Furman has been known to be full of talented artists and musicians in years past and present. But the latest addition to Furman’s musical pool of talent is the indie rock band Arthur. Consisting of the four juniors Sam Klein, Blake Yoder, Sam Dawson, and Adam Lilly, the band is a new development on campus, but nevertheless has attracted the attention of many students as well as residents of Greenville.
The band was but a stray thought when these four arrived on Furman’s campus as freshmen in the fall of 2011. Klein and Dawson were freshman year roommates and often talked of starting up a band. It wasn’t until they met Yoder and Lilly, who had been hall mates, discussing the same idea, that the band came into existence.
The initial struggle for Arthur was to find a practice space. While they dabbled in various places, including friend’s garages, they finally settled on “The Attic,” the space for the Furman Creative Collaborative. Even more intriguing than the development of the band is the name of the band itself. The members were reading a newspaper and saw a picture of the PBS cartoon show Arthur and instantly thought it would be a great band name. They had all watched Arthur as kids and thought it would be a nice tribute to a childhood memory.
The band has very different creative sides from which it draws and which are heard within their music, one example being that Klein primarily listens to country while Dawson listens to ’90s emo. The diverse styles that are brought to the table give the band a unique sound and allow them to express more creativity in their music.
All original music and lyrics set the band’s music apart from others. Dawson and Yoder create music and lyrics while Lilly and Klein balance the band out by playing drums and guitar. Whether it be individually meeting with band members to create rhythm patterns (Dawson’s method) or developing a riff or vocal melody for others to go off (Yoder’s method), the band has been successful in creatively developing songs that are both reflective and expressive of their individual lives and personalities.
Music means a lot to these four. Over the years they’ve each dabbled in various bands, but all maintain very similar stances on the importance of music. Dawson believes ”music is a healthy creative outlet”. Lilly states that “music is a community” and continues with wanting to help up and coming bands on campus. Klein views music as a “means of expression that is different from others.” Yoder feels that music has “a supernatural aspect that ignites an emotional response.”
This past weekend Arthur played at the Cabin Floor recording studio. Some upcoming events include a performance in the FCC space The Attic, above the Dining Hall, March 29 and another at Greenville County Animal Care April 3. The band also has a Facebook page called Arthur Music, and will be releasing seven new songs this coming week. Their long term goal is to produce an album, but for now fans can look forward to their cassette tape.