2008 Woodie Awards
Single Track preps for Guitars Unplugged auditions
Diantha Leavitt
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: Life
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Each year the best bands fight for the right to be considered the top band at ISU. The battlefield-Guitars Unplugged. The object-win over the audience.
Single Track is about two and a half weeks old, but already the members have their sights set on winning the competition. Dave Southwoth, Kip Buck, Jason Christensen and Chad Smith gathered Sept. 9 to practice their original songs.
Buck's vibrato ricocheted off the Bengal Creek apartment walls to words such as "I'd love to tell you that I love you" and "give it just this one shot to be with you." Without the aid of sheet music Southworth and Smith strummed their guitars and Christensen stroked the keys. The band practices through the song and then gives each other suggestions like "play it a little bit faster."
The television buzzes in the background as a nonparticipating roommate sits on the bean bag watching a show and giving occasional comments. The back drop is lined with the movie posters "Click," "Live Free and Die Hard" and "The Gridiron Gang."
The inspiration for the band's name, Single Track, came when Smith and Southworth were hiking in the mountains.
"We just really wanted to have something to do with nature," said Smith, "and Dave just looked at the trail and said 'single track, that's what it is all about, one course.'
"And at the time we were only playing one song anyway," said Smith.
Southworth and Smith transacted the music bug when they played together for a church talent show. They discovered that Christensen could play the piano at a similar event.
"I usually try to keep it a secret," said Christensen. "They exposed me."
It was only natural for the group to enlist the vocal talents of their friend Buck when he came home from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"We wanted to keep it simple," said Smith. "No drums or electric guitars."
At first the band played cover songs from other musicians, but soon found the joy of writing their own music.
Single Track is about two and a half weeks old, but already the members have their sights set on winning the competition. Dave Southwoth, Kip Buck, Jason Christensen and Chad Smith gathered Sept. 9 to practice their original songs.
Buck's vibrato ricocheted off the Bengal Creek apartment walls to words such as "I'd love to tell you that I love you" and "give it just this one shot to be with you." Without the aid of sheet music Southworth and Smith strummed their guitars and Christensen stroked the keys. The band practices through the song and then gives each other suggestions like "play it a little bit faster."
The television buzzes in the background as a nonparticipating roommate sits on the bean bag watching a show and giving occasional comments. The back drop is lined with the movie posters "Click," "Live Free and Die Hard" and "The Gridiron Gang."
The inspiration for the band's name, Single Track, came when Smith and Southworth were hiking in the mountains.
"We just really wanted to have something to do with nature," said Smith, "and Dave just looked at the trail and said 'single track, that's what it is all about, one course.'
"And at the time we were only playing one song anyway," said Smith.
Southworth and Smith transacted the music bug when they played together for a church talent show. They discovered that Christensen could play the piano at a similar event.
"I usually try to keep it a secret," said Christensen. "They exposed me."
It was only natural for the group to enlist the vocal talents of their friend Buck when he came home from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"We wanted to keep it simple," said Smith. "No drums or electric guitars."
At first the band played cover songs from other musicians, but soon found the joy of writing their own music.
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