OK, maybe they didn't save her life, exactly, but the band kept her from keeling over from heat stroke in the 100 degree weather at Vans Warped Tour in Houston.
Like a Good Samaritan, lead singer Sloan Anderson gave the poor girl some water, sheltered her in the shade of the group's tent and ran off – mid-interview, mind you – to get the emergency medical staff. This, just moments after bassist/guitarist Joe Ginsberg mentioned to me, “Every day is just a giant adventure.”
Maybe there's more to this band than I thought.
Single File, comprised of Anderson on lead vocals and guitar, Ginsberg on bass and guitar and Chris Depew on drums and background vocals, began playing together in grade school in Denver, Colo.
“We've been playing music together since we were little kids,” Depew says of the band's 12-year history. “It's not like we just knew each other – we've been playing music that whole time.”
The trio started off playing jazz – Ginsberg majored in Jazz Bass at USC, and the band never ventured into the rock world until Single File was formed.
“Rock shows are fun for everybody,” says Depew. “We all grew up listening to punk and ska, and basically we played jazz because we enjoyed it and it was obviously more challenging than rock, but at the same time, the fun factor [of rock] is unparalleled. Playing a rock show is a blast.”
Single File, whose lighthearted brand of indie pop rock has garnered fans from across the nation, earned themselves a spot in MySpace's Top 10 Unsigned Bands. With a substantial online fan base ready to admire them, the band has been stealing attention at every performance.
Catchy melodies, bouncy guitar riffs and danceable drums characterize the trio's music. Anderson's vocals are reminiscent of Motion City Soundtrack mixed with a little bit of the Format. Such gems as “Zombies Ate My Neighbors” – which can be found on Single File's forthcoming full-length album, produced by Ed Rose (Emery, Senses Fail, the Get Up Kids) – only hint at the trio's sense of humor.
When it comes to its music, though, the band is anything but silly: “When you're in a band and you're on the road, and you're doing it every day – and we tour, like, nine months out of the year – it's like a family. It's like a marriage. We know each other really well, and we're a tight unit. We're all in it for the music, we want to work hard and take our band as far as we can take it. And that's all we really care about,” Ginsberg says.
“It's not a matter of success or how successful we want to or could become,” Depew adds. “As long as we're able to do this every single day for the rest of our lives, that's all we could ever ask for. Anything that comes to us beyond that is just icing on the cake.”
For Single File, the real perk of being in a band is being able to adore its adoring fans – and what better way to do this than at its performances? “Live shows are all about having a good time and connecting with your audience,” Anderson says, smiling. “Having them clap and sing along – that's what it's all about.”
“We're just normal guys who love to play music. We like to meet our fans, and we just love to hang out and have a good time,” adds Ginsberg. “We're here for the music, and that's just the bottom line.”
Single File wants to know you. Give them a chance; because, hey, Single File saves lives.
Single File's full-length release, tentatively titled Benson Shady Grove will be available in late 2006. For more information, visit www.singlefilerock.com.
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