The Concept of Team or Building a Band That Works

Recently we have had to add a new member to our ranks and it got me thinking about this business and how hard it is to find members and make the transitions of people coming and going. Fink’s Constant is heading into our eighth year and has had fourteen different people as members throughout the years. I’d like to think that we’ve gotten pretty good with finding people and bringing them onboard.

You’ve got your chops together, your songs are written and the rehearsal space is locked in. Now it’s time to put your band together and gather in the musicians that will be around you. Hands down THIS IS the toughest part about being in a band. You are not just building a band, you are building a family. How do you find one that works?
Choosing your band mates is like picking a horse. Are you building your band for speed or for distance? Do you want a band that can tear the roof off the place from the get go but be broken up six months later or a band that improves with each rehearsal and is still together in three years? It’s a tough call, but an important one to consider.
In my twelve years of playing the band game I have learned to look for three things: Drive, desire and personality. In my book those three things come before talent. Of course the person has to have some chops on their instrument, however it’s not the #1 thing I’m after. Let’s examine and dissect Fink’s Constant to see how this concept works.
Fink’s Constant has been playing together for the last eight years. We have had some personnel changes but have been in our current incarnation for almost three of those years. The band is a dinosaur compared to most of our local bands. Let’s look at our members.

To be fair I will start with myself. Seven and a half years ago I decided I was ready to start my own project. I worked on my singing and learned how to play guitar. Barely. On our first album you could swear it was a girl doing the vocals with a complete lack of emotion. I can’t stand to listen to it now without dieing from embarrassment. I’m proud to say I’ve improved quite a bit. On guitar however I am still just a hack at best. The only thing I can do is keep the skank. There was a brief period where I attempted to take solos but we call that the dark year. It is chronicled on our live album “Live at Cottonman’s” and I am ashamed. As good as I may or may not be at singing and guitar, my best contribution to the band is probably in my songwriting and leadership skills. Without blowing too much sunshine up my own butt, I know that I am the glue that holds us all together. This is where my strength lies.

Next we have Marlin our bass player. Marlin auditioned for us on guitar and bass. We had the most need for a bass player so we brought him in on that hesitantly. Why the hesitation? Well, Marlin barely got around the bass. He wasn’t sure which notes were on which frets and had no technique in his left hand(which is his right hand for most bass players, Marlin is left handed) We still asked him to come back the next week and gave him some specific songs to work on. The following week he came back and had each song we asked for nailed. The same went on for the next couple of months. Marlin worked his ass off to learn our material. With the lack of skills he had, he must have practiced like none of the rest of us would have been willing to. At the same time Marlin was driving from Williamsport to Harrisburg (50 miles?) to be a part of this band. That is dedication. In the last three years I would give Marlin the award for most improved musician in the band. He has definitely come the farthest of all of us in terms of improving on his instrument. Then you have to consider that Marlin is the most tenacious person in the band as far as helping to promote us to the public. Marlin has us signed up on more sites, message boards and forums than anyone. He is a warlord of the internet and comes up with great ideas for getting us out there. Plus his personality is that of the quiet straight man, so you know when he says something funny, it’s gonna be funny. The person Marlin replaced could play circles around him with his eyes closed, but if you gave me the choice of the two I would take Marlin without question. It is unfortunate that Marlin recently got himself into some trouble and we had to replace him. We wish him the best of luck in the future.

Next we’ll look at Don Wood a founding member of the band. To look at him on the surface, you would see him as a “jack of all trades and a master of none.” He covers the trombone and keyboards for the band. Don is solid on both instruments, sometimes his trombone solos are a little suspect but he didn’t have any soloing or jazz experience before he joined so he’s still a work in progress. What Don brings to the band goes far beyond music. He is a pillar of the group. I can count on Don for anything. If he says he’ll be at a gig he will be there. Don has covered bass lines on keyboard at a moments notice, for an entire gig. He ran the drum machine when we didn’t have a drummer. Don does the bulk load of the driving to and from gigs and keeps our lovable van the “USS FRUIT POOTER” on the road. Plus, Don has a mind like a steal trap. He doesn’t forget anything. He can tell you where we played, what we played, when we played and what songs we played for gigs that were years ago. He is invaluable at rehearsals because he remembers chords, form changes, tempos and things that all the rest of us have forgotten from the week before.

Andy Hartman, our drummer, has been in Fink’s for the shortest amount of time. He’s been with us for about two and a half years. However, Andy saved the band in a way we didn’t realize until we had him. You see, Fink’s spent a year playing with a drum machine because we couldn’t find a drummer. We didn’t want to stop playing and we couldn’t afford to pay mercenaries(who couldn’t play ska and reggae anyway) to sit in. We thought we were still cool with the drum machine but we were WAAAYYYY wrong. I think we lost a lot of fans during this period.
Much like Marlin, Andy came to us kind of raw with only basic skills on the set. However, Andy is smart as a whip with a great deal of natural talent and a pretty good ear. He also gets my runner up award for most improved on his instrument in the last two years. He’s worked hard during his time in the band. He was frustrated in the beginning but Andy’s really starting to come into his own musically. So, besides his skills as a drummer, what really makes Andy a keeper? Andy, has a personality that fits us like a glove. He’s one of those guys that you look forward to seeing because you know he’s gonna make you laugh. Andy, hardly ever complains and I’ve never seen him loose his cool. This may not sound like a huge contribution but if you have to deal with ego driven band members who care only about themselves then you know why a person like this is a gem to find.

The musical compass of Fink’s Constant is Chad McCartney. He is also a founding member of the band. Chad is easily the most accomplished musician in the group, and I am always humbled when I am holding a trumpet while standing beside him when he plays his. When I write a song I usually try to slam it through at rehearsal. Chad is the guy who is going to stop us and say “Let’s try this or what if we moved this here?” With his own songwriting he tries to challenge us with new chords or harder changes. I always find Chad’s vocal lines more difficult to sing then my own which keeps me on my toes all the time. Then, God forbid, I have to play guitar while singing one of his songs. Often it is months before I can come close to doing it and then I still screw it up at a gig. Sorry Chad. Chad is also the guy I think we all feel we have let down if we are not living up to our musical abilities, so he’s kind of our moral compass as well. Chad hardly ever drinks and is the guy I can count on on stage to take an extra solo or throw something at last minute to lengthen a song or cover a broken string or whatever. Also, with no experience at all, Chad has taken it upon himself to learn the sound system and set it up and run it at gigs and rehearsals. He’s taught himself from scratch and the band is much better off for it rather than having me do it and not give a crap.
Zak Nye has the most natural talent of anyone in the band. He is self taught on guitar and has a great voice. He would probably be voted “Most Likely to Become a Rock Star” of anyone in the band. Zak was brought in to be our utility guy. He covers all the lead guitar stuff and takes the guitar solos because I sucked so badly at it. Zak also covers much of our backing vocals and takes lead on a couple of songs to give my voice a rest. Off the stage, Zak covers the role of socialite for the band. The rest of us are basically wall flowers. Zak is the guy who is going to go out in the crowd and mingle with people or go out to other bars when we are not playing and talk about us. Of course he’s doing this all in the name of trying to get chicks, but it does benefit the band as well.

Our most recent addition, within the last three months, is John Micek. John is picking up the bass again after spending his time on vocals and guitar. We lost Marlin with only a weeks notice before a gig we had to play in Philly. This gig was with the biggest name in ska in the Philly area, Ruder Than You, and a big name from NYC, King Django. John learned the tunes ASAP and kicked ass at the show. John is continuing to learn our material but more than that he is beginning to gel with the group. Always pleasant and calm much like Andy I have yet to see him get rattled or loose his cool. A singer and songwriter himself I feel that I have found a kindred spirit. John often comments on what I’m singing about and takes a genuine interest in my lyrics. The others guys really don’t care. We are still getting to know John but I can tell you in three months he has never been late for a rehearsal or gig. It may seem lame but you better believe it cuts down on the stress from gig to gig. I’m sure these are just the beginning of John’s contributions to the group so hopefully he’ll stick around for awhile.

I hope this has shown that the “best player” is not always the “best person” for your band. Drive, desire and personality are much bigger factors than ability if you want a band that is going to last and not just be a flash in the pan. In Fink’s Constant the sum of our parts is definitely a much better product than any one individual. By using us as an example I hope the next time you need to fill a hole in your band or if you’re just starting one up you’ll think long and hard about what each person has to offer off the stage as well as on. You’re not just building a band, you’re building a family.