Have you heard of the local band Colorblind yet? Well if not, you should stop what you are doing and give them a listen because they are amazing. The band consists of four members that perform original music along with covers of other songs. The members, Fletcher Dunham, Alex Welsh, Nick Ficocelli and Ryan Betts, are all students from the area and already have two EPs out.
On Wednesday, January 27, Eastway Center at Kent State hosted its annual VIP Night and featured Colorblind as the live musical guest. Colorblind performed from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for a full crowd of students in the dining hall. The band has an alternative rock/indie rock sound, and it covers a variety of artists with similar sounds. In addition to playing some of their original tracks, the band also covered artists such as Fall Out Boy, The Killers and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The set was filled with upbeat tunes that included the entire band and some acoustic songs performed by Fletcher Dunham. Her Campus caught up with the band in between sets to learn more about them and their music. Read below to find out why they chose their band name, who inspires them and more!
Her Campus: So, how did the band form?
Fletcher Dunham, electronic media production major at Kent State: The band first started with Ryan and I, just kind of jamming together in early high school. We started playing in church actually, and we just kind of decided to make a band. So, at the end of our senior year, we got a couple of other guys and we decided to make a band, and it all started from there.
A photo of the cover of Colorblind’s debut EP (above).
HC: So, when did the band become who it is today, with all of the current members?
Fletcher Dunham: Our first drummer left soon after we formed to join the military, so we got Alex in the fall of 2013. And then, our other bassist went to Miami, so Nick joined the band a little over a year ago.
HC: How did you come up with the name Colorblind?
Fletcher Dunham: People expect us to be colorblind, and we are always like nope we are not. It was actually a joke between Ryan and I; we have been best friends for as long as I can remember. We got our licenses together and we would drive around and we ended up running a lot of red lights. So our joke was that if a cop pulls us over, we will just tell them we are colorblind and we will get away with it. And yeah, that just became the name of the band.
Fletcher Dunham performing at the Eastway Center VIP Night (above).
HC: You guys played a lot of covers tonight; do you also have original music?
Alex Welsh, exercise science and biology major at Youngstown State: Yeah, we actually have two EP’s out right now; one of them is on iTunes and Spotify. You can also find our music on Facebook and Bandcamp. To find it on Spotify and iTunes, you have to search the EP title, which is “Old Faces and New.”
HC: Do you guys have any upcoming shows?
Fletcher Dunham: Yes, actually this Saturday we are playing at Cedars in Youngstown, and on February 19, we are playing at Magic Tree, which is also in Youngstown. We are also playing at Federal Frenzy, which is a big Youngstown State event.
Alex Welsh: The Federal Frenzy incorporates all of the bars downtown, and they close off the street and everything. It is like a little festival and it is on April 25.
Fletcher Dunham: We play lots of shows in Youngstown, we play around here too though. We play at places like Stone Tavern, Euro Gyro and The Outpost.
The cover of Colorblind’s EP ‘Old Faces and New’ (above).
HC: What are your plans for the future as a band?
Alex Welsh: We are writing our third EP right now; we are making more band tee shirts and booking more shows.
Fletcher Dunham: We are also trying to plan a tour possibly for this summer.
HC: Who are you guys inspired by?
Fletcher Dunham: My biggest inspiration is Manchester Orchestra, that is my favorite band. Andy Hull, their lead singer, has been a huge inspiration to me. I know Ryan and I share a lot of the same inspirations like: Yellowcard, Bayside and Weezer. We grew up listening to them; we also do covers of The Killers.
Ryan Betts, mechanical engineering major at Youngstown State: Yellowcard, Bayside and Weezer also inspire me.
Nick Ficocelli, electronic media production major at Kent State: I am inspired by Flea, the bass player from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He has definitely been my inspiration since I started playing. His energy, talent and style is basically what I want to be.
Stay connected and follow Colorblind on social media:
Facebook: Search ‘Colorblind’
Twitter: @ohcolorblind
Instagram: @ohcolorblind
iTunes: Search ‘Old Faces and New’
Bandcamp Website: Search ‘Colorblind’