Considering the do-it-yourself atmosphere of the combined potluck dinner and house show Mason Proper will play in Athens this weekend, it seems only fitting that the band also has a do-it-yourself attitude about its music. Friday's show, set up by former Baker University Center booking agent Brian Ostrander's independent booking agency, is at a house ' not at a bar ' and the optional admission is simply a potluck dish.
The band will play again on Saturday, this time at Baker Center.
When our first album (There Is a Moth in Your Chest) was recorded the first time
we mixed mastered and produced it ourselves ... when you work on your songs yourself it works well because you know how you want it to sound
said guitarist Brian Konicek.
Along with Konicek, the rest of Mason Proper is lead singer Jonathan Visger, drummer Garrett Jones, bassist Zac Fineburg and Matt Thomson on various instruments.
After being together for over a year, the Michigan band's self-motivated attitude paid off when it booked its own tour and signed a deal with Dovecote Records after a show in New York.
Once the deal was signed, the band went back in the studio with John O'Mahoney (Matt Pond PA, Metric) to re-record parts of its album.
We re-recorded some of the drums and guitars simply because we had the opportunity to G? it was a pretty cool experience; John was a very cool guy
Konicek said.
Although it might appear to be a standard indie-pop band at first glance, Mason Proper's experimental style and interesting use of instrumentation gives the band a unique sound that lends itself to a free-flowing song-writing style.
Sometimes someone will bring in a song (that is) pretty much done and we just go with it and put our individual spin on it
Konicek said. Sometimes someone just brings in a keyboard part or a melody and we all put our individual spin on it.
This is how the songs on the four-song EP ' which will be released soon ' the band is currently working on came about.
Each song is going to have a video with it
just a low-budget type of thing that will be released with the EP
so that is something to look forward to
Konicek said.
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