THROUGH YOU

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THROUGH YOU
Recipe For Success
2005-11-16
Article Written by: Dan Lang

On Friday, November 4th, I attended a show at the Volusia County Fair that featured a band from Orlando called Through You . This was not, of course, the first contact I had with these guys; in fact, I have been in contact for just over six months. After countless CD reviews, radio features and spotlighting articles, I was already familiar with the band's constant professionalism, but these guys are always full of surprises. While my family and I were at the band's merchandise table, waiting for an interview, the band's drummer King walked up to my 7-year old son Danny and handed him a drumstick. My wife and I gratefully thanked him, but then a voice came from behind us asking, "Did he sign it for you?" The voice was that of King's Father, and, of course, his son had signed the stick that he had given to my son. As a matter of fact, all five of the band members probably had writer's cramp from signing the myriad of items that were placed in front of them that night, but it was abundantly clear that this display of concern both surprised and impressed the other people around me.

At this point, I feel that I have to make a little confession. The first time that I listened to Through You's debut CD "Silhouette" I did not like it. In all probability it was my own complete unfamiliarity with their particular style of the music that turned me off. Singer Mic Kirkland was spouting off lines about "palms exploring skin" and "auras floating on unseen currents" and it just wasn't my thing. I'm from the Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden days. Where were the lines about "running to the hills" or the "Generals gathered in their masses"? One thing that I have learned in my time, though, is that you should NEVER give your opinion on something until you've given it a fair chance.

Before our face-to-face at the fair, I had contacted the band via email in an attempt to learn a little more about them. I knew that Through You had been featured on some of the big rock stations in the area and that they had had a good deal of success previously with their band Day of Infamy. Given the predisposition that some bands/band members have towards over-inflated egos, I wasn't sure how they would react to chatting with a "small time" local writer.

Getting past all that, I finally decided to just call the guys. After all, they wouldn't have given me the number if they didn't want to hear from me, right? When I got them on the line, the band was in route to one of their shows. Jeremy Morris, the bass player and back vocalist for the band, answered the phone, and I introduced myself, nervously waiting for their reaction. Much to my surprise, it was an emphatic "HELLO DAN! Nice to finally speak to you." Jeremy went on to thank me for what I was doing for the band, and he filled me in on what I might need to write my piece. This phone conversation would have been more than enough for me, but not for Jeremy. He went on to offer me VIP passes for their next show so we could meet and talk more. At the end of the conversation, I could hear all the other guys in the band thank me over the phone. Right then and there I had a new respect and admiration for Through You.

There is a reason I have taken so much time painting this picture of Through You's courtesy and professionalism. Every single person that sees this band play live and takes the time to stay after a show to meet them is somehow affected by them. They are hands-down the friendliest and most courteous rock band I've ever met. Their attitude is nothing short of infectious. Of course, being really nice guys isn't enough to make it in the music business, so let's talk about the band's true talents, member by member.

Mic. Kirkland (Lead Vocals) is a true artist in every sense of the word. His lyrics, (mentioned less affectionately above,) are truly unique, and his vocal range is matched by none. Mic. mixes singing with rapping (and yes, some screaming) with a great stage presence to be one of the best front men on the scene today.

Jeremy Morris, (Bass Guitar/Back Vocals) joined up with Michael Van Den Berg and King back when the band was called Day of Infamy. At that point he was actually the band's lead singer, but today he is the face of Through You. He tends to be the one you speak to when you want to speak to the band. Whether he is dealing with fans, media or friends, Jeremy manages to take care of everyone. In addition to his PR talents, Jeremy is also is a ferocious and extremely technical bass player, with very strong back vocals to his credit.

The band's drummer, King, is the youngest member of the band, and despite his young appearance, the solo that he delivers towards the end of each set earns him the respect he so rightly deserves. At only 12 years old, I would say that King has a pretty bright future ahead of him. In addition to his instrumental talent, King is also quickly becoming quite a promotional wiz in his own right. A couple of weeks ago when the band was invited to join the bill with National acts Drowning Pool and Dark New Day at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, King was the first band member to really push for the show.

Michael Van Den Berg is the lead guitar player for the band. He had classical piano training as a child, but early in his teens he turned to Metal, and he says that really helped him to pick up his speed chops. Based on my time around the band, Mike seems to be the quiet one. He is a top-notch shredder, though, and he has an excellent stage presence. There are times during a show where you think that he might just fall through the stage because he's jumping, and landing so hard. Like the rest of the guys, Mike is a true professional.

Stage right, on the other guitar is Billy "Hey Now!" Rufrano. Billy is the newest member of the band. The first time I saw Through You in concert was on August 27 th at a show called "No Cost For Chaos" that was held in DeLand, Florida . Brandon Yancey—the member that Billy replaced—was still with the band for that show. The 2 nd time I saw the band, which was on October 1 st, 2005 at the Lake Eola Bandshell in Orlando, I was surprised to see that Billy was their guitarist. After their set, I told Jeremy that I was impressed at how quickly Billy had learned the music, at which point Jeremy informed me that Billy had learned the songs in one day! Billy has family in New York, and he had to make a tough decision when he moved here to join Through You. On the positive side, though, Billy has made Through You a stronger and more musically diverse band. Billy can do everything from writing and playing lead or rhythm guitar to lending a hand with back vocals and screams on stage.

While doing research for this piece, I came across two very special ladies that seem to mean quite a bit to the band—Heather and Tanya. I have dubbed these two girls the unofficial Presidents of the Through You fan club. Constantly promoting live shows, band members and more, they are two of the best cheerleaders and supporters that any band could wish to have. This is just more proof of how this band rubs off on people. Once you know them, you just want to support them in any way you can. So, you take 2 parts great guitar player, 1 part talented 12-year-old drummer, 1 part gifted vocalist, 1 part great person/bass player and many parts professionalism and then you have Through You's "RECIPE FOR SUCCESS."

You can contact the band or find more information at www.myspace.com/throughyou . One thing that this band takes pride in is their commitment to reply to every email that you send them. Drop them a line.

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THROUGH YOU