Local rock band makes the cut

Special to the Acorn


WHITE NOISE--''Clear Static' members include, from left to right: Jacob Shearer, Danny Kincaid, Tom Pederson, Michael David and Rich Pederson.

WHITE NOISE–”Clear Static’ members include, from left to right: Jacob Shearer, Danny Kincaid, Tom Pederson, Michael David and Rich Pederson.

Local rock band

makes the cut

"I knew them when," could be how people at Oak Park High School may soon start sentences about four of the five members of the local rock band Clear Static.


The band has been chosen by Teen People Magazine as one of the five finalists in its "Five Live Search," a national competition that promises to propel the winners to instant stardom. Rich and Tom Pederson (electric bass and lead vocals, respectively), Michael David (lead guitar), Danny Kincaid (rhythm guitar) and Jacob Shearer (drums) comprise the band whose song "Run Away" brought them to the attention of Teen People.


Clear Static will appear in the October issue of Teen People, which is currently on newsstands.


Readers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite song of the five finalists by calling 1 (877) 915-LIVE or by going online via computer at www.teenpeople.com. The three top bands will be flown to New York City in November to perform in a "Battle of the Bands" at Radio City Music Hall or the Apollo Theater, where celebrity judges will choose the grand prize-winner based on the crowd’s reaction.


"We didn’t make too much of it," said lead guitarist David when they first noticed the advertisement in Teen People announcing the contest. But urged on by family members, they sent in a couple of their songs to the magazine and soon found themselves finalists in the competition.


The five members–whose combined age is only slightly more than Mick Jagger’s–range from 15 to 17 years old, but most have been playing instruments nearly half their lives (David has been playing since age 7, Kincaid since 10 and Rich Pederson since 11).


Their sound and rhythmic style fall somewhere between Boston and Savage Garden, and their lyrics utilize the uncomplicated forms that marked groups like Nirvana. They list Third Eye Blind, The Cure, America and the Beatles as major influences on their music, as well as a few lesser known groups as Jets to Brazil and Jimmy Eat World, and even the scores of composer John Williams.


"Basically, we try to stick to a rock sound, even though we love to experiment," said David. The band hopes in the future to make their sound "a little more complex," blending different styles and sounds into their music.


The group would like to expand their fan base, which is already fairly extensive in Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks, and hopes the competition will help.


"Right now we’re just trying to be noticed by a label," said David, but even if they’re voted one of the three second-round finalists, they plan to "just take it one day at a time and keep doing the best that we can."


The band just finished recording their latest song "Wash Away" at Triple C Studios, and they will be headlining at the Key Club Sept. 28. To obtain more information about the group or to contact them, go to their Website at www.clearstatic.com.




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