_{By Zach Collier}

Thursday night’s round of Battle of the Bands was the first night of the week that was light on attendance. This was a stark contrast to Wednesday night, which sold out and was standing room only from start to finish. Even still, the audience was enthusiastic and loud, jamming and cheering and having a great time and growing in intensity as patrons trickled in over the course of the night.

Derm

One of the most surprising and refreshing trends of this battle of the bands has been a considerable shift in genre and tone. It’s been present every single night in some form or another. Gone are the shimmering synths and 2010’s folk-pop influences that have epitomized Provo music for nearly 20 years. The hip hop-inspired half time that dominated pop music during the same era is also out. The pendulum is swinging hard in the opposite direction. 

Derm, the first act of the night, is the embodiment of that trend. Veteran musicians, they leaned into it HARD. Their set was bass and low-mid heavy, coating everything in copious amounts of fuzz and washy reverb. They did more musically as a three piece than most bands this week have done with 5 or 6 members. Though growly, groovy, and furious, they were tight as h*ck and still managed to craft ear worms that would make Soundgarden fans happy. It was sick. Their final number featured a particularly epic breakdown, and the ghost of my dead Myspace account was screaming for joy. 

The only downside to Derm is that if heavier music isn’t your thing, I don’t think there’s anything groundbreaking enough to convert you – though they’re good enough that word of mouth and peer pressure just might.

Collette Astle

In a first for the week, we had a taste of country. Collette is an anomaly in several ways. At Velour, country music is usually overshadowed by folk in much the same way that pop-rock overshadows heavier genres. Among her remarkably talented siblings (who play in Pop Warner, Callery Pears, and Princess Peach), she’s also the only country artist. This dark horse scenario imbues her music with a remarkable amount of personality – and she’s got personality in spades, strutting and stomping and sassing her way around her empowering songs. 

Collette is one of a handful of artists in the Provo music scene whose vocal performance is better live than on her records. I was impressed by her control and consistency. She was flanked by her brothers Max and Dylan on bass and guitar, as well as a sax/keys player, a lead guitarist, and a drummer – all of whom played with consistency and tasteful restraint. 

I think my only criticism is that there’s a difference between putting on a show and playing a handful of songs in order, even when those songs are great. My only advice is to figure out a way to move from song to song in artistic and engaging ways. That being said, Collette Astle and her band are an act you’ve gotta see. Her closer “White Boots” is h*ckin badass.

Local Kin

This 5-piece originally hails from Rexburg, ID. Now based in Utah, they’re a remarkably tight stomp-and-holler folk act. Think early Mumford & Sons, but if Marcus Mumford’s voice was injected with all the positive things about James Blunt’s voice (although Local Kin’s only release from 5 years ago doesn’t reflect the grit his vocals have developed). With upright bass, fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, cajon, whistles, and tight 4-part harmonies, these guys got the crowd going in genuine ways that preceding acts weren’t able to do. 

Their songwriting was full of drama, tension, cinematic storytelling, and moments of genuine jubilation. While I loved the other acts, this was the only act of the night to give me chills. At the end of one song, all the instruments cut out and they finished it in tight, perfectly executed a cappella. In the brief silence before uproarious applause, one person exclaimed, “Oh shit.” And she was right, dudes. It was that good.

I don’t have much to offer by way of criticism, other than I’m not really a fan of stomp-and-holler folk (which is something I need to bring up in therapy). Even so, I couldn’t deny that I had a fantastic time enjoying these guys. Even people who came for other acts were swinging arms and stomping and cheering during their finale. They’re phenomenal musicians of the highest order.

Caysen Wright

I’m gonna start by giving a shoutout to Caysen’s backing band. These guys are excellent producers, songwriters, and instrumentalists. I’ve seen them perform with Basement Waves, KOMAS, and Paige Fish in various configurations. They’ve been great every time, but this set was next level. They were a tight team that brought finesse and punch to tonight’s performance, and I want to make sure they get their due. Well done, guys.

That being said, Caysen Wright is SOMETHING ELSE. His vocal performance wasn’t quite as consistent as Collette Astle and Local Kin’s Baden Ballard, but he tackled each song with such free spirited, reckless abandon that all the imperfections became gold, adding character and style instead of detracting. It’s that ephemeral X factor that so many artists chase but never achieve. I’m certainly nowhere close to his level in any capacity (on stage, I have the personality of a sack of trash at a funeral). Caysen Wright, on the other hand, has that special something.

To emphasize just how much he understands this concept, literally as I was writing this in my notes, he took a moment out of the set to say: “You don’t go see your favorite band because they execute everything perfectly. You go see them because they make you feel something – good or bad. That’s what we’re going for.”

I definitely had the feels. The man is a master showman, dancing around the stage and jiving with his bandmates like it’s his last night on earth – and he’s got the talent and the song craft to back up all the charisma. Half way through the second song, “Best For You,” I realized I already had it saved to a playlist from a time I fell in love with it on Spotify radio. These guys wove their indie gems together with smooth transitions, carefully planned moments, and charismatic flair.

Result

I was judging last night, and I want to be as transparent as possible. I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the judging process over the years. Velour’s judges don’t talk to each other to discuss bands. And they don’t gather to deliberate in some back room (unless there’s a tie). You get a clipboard and a rubric, you write down your scores, and you turn them in. The scores are then tallied (with the crowd vote factored in), and the winner is announced.

Each band won a particular category for me. Derm got a 10 in musicianship. As veterans, they were clearly the tightest and had the best command of tone and instrumentation and they nailed their vibe with professional polish. Collette got a 10 from me for her vocal performance. Local Kin had the best, most organic crowd response. Caysen had the best stage presence. And he beat Local Kin in the songwriting category for me (though Local Kin was a close second. This just came down to genre preference). When I handed in my scores, I had Caysen down as my winner but I legitimately didn’t know who was going to win. Every act had their unique strengths, and they owned them. It was a great show.

In the end, the world’s best MC John Schultz could only announce one winner. It was revealed that Local Kin would be moving on to Saturday’s finals.

Night 5 of Velour’s Summer 2023 Battle of the Bands kicks off tonight at 7:30 PM! Catch Orcamind, Casio Ghost, Chi Chi Le Mot, and New American Gothic. Tickets are $10 at the door. Make sure to follow Local Kin on Instagram and check out “The Crab” below!