Northeast Times - March 20th, 2008

The Battle of the Band
By Tom Waring - Times Staff Writer

Members of the Matt Gauss Band have been entertaining audiences for the last 18 months or so during live performances. Some of those fans would ask if the band had its own compact disc, and the answer would be no.

"We have to have a product to give people," thought Matt Gauss, the band’s lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist.

The four-man band consists of Gauss, drummer Scott Hasson, lead guitarist Alex Kurylak and bass guitarist Matt Clay. Hasson and Clay add vocals on selected songs. The men, all in their 20s, recorded the music for a CD from June through November of last year at Nebula Zone Recording on Rockwell Avenue in Fox Chase.

The length of time it took to complete the album showed the musicians what it takes to do something professionally. Suddenly, their hobby turned into something of a full-time job. The 15-song disc is titled Well and will be released March 28 during a party at the Hollywood Tavern.

The band, which produced and paid for the CD, is happy with the finished product. "It turned out really well," Gauss said. "I’d feel comfortable with any of these songs played on the radio."

Gauss and Hasson, friends from Cardinal Dougherty High School, formed the band less than two years ago. Kurylak and Clay, who both had prior musical experience, joined a little later.

The band practices weekly in the basement of Gauss’ parents’ home on the 7300 block of Central Ave. The guys describe their music as acoustic pop/rock. Many of the band’s gigs have been at World Café Live in University City and Manayunk’s Grape Street Pub before it closed abruptly last month. Last Friday, the band played at the Venetian Club in Chestnut Hill.

The musicians are also busy doing other things. Hasson is an electrician. Kurylak, who commutes to practices and shows from Reading, is an electrical engineer. Clay is a philosophy major at Villanova.

As for Gauss, he is "purposely unemployed trying to do the band thing." He wants to make music his full-time job.

"I’d rather be doing that than a regular job," he said.

One of the first steps on the road to stardom is the CD. The band members credit audio engineer Martin Trum with finessing the vocals and instruments to create a good sound. "It was mixed professionally," Hasson said.

The band has about 30 songs in its repertoire, and all of the music is original. The songs are written by Gauss. The songs generally feature upbeat lyrics that listeners can understand. Even the slower songs don’t have depressing themes. There are no political statements in the music. Fans just chill in front of the stage and raise a beer in appreciation.

"It’s fun lyrics," Hasson said.

The musicians describe themselves as happy, easygoing guys who aren’t a bit pretentious. The CD title, Well, is purposely ambiguous and as creative as the band’s name. The artists’ pictures are nowhere to be found on the cover.

The band will begin building its fan base at next week’s CD release party. Fans will be able to buy T-shirts, and the disc is priced at just $10.

Clay said the collection hits all the right notes — the lyrics and instruments complement one another.

"It’s well done," he said. "It’s about the songs, and there’s a pretty good blend."

The next step for the band, it hopes, is to play at musical festivals. To do that, it would help to have an expanded fan base. The CD will be available at local music stores and on the band’s MySpace page and Web site. Ideally for the band, there will be future CDs and enough material to tour outside the Philadelphia area.

"We’re not going to be the next Rolling Stones, U2 or Dave Matthews Band, but maybe we’ll make a living," Gauss said. "It would be awesome to hit the road."

Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com

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