With just three Fredericton shows under their belt, one local band hopes to bring more of their energetic indie-rock antics to the stage in the near future. Alex Bragdon, Jason White, Alex Stocek, Ian Bragdon and Mike Thomas make up The 1/2 Cut Chemists – freshly formed but wise beyond their sound years.
All four members hail from Woodstock, N.B. and played instruments in high school together. They eventually all ended up at the University of New Brunswick, where the band was formed. Four out of five members studied chemistry at UNB, with one member still attending.
“We just want people to come out, listen to us and have a good time, money isn’t what we are after,” said Stocek, who plays rhythm guitar.
They cover songs by The Arkells,The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys and even Eminem, usually throwing their own original stuff into the mix.
They’ve played both on-campus pubs – The Cellar and The S Club – and hope to return soon. Although they contrast in style, the two venues have served as a good runway for up-and-coming bands over the years. The band had nothing but good things to say about both shows.
“The Cellar is a great place to start. The main attraction (in the bar) isn’t the band so if you mess up no one seems to notice,” laughed lead singer Mike Thomas said.
“There was people we have never met before saying our songs were great and were loving the energy,” said bass player Ian Bragdon about The S Club show.
The Chemists have something for everyone, and encourage people to check them out if only from curiosity – being a new band, the group knows its harder to get recognized, but they’re excited for what the summer has to bring. They just want people to have a good time and enjoy what they have to offer.
The 1/2 Cut Chemists played a forty-five minute set for the Relay For Life marathon at the BMO sports field on UNB campus over the weekend. It was a good cause that also helped with exposure.
As far as stipulations go, the band doesn’t really have any. They want to get their sound out there but mainly, they want to engage the crowd. The 1/2 Cut Chemists have a Facebook page and encourage everyone to check it out.
Said Thomas, “We are hungry for shows right now – we will play anywhere that will have us, we just want to be heard.”
