By: Luke Bush
There is an up and coming band in Hattiesburg. Some of us know them from last year’s Battle of the Bands competition, while others know them from their appearances at Shuckers or from their new CD. But to students at OGHS, they go by Adam, Haley, and Chase.
Their band’s name is currently undecided. “The CD is titled Monokrome, but we aren’t positive on a band name yet. We’re either changing the name back to What Willis Was Talking About, or possibly changing it to Derelict,” Adam McPhail said. McPhail said they are open to any suggestions though. “We really want some feedback from people.” McPhail stated.
The band consists of Adam Mcphail, Chase Harrod, and Haley Line. The members wanted to enter a band in the Battle of the Bands competition, and the group just developed from there. “We just wanted to start a band, and I knew Haley could sing,” McPhail said. Hundreds of students and parents watched as the group dominated songs like Paramour’s “Misery Business” and Flyleaf’s “Fully Alive.” The next stop for the group was Shuckers, an oyster house in Hattiesburg. “They were amazing,” John Lloyd Martin, senior at Oak Grove, said. “They really don’t seem like a high school band.” At this performance the band was joined by Logan Little, senior. “Playing with Adam and Haley was a great experience. They are very talented and educated musicians,” Little said. He accompanied Adam and Haley with percussion and some guitar playing.
This band is no ordinary garage band; McPhail and Line attended Delta Music Institute Music Camp last year, and Harrod plans to attend with them this summer. All three plan to study audio engineering techniques. They also won Battle of the Bands last year. Most exciting of all, the band recently recorded a full-length CD at Delta State, which can be bought from Adam for $5.00. They also plan to record another CD in the future, this time with all original material. For those who missed them at Shuckers or Battle of the Bands, there’s still a chance to see them perform. The band is scheduled for an appearance during the morning portion of this year’s HubFest, and plans to compete in Battle of the Bands later the same day.
Recording Monokrome was no easy task. “It was an all day event,” McPhail said. Their CD consists of covers of many songs and also a few interesting drum and guitar solos. For the band, this is more than just a hobby. “Everything revolves around music for me,” McPhail, who wants to be a musician and a producer when he gets older, said. Their band is planning on playing together for many recording sessions in the future. Whether you know them by name or by their new CD, be sure to check them out.
