fans to connect with regardless of such differences. But if a band achieves this level of appeal, they can get their message across to the widest possible audience. To accomplish such a feat, a band needs not only a pleasing sound to the ear, but also universally applicable rhetoric.
The group is open about its beliefs. “We love Jesus. We all do,” Cash says, “but we’re not a Christian rock band.” To paint them as such would be to limit the scope of their understanding and the extent of their influence. They do not want such limitations. As of Tuesday he is interested in connecting with people, whether they are short, tall, black, white, Christian, Muslim or agnostic. They want to talk to everyone. The music is conventional in its message and overall sound, but has an alternative edge that is direct and refreshingly original. The band credits groups ranging from Coldplay to Switchfoot and even The Postal Service for their musical influences.
“We love people,” says Scott Cash, “we hope that music will be our platform to fill stadiums and reach millions.” Starting Tuesday he will pursue this goal with humility and devotion.
“I love waking up every day and hanging out with my three best friends to make music,” Cash says of his career choice. This sentiment seems to be consistent with all members of the band. Starting Tuesday really came into being when Scott and drummer Justin Kitchen started jamming together in high school.
All the others put on Chapel Hill. Cash recruited bassist Ken Pittman after hearing him play in his bedroom and similarly hooked up with keyboardist/guitarist Daniel Goins, although they originally met when they were ten years old.
The dynamic is evident with his parody of MTV Cribs, cleverly named Empty Vee Cribs, appearing on his MySpace page. The video features various parts of the gang’s truck, affectionately called Sgt. It opens with a nondescript Euro-beat track and the boys’ breakdancing interpretive moves and continues for three minutes of colorful antics. It serves to give fans a taste of his carefree spirit that typifies the Starting Tuesday creed.
This is a band that cares about what their music says and any influence it may or may not have. In a world of watered-down, ghostwritten pop, Starting Tuesday wants to bring a little substance to the refrain of meaningless cultural echoes prevalent in today’s music scene.