Proudly presenting Icarus Thump

December 31, 12:32 AMIndie Rock ExaminerAlli Sands

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Photo couresy of Jeff Hubbard

The scene: even those who deplore it can fall victim to its trends and attitudes. A bloated sense of hipness causes massive snobbery in any music scene, and ultimately leads to many artists feeling incredibly intimidated or as though they have to change who they are to appeal to the cool kids.

But not Icarus Thump. A band that has been together since July, the trio isn’t afraid to be musically experimental while maintaining a solid sense of who they are. Dave Hibbard (vocals and guitar), Jeff Hubbard (bass), and Jared Atencio (drums) come from different backgrounds and have a varying range of music experience. What these three do share is a common appreciation for one another’s musical abilities, an insatiable desire to perfect and tweak their work, and a general distaste for their jobs at a large, corporate tech company that only succeeds in paying the bills. While Icarus Thump may be just starting out on the music scene, their enthusiasm is contagious.

Not wanting to get pigeonholed into a genre, the boys in Icarus Thump discuss the successes and failures of other artists with incredibly precise, thoughtful insight. Whether it’s the profound chemistry of The White Stripes, the complexity of Beck, or the overall awesomeness of Radiohead, it’s blatantly apparent that Icarus Thump doesn’t just listen to music, they learn from it. More so, they see their own creative process as something similar to that of a modern artist who splashes a red slash of paint across a blank, white canvas and finds the meaning in the empty space.

Besides focusing on how to fill the space and create genuinely good tunes, Icarus Thump can’t help but express their overall passion for what they do. Dave talks about loving every aspect of being in a band, whether it’s loading gear or writing music. Jared gushes over how far Jeff has made on the bass since he started playing it a year and a half ago. Even through the rough patches (finding the right studio to make their demo or unrealistic demands from promoters), Icarus Thump simply enjoy getting together after a long day at work and getting it all out on their respective instruments.

Icarus Thump exemplifies the idea that “youth has its advantages”. Bright-eyed, wholehearted, and curious, this new band has all the makings of something wonderful. As for that scene: watch out for Icarus Thump because they will, without a doubt, show you the true nature of amazing music without succumbing to ridiculous fads or inflated egos.

Be sure to check out Icarus Thump at Herman’s Hideaway, this Friday, January 2. Doors opens at 7pm, the show starts at 7:30.