, a band formed in Atlanta, plays rock music influenced by Tonic, Black Lab, and Splender. Lead singer and guitarist, Chris Wold, says he's also heavily influenced by jazz and blues. "I like all music when it's done well," he says.
The band is made up of three members: Chris Wold; Chris Butler, the bassist; and Zac Swanson, the drummer. Zac recently replaced the original drummer Jimmy Anderson. "Zac's an old high school friend of mine," Wold, 31, says.
"He flew in [from Minneapolis] on a Thursday. We performed that Thursday night, and we didn't miss a beat."
Wold is also the principal songwriter for the band's first CD, "The Gathering.
" He wrote his first song in his senior year of high school and hasn't stopped since. "Most of the time, I have to be inspired to write. But every now and then, I sit down and say, 'OK, I'm going to write a song today,'" Wold says.
From these songs, though, come mostly good ideas, he tells me; the actual song comes later.
The songs on the CD "The Gathering" are very personal, as Wold says. "When I listened to [The Gathering], I was like, 'Wow, I really opened myself up,'" he says.
But that's what it's all about. "If you want to write a good song, you can't hide. You have to let it all out.
"
Wold started playing the guitar when he was 13 years old and majored in music at a college in Minnesota, which is where he started playing classical guitar. He's been playing professionally since 1994 and in Atlanta since 2000. And after struggling separately in different bands for years, 7 Sharp 9 met and came together in Atlanta.
They've been playing together for three years with the same vision: becoming rock royalty.
They're well on their way. Already, the song "Wherever You Are" is being played on more than 20 radio stations nationwide, and their shows usually bring in over 150 people.
Pretty good for a local band. Plus there's their tour schedule. 7 Sharp 9 plays over 200 shows a year, and performing is what the band loves most.
"The big time isn't going to happen right away," Wold says. "You have to enjoy the process."
"The Gathering" is a great first CD; the music is seamless and unique, and Wold's voice is excellent.
Produced well, the CD even has a few surprises in store; the song "Rejection Clothes" is pop-rock through and through, a nice little break during the harder songs on the CD that surround it. The ending song, an instrumental called "Jimmy's Limo," written by Chris Butler, also provides a nice break and is very easy on the ears. Overall, the CD is pretty damn good.
7 Sharp 9 is shooting to have another CD out by March or April, and it will be a collaboration with all the musicians in the band, just like "The Gathering" was.
"[The collaboration] definitely helped us make the CD the best it could be," Wold says enthusiastically. "Four heads are better than one.
" Especially when all four of those heads are gifted musicians.
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