LAKE COUNTY — The battle is on and one of Lake County”s own is vying for the title ? and a $1 million recording contract. They may be “Faded At Four” but the spotlight on the local metal heads is shining all the way to Hollywood where the band will have a chance to realize its dream when it competes in the Bodog Battle of the Bands regional finals.
Faded At Four registered for the Bodog competition in July 2007 and has pushed its way through 4,500 bands to gain a spot in the regional finals. According to the its media department, the band is holding steady in the top 5 among the world-wide ranks and sits comfortably at No. 1 in the San Francisco division.
“It”s just a big surprise to us how quickly we went toward the top with the online voting,” said frontman Jon Foutch. “Being able to go do the shows and the fans being able to see us, really gives validation that our music is being appreciated.”
Faded At Four, consisting of Foutch along with fellow band members Brian Kenner (guitar), Chris “Murph” Murphy (guitar), Martin “Martan” Scheel (bass guitar) and Chris “Pencil” Sanders (drums), was among three bands that survived the semi-regional finals held in December. A single band will advance from the March 12 competition to a reality-based television show, “Bodog Battle of the Bands,” in which 10 bands will be competing world wide through touring and various music-based competitions. One-by-one bands will be eliminated from the televised competition with the victor winning a one million dollar recording contract with Bodog Music.
Participation in the Bodog competition has brought many benefits to the band. “Bodog has been a great experience for us. It”s brought us some great exposure and we”ve met a lot of great bands and made some good connections. In the future we plan on doing shows with them and things of that nature,” Foutch said, adding that the experience has really broadened the band”s fan base as well. “More fans have seen our stuff and are now following us.”
Faded At Four fans have shown tremendous support for the band. Three busloads of people from Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma and Sacramento counties followed the guys to the San Francisco competition. “The fans, I think, have been a really huge part of our success. It”s real hard to try and ignore a band that goes up there and has close to 150 people out there chanting their name and screaming their lyrics,” Foutch attested.
The music enjoyed by Faded At Four fans is a package of real life issues. “It”s about our lives more than anything. It”s the things that we do on a day-to-day basis and the dialogue on how we deal with it. Real life issues come out in our music,” Foutch said, describing the band”s sound as powerful, aggressive and deep. “I would say there is some depth to it. With our music, I think for us to really enjoy it, there has to be some meaning behind it.”
Songs on Faded At Four”s soon to be released album, “Collateral,” puts into music a rise above life”s struggles and the overcoming of society obstacles. One track, entitled “Unhero” is a special tribute to the war in Iraq in honor of Iraqi war veteran and band member Chris Murphy, who has faced his own personal struggles as a result of his service to his country.
Fans are invited to join Faded At Four in Hollywood. Travel and accommodation arrangements are currently being planned and the band is requesting a little help from its fans. “We”re looking for contacts between local fans and friends/fans that live in the LA area for coordinating the trip to Hollywood,” Foutch said.
Faded At Four is also organizing a night of celebration and fundraising at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at Carlos & Vinny”s steak house located on Main Street in Lakeport. The event will include a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses as well as travel packages to and from the finals in Los Angeles. The band will make itself available to talk with local fans and sign photos as well.
For more information about the band visit the Web site at www.fadedatfour.com; to learn more about the Bodog competition, visit battle.bodoglife.net/home/.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
