Local alternative band Living Is Rare is making waves in Columbus’ indie-rock scene.
The trio of Ohio State students — lead vocalist Max Little, drummer Caleb Hutchinson and guitarist Ryan Armstrong — began playing together in 2022, the result of a friendship formed when they met as new students in the Mount Leadership Society Scholars program.
“We all lived in Bowen House together, and we all just became friends,” said Little, a fourth-year in finance. “It’s not like we were looking to start a band. I just found out that my friends who were right in front of me the entire time were awesome musicians, and we literally just started from that.”
Armstrong, also a fourth-year in accounting, said Living Is Rare’s music is a “hybrid” of the band’s musical tastes, which span genres like synth-pop, punk-rock, musical theater, hip-hop and R&B.
“We want to make music that people would enjoy listening to, but also something that has a message to it. And so, when you try to blend those two things together, a lot of different musical ideas can come out,” Armstrong said. “We’re an aggregate group. That’s what we do. We take all the music types, and we try to build something that’s important and meaningful.”
Little said the band’s diverse musical approach also reflects its desire to explore the trio’s personal passions through music.
“We’re not great at fitting in,” Little said. “I don’t think we ever intentionally sat down and said, ‘Hey, let’s try to not be identifiable,’ but we all like a lot of music, and we really want to make music that we like, and the result of that is a lot of different sounds in our music.”
Armstrong said their distinct style can be heard on Living Is Rare’s debut album, “Inertia,” which was released Sept. 13. He said the recording process involved putting the album together piece by piece, especially considering the band couldn’t collaborate or play in the same space.
“We’ve gone with a DIY approach to pretty much everything we’ve done,” Armstrong said. “Almost never have we physically gone somewhere and recorded something all together, all at once.”
Consequently, Little said he found particularly creative ways to record his vocal parts for the album.
“I recorded vocals for a record in my parents’ bedroom closet back home,” Little said. “It’s a big walk-in, and there’s clothes, so it essentially works as a sound booth. It’s definitely a DIY situation.”
Hutchinson, a fourth-year in public policy analysis and criminal justice studies, said he aimed to capture the energy of the band’s live performances while recording drum and other percussion tracks.
“The process is, basically, there’s no process,” Hutchinson said. “When it comes to tracking drums, it pretty much starts from an idea. Essentially, we’ll get into rehearsal, and we’ll be like, ‘Let’s take this snippet real quick and see if we can do anything.’ Or we’ll just be like, ‘Oh, I have a beat. Let’s try this out.’ And we’ll just play together, sit there for 10 minutes or however long and just try to find something.”
Throughout the recording process, Hutchinson said he felt the trio’s connection — both as friends and musicians — deepen. He said the bond they share is what gives the music its intensity and flair.
“It’s always really fun, especially the rehearsals,” Hutchinson said. “Whenever something clicks, it’s like, ‘Yeah, this is it.’ Playing with these guys is always a joy to look forward to, and it’s only gotten stronger with time.”
Armstrong said in February 2023, Living Is Rare played its first show at Club D, a live music venue in the basement of Donatos, located at 2084 N. High St.
“None of us were in bands before, and so we didn’t really have an expectation of what it’s like to stand in front of all these people,” Armstrong said. “So much more is on the line there, but also you feel so much more support for people who come out to see you.”
Since then, Little said the band has played across Columbus at numerous venues, including Dirty Dungarees, The Summit Music Hall, Rumba Cafe, Rambling House and The Spacebar, which hosted the band’s album release party in September.
When starting Living Is Rare with Hutchinson and Armstrong, Little said he primarily focused on what the band’s live shows would look like. He said the group’s live philosophy has allowed its members to connect deeply with fans, no matter when or where the band is playing.
“All of my favorite concerts that I’ve been to, the ones that I remember the most out of the many that I’ve seen, all have something in common: The band worked to destroy the wall between the stage and the crowd,” Little said. “They worked to make it a personalized experience and make you feel like you were part of the show, like you had a stake in the show.”
Little said Living Is Rare brings the same zeal to its live performances.
“I think when we play, we’re inviting people to show that they’re not necessarily at this venue for us, they’re there for an experience, and that is kind of the number one thing that we try to drive home with every show,” Little said.
Hutchinson said the band’s main goal has always been to keep audiences entertained.
“We always try to put on a show for our audience,” Hutchinson said. “We’ve brought people on stage before. We’ll get into the crowd. We’re gonna make you move.”
A correction was issued on this story on Nov.20 to accurately reflect the major of guitarist Ryan Armstrong.
