In a college that’s devoted to music, there are some bands that stand out from the crowd. Second Dam is one of Ithaca College’s most popular student bands, performing consistently throughout the semester and creating some amazing song hits that bombers love to listen to. Second Dam members include: Brian Schmidt, Andrew Weir, Kayla Sewell, KC Weston, PJ Scott, and Zack Jones who are all IC students dedicated to playing music that they are passionate about. I got the chance to go behind the music of Second Dam and speak to Zack Jones, Brian Schmidt, and Andrew Weir about being Her Campus Ithaca’s Campus Celebrity of the week.
Who created Second Dam and how did you all get involved?
KC and Kayla knew each other before their freshman year and wanted to create a band. They met Zack who brought in two other members into the band, but it did not work out. Brian and Andrew got involved after we played at the TC Lounge and that is how the band was formed.
How did you all come up with this cool name, Second Dam?
Second Dam, as in Ithaca’s “Second Dam” gorge. We all view it as a place where people of all different ages and backgrounds come together and have a great time. Just like us, we all come from very different backgrounds and different influences.
What type of genre is your music? What are some bands that inspire your music?
We are a collection of Indie Folk Rock. Some bands that we follow after would be Local Natives, The Giants, The Head and The Heart. The list actually goes on forever….so yeah.
What is so great about being a student band at IC?
The local music community is really cool and we have other bands that are close friends. We are never struggling to find a band to open for us and we all love playing together.
What has been your favorite venue in Ithaca?
The Nines is home, but also Castaways and the Haunt.
How do you promote your music around campus?
KC knows WICB staff (Ithaca College Radio Station) and we played on the radio. We use social media sites, our website, local newspapers, word-of-mouth. Music is for people and to be heard, it’s not just for us.
Since Second Dam is an established student band on campus, what advice do you give to aspiring IC or college bands?
Perform gigs and play as much as you can. Your music should be out there and deserves to be heard.
Are you playing on campus or around town soon?
We are currently working on some new material since we just recorded our first album in New York City during Thanksgiving break. We’re having another concert at The Nines on December 8th at 10:30 p.m. Please check out our Events page for more details.
When is your album being released and where can we buy it?
Our EP, “This Guy”, was released earlier in the semester and we recorded our first album, “Walk Across The Country”, over Thanksgiving break. You can expect the album to come out middle to late March. “Walk across the country” will be available on iTunes, Bandcamp.com/seconddam, and of course available at all of our gigs.
Thanks again, Andrew, Zack, and Brian for participating in our Campus Celebrity Interview. Her Campus Ithaca loves Second Dam and we are so excited to listen to your new album “Walk Across The Country.” We will be working with Second Dam in the future, promoting their concerts and albums, so be sure to check back at Her Campus Ithaca for updates on this talented band!