The Woods

Media Credit: Taylor Swaim The audience reacts to We the Living vocalist John Paul Roney during the concert on Nov. 5 at SMWC.

By Amanda Trimble and Kaiti Nease

Staff Writers

Two years ago the guys of We the Living dropped what they were doing to follow their dream of touring with the band. Matt Holmen, the band's guitar player, remembers the day it all began for him. "I was sitting in bed; it was about noon. JP (John Paul Roney, the vocalist) calls and says, 'Hey man, drop out of college and join my band.'" Since then they have been featured by Perez Hilton, played at the 2008 Warped Tour and Summerfest, and have been featured on popular music sites such as Purevolume.com. The band cites bands such as Copeland, Radiohead, Mute Math, and John Mayer as their favorite music and influences. We the Living has been compared to The Fray, One Republic, and Coldplay.

The band has drawn a dedicated fan base in the Terre Haute area. They have played at several bars in town including the Verve and a few fraternity parties including Rose Hulman Institute of Technology's Alpha Tau Omega. On Wednesday, November 5 they visited Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College for the first time. The show was scheduled for 8 pm in the Little Theater, located in SMWC's Guerin Hall, but was moved to Cecilian Auditorium located in the SMWC Conservatory of Music when it became apparent the scheduled venue wouldn't be large enough. There was a large turnout of not only Woods students, but people from the surrounding area, including RHIT, Indiana State University, and Ivy Tech Community College. The band has noticed the reception it gets Terre Haute and loves the area. "Terre Haute feels like home. It feels like we're playing for our family," said Jasper Austin, the band's bass guitarist. "I love being able to smile at familiar faces." While the band said there may not be a lot to do in Terre Haute, they really love the people here. "We like to get to know our fans, just in situations like this," said Roney while sitting at Buffalo Wild Wings with a group of SMWC fans after the show. Playing at the Woods was a unique opportunity for the guys as well. "Tonight was fun," said Holmen. "We haven't played at an all-girls' school in a while. There's a great energy here."

The band left early Thursday morning to drive to Milwaukee for their next show. The guys are aiming to play 200 shows this year. They are excited about the fact that their music is getting more attention these days. They don't plan on changing their approach to touring though. While they acknowledge that life on the road can be lonely, "it's just the little things you give up to be adventurous," as Holmen says. Roney said that while playing music is a job, it's a job that is their life, "We work all day, really hard, play a show, and then hang out with people who like our music."

Article Tools