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<\/p>\nCinders is a young band, but they started early. Together nearly a decade, the group has already toured overseas and become something of a hit on Spotify. The Salt Lake City-based trio chalks its success up to clearly defined goals, and the best friends in the world.<\/p>\n
The group first came together as \u201cone of those progressions from a silly high school band,\u201d says guitarist\/vocalist Montana Smith. Initially, he and Adrian De La Cruz both played guitar. \u201cBut we knew that a great guitar player can be a great bass player, so we made him play bass,\u201d Smith says. The group quickly became serious about the music, adding drummer Brad Bennett. \u201cWe found him on Instagram,\u201d Smith says. (\u201cNo,\u201d De La Cruz jokes. \u201cIt was on Tinder.\u201d)<\/p>\n
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The lineup has gone through changes since that time. \u201cWe like to say that we have different iterations,\u201d says De La Cruz. In the beginning, Cinders was a six-piece band. And before long, they were playing dates across the country, and even some overseas shows.\u201cBy 2018, two of our members were married and had kids, and they decided that the touring life didn\u2019t work for them,\u201d De La Cruz explains. In early March 2020 \u2013 days before the pandemic hit \u2013 one more original member left. \u201cSo we whittled down to this trio,\u201d he says. \u201cThe three original guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking of original, from the very beginning \u2013 even when Cinders was still a \u201csilly\u201d band \u2013 the group never played cover tunes. \u201cWe\u2019ve always done our original songs,\u201d says Smith. It\u2019s one thing to listen to other artists; it\u2019s something else to avoid ending up sounding like one\u2019s influences. When asked about the sort of music they listen to, the three musicians tick off a wide array of genres; pop, punk, acoustic, jazz and more. But Bennett emphasizes Cinders\u2019 unique approach to creating its own material. \u201cWhen we\u2019re writing,\u201d he explains, \u201cwe stop listening to other music. We want to get inspiration from the universe, from on high, from whatever it is for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Focusing on the band\u2019s individuality is a core concept for Cinders. De La Cruz laughs when he recalls a couple of audience members approaching him after a set. \u201cMan, you guys are great,\u201d one of them said. \u201cYou sound just like Green Day!\u201d Another chimed in: \u201cYeah, you sound just like Mumford and Sons!\u201d Smith estimates that the band has been told they sound like \u201cat least 50 to 100 different bands,\u201d none of whom actually sound like one another.<\/p>\n
De La Cruz recalls writing a chord progression that reminded Smith of a Paul Simon song. \u201cBut it ended up sounding more like The Cure,\u201d he laughs. In the end, Cinders chart their own musical path, and if listeners (or individual band members) want to relate their style to another act they like, no harm done.<\/p>\n
And for this group, the songwriting process is wholly separate from the experience of playing live in front of an audience. If an arrangement developed in the rehearsal room might create a challenge for the live set \u2013 maybe it has multiple guitar parts, or a keyboard section \u2013 they don\u2019t let that slow them down. \u201cWe always joke to each other, \u2018That\u2019s a problem for future Cinders,\u2019\u201d Smith says as his band mates nod in agreement.<\/p>\n
The three founding members agree that their collective vision for the group has remained constant. \u201cOur goals remain the same as when we started,\u201d Bennett says. \u201cBut they feel a lot more tangible and realistic now.\u201d Displaying an affinity for long-range thinking, in Cinders\u2019 early days the group put together a \u201cvision board\u201d outlining its goals. \u201cI think it\u2019s safe to say that every one of those goals from back when we were a six-piece is the same to what our goals are today,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The group recently completed a clutch of new recordings; they\u2019re scheduling singles for release in the coming weeks and months. But one thing that isn\u2019t a serious goal is getting a recording contract; Cinders is a decidedly indie band, and they like it that way. \u201cIf someone reaches out with a record deal, and if it makes sense,\u201d De La Cruz says, \u201cwe\u2019ll consider it.\u201d But he emphasizes that the group is more focused on touring, playing in front of more and bigger audiences. \u201cWe always hear that it\u2019s better for [a label] to reach out to us than us to them,\u201d Bennett adds. \u201cThat’s when you know you’re ready for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While details remain under wraps, the band hints that a late summer festival gig is in the offing. And as much as they enjoy playing live, Cinders doesn\u2019t neglect the studio side of things. Four of their songs have each received more than one million streams each on Spotify. It seems to have happened organically: a few select YouTube personalities have featured Cinders\u2019 music in some of their videos, but that alone can\u2019t account for the kind of success the band is enjoying. Asked how they achieved those numbers without an aggressive online presence, they nod at each other before answering. \u201cBy having the best fans and friends in the world,\u201d De La Cruz replies. \u201cThat\u2019s the reality: we couldn\u2019t do it without them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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