The music industry has been abuzz with news following the release of
Broadcast, the full-length, debut album by CCU alumnus Patrick Meese and
his self-titled band. Distributed by Atlantic Records, the album features
catchy, pop-based tunes by the four-piece from Denver, which includes Patrick's
brother Nathan alongside Mike Ayars on guitar, and fellow CCU alum Ben Haley on
drums.
Broadcast hit store shelves on June 30, and last week the band's
song "Next In Line" was named Single of the Week on iTunes.
Produced by
Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt, Depeche Mode),
Broadcast
highlights the range of Meese's stylistic interests, including guitar-driven
rock, avant-garde electronic, and melodic piano pop. "I wanted something that
was dancy and edgy on the CD, a song that would really incorporate our
electronic personality with the rock side of things," Patrick said of "Next In
Line." "It's got a great beat, and I love how the rhythm of the lyrics works
with the beat. It's honestly my favorite song to play live."
The band's
lead singer and songwriter, Patrick came to Colorado in 2002 with plenty of
sobering life lessons already under his belt, including an in-patient stint in a
drug rehab program in Montana. With a new road before him, he found revelation
in music, and while studying the craft at CCU, he fronted the vocals for a
number of local bands -- playing along on drums, guitar, or piano. In 2005,
Nathan moved to Colorado, and the brothers' discussion about starting their own
band began to take shape.
Not long after Nathan's arrival, the Meeses met
Ayars and Haley, both playing at the time for another local band, For the
Holiday. The foursome struck up a quick friendship and, a few months later,
Meese was formed. One year later, the group's demo of "Tell Me It's Over" was in
regular rotation at Denver modern-rock station KTCL/93.3FM, gaining the notice
of some major record labels. And by October 2007, Meese signed with Atlantic
Records and went into a busy season of recording and touring.
Surrounding
the release of
Broadcast, the band has been touring with The Fray, Jack's
Mannequin, and Copeland, has introduced its first music video, and is busy with
plenty of publicity. Patrick credits CCU as part of his rise to success. "The
future looks very bright," he says, "and I owe much of it to the professors who
invested extraordinary amounts of time into teaching me the fundamentals of
music." Not all the guys in Meese are Christians, but faith strikes a resonant
chord in Pat's and Ben's work. "My goal is to show others that music is a gift
from God," Ben explains. "Hopefully our music prompts people to listen, and
through that to notice something different about us."