Indie band High May performs at UIndy
Indie band High May rocked out in UIndy Hall A on Sept. 16 as a part of the Campus Program Board’s Blast Of Series.
The series will feature different genres of music, and concerts will be held throughout the year. This concert was the inaugural show of the series and also featured the band The Wet Darlings.
The band name High May is a play on the Spanish pronunciation of the name Jaime. Front man James Atto said he wants to branch out from his solo work while also maintaining his identity in the band. He is no stranger to the grind of touring, but he said the band members that performed for UIndy students have been together for only a few months.
Atto is optimistic that this group’s hard work has paid off. He used this show to gauge the group dynamics and determine how well they interact with each other on and off stage. He described the band as being “like the pilot episode of a new television show.”
Atto also believes this genre of music is loosely dubbed “indie,” and that the term is a generic label.
“I think it has to do more with the approach you take to your career,” Atto said. “I see it as more of a grassroots approach to getting your music out there. I don’t think indie defines a style.”
Blast of Indie is the first of many performances in the series. It is meant to expose students to different music genres. April Kruggel, life performance chair for the Campus Program Board, believes it is important that bands get exposure and students are able to hear different types of music.
“We need to create a general awareness of other genres for our campus,” Kruggel said.
The decision to commence the series with indie music stemmed from some positive reviews of The Wet Darlings. This was the band’s second performance at the university, and Kruggel said a planning committee has been established to continue booking more events.
High May played a diverse array of music, all with different rhythms, styles and vocals, to create what Atto calls an “eclectic blend of rock.”
The band played several songs from the EP “Belong.”
“The music is diverse from song to song,” Atto said. “It’s a unique type of rock.”
The band consists of two guitarists, a drummer and a pianist/violinist/mandolin player who also provides backup vocals. According to Atto, this blend of musicians, along with the already unique musical selections, gave the band a distinct sound that could not have been achieved with another group of musicians. He writes his own music and appreciates when it connects with the audience.
High May will continue to do some college shows in the Midwest and will be rehearsing and working on new material for the group’s first full-length album.
CPB hopes to have more students attend events this year. The night of the event, however, the concert competed with other campus events, including a volleyball game against Lewis, who are ranked 17th nationally.
“Not a lot of people realize that there is so much happening on campus,” Kruggel said. “CPB does something for everybody.”
Kruggel would like to make sure students are aware of the wide variety of campus events available to them. She emphasized the fact that there is an event for everyone, from concerts to lectures.
Additional information on CPB events coming up this semester is available on the UIndy CPB Facebook page. Additional information about High May is available on the group’s Facebook and Reverbnation pages, and on its website, highmaymusic.com.
