JORDAN BUDD
Special to The Leader
A small number of Fredonia-born bands last through college. Even fewer live beyond their usual four years. Only one bold collective can do it with such an oddly long name.
The debut EP from The Weather Might Say Otherwise, titled “Something of Substance,” was released on Jan. 28, 2023. The EP is a converging timeline of the band’s Fredonia experiences.
The three-piece, composed of Damian Brown on lead vocals and guitar, Tanor Morrison on bass and Zach Richardson on drums, made a lasting impression on SUNY Fredonia’s music scene.
The band, TWMSO for short, were the final residents of The North Pole Strip Club, a now retired DIY hotspot, often considered the “most legendary house venue in Western New York.”
After the group submitted to a competition with the WNY Music Industry Alliance, the main booking agent at Mohawk Place, Marty Boratin, caught wind of the group. Boratin had big compliments, believing they were “the best new band [he] heard by far.”
Ash Deharder, a senior who is well-versed in the Fredonia scene, compliments their “kind and goofy energy,” and says the punk troupe “led by example” on “how to make music and bring people together.”
The lead single for this EP, “Statue of Frogs,” is playfully named after mishearing the legal term, Statute of Frauds. The tune’s waggish title and recent music video might be the best example of their jocular strain of sincerity.
They strike an important balance, aiming for hilariously genuine content while writing what they consider to be “very serious music.”
“Something of Substance” marks TWMSO’s first big musical endeavor together, a messy three-year long learning process that they hold close to their hearts.
Their recordings started on campus, but they found it was a lot of pressure on themselves, and had more success with Trevor Balbierz at Skyway Studios.
“Something of Substance” links their initial demo release, “Youthful Belligerence,” and popular single, “I’ll Drink To That,” to whatever comes next.
When asked about how it feels listening back to it now, Richardson responded simply “Sad, honestly,” reminding him of all the little things the guys had done together in Fredonia.
This project is “not a happy album by any means,” as the group tackles hard-to-think-about topics like mental health issues and substance abuse.
Richardson mentions the initial idea: Brown would write a song for each drug he has done, taking a deep dive into how these substances make him feel, while assessing the greater effect they have had on his life, and the world at large.
This thought-provoking concept developed within the EP’s lengthy incubation period. “Something of Substance” leaves things open-ended, as it does not always refer to “a physical substance.” The group confronts the enemy within, as “substance” also refers to their significance as people. When it comes down to it, TWMSO realizes their work dissects the things that tear us apart, whether it is related to drugs or not.
The group’s past manager and remaining best bud, Dan Doyle, currently works with Rochester band Carpool and concert promotion company After Dark. He praises Brown’s work:
“Damian’s lyric game is something I’ve seldom seen bands be able to match. He writes with his full heart and mind, and puts every ounce of thought into what he wants to say in a song. Oftentimes his lyrics have very complex meanings so if people can understand his message, it’s quite beautiful and sentimental.”
The collective’s friendship with Doyle is genuine. Morrison jokingly blurts out, “He was our fourth Beatle!”
Despite the gaggle’s silly authenticity, there is a legitimate sense of drama baked into this EP.
The group pulls cinematic audio clips from a stockpile of film favorites as diverse as “The Godfather,” “Euphoria” and “Naruto.”
These narrations bring it all together, while transitioning between scuzzy DIY pop-punk, gloomy emo-folk, and throat-shredding post-hardcore.
One highlight from the record, “Virtual Blood Pact (Pretty Drinks),” is cold-as-hell skramz hostility inspired by Brown’s love for heavy music.
The singer gushes about evil chord progressions and crazy screams, even announcing that he wishes he was in a band focused on playing music like this.
Every so often the other two latch on to this passion.
Legend has it, when Brown played the VBP verse riff for Morrison, the bass player couldn’t help but shed a tear.
A song-opening scream busts the door open for TWMSO’s antagonizing heavy rock sound, one they’ll continue to pursue as they’ve received good feedback on the track.
Brown mentions how each song discusses a phase within the five stages of grief. Although they aren’t always in the right order, the closing track, “Krimens,” is acceptance, displaying an honest step forward while tolerating emotion.
Doyle connects with “Krimens” more than any other track from the EP, mentioning how he is proud of the band “for creating such a fun/emotional song.” He lays some claim on the title, explaining how he used the phrase a lot in [his] early college years in place of something like ‘damn.’”
As the album closes and subsequently returns to its intro track, the band connects with a piece of advice from “Euphoria’s” Ali, a drug sponsor for the main character, Rue: “She’s got a long way to go, but so did I, her age,” a moment that sums up the release more than any other.
The group has come far, finally able to celebrate a mastered release they are proud of.
That said, Brown leads the charge, making it clear that “this is nowhere near the end of our road or the best that we’re gonna do.”
Since the project’s genesis, TWMSO has grown immensely, leading the group to think they have a better game plan for the next time.
Nevertheless, Brown keeps it simple, “We’ll always be sad teenage boys playing heavy music.”
Thankfully, that’s one thing The Weather Might Say Otherwise may never grow out of. Listen to “Something of Substance” on Apple Music and Spotify.