Collin Maria (guitarist), Nick Grover (drummer), Vince Thompson (vocalist) and Steve Greer (bassist) are all members of MUDD, an indie band based in Columbus. Credit: Courtesy of Rachel Becker
It’s been a long time coming for indie-rock group MUDD, which is dropping its first EP, “DESCEND,” Friday at midnight eight months since the band’s formation
MUDD comprises four members: lead vocalist Vince Thompson, a fourth-year in marketing, bassist Steve Greer and guitarist Collin Maria, fourth-years in industrial and systems engineering, and drummer Nick Grover, a 2022 alum. The group formed in May when its members got together for their first jam session and clicked instantly, as bandmates and as friends, Thompson said.
After spending the fall playing shows nearly every weekend, MUDD announced via its Instagram it was taking a step back from performing live shows to work on the recording of its first EP. Now, it’s gearing up for what Thompson called a “major milestone.”
“It’s about damn time,” Thompson said. “I’m ready. I’m so ready for this.”
MUDD self-identifies with the “broadly indie-rock” genre, but Thompson said it’s hard to grasp the band’s sound without having heard its music before.
The four-track release, Thompson said, is a great introduction to the band for new listeners, offering a taste of the band’s musical personality. “DESCEND” includes elements from a variety of genres, ranging from a disco-inspired tune to a psychedelic ballad.
“When people ask us what genres we are, I’m kind of like, ‘Indie-rock, psychedelic,’” Thomspon said. “I feel like I can say that, but you don’t really get it until you listen to it.”
“DESCEND” has been in the works since November, and Greer said the group has spent hours fiddling with different iterations of each track until the members were satisfied with the product.
“Every song just has a big checklist that we have to complete,” Greer said. “Sometimes, you uncheck the boxes and redo it.”
After spending time over winter break putting the finishing touches on each track, the group is relieved to get its work out into the world, Thompson said.
“It felt like little puzzle pieces,” Thompson said. “As we got the final masters back of each song it was like ‘OK, there’s one done, we don’t have to worry about that one.’”
While the group recognizes its genre of music is not “breaking any ground,” what really sets the band apart is the members themselves and their chemistry on stage, Greer said.
“A lot of times these days, more popular music doesn’t really include a group — or a band — that can perform live,” Greer said. “There’s four faces to put behind it. I think we can provide something that isn’t as often seen, but we can lead the listener in a new direction.”
MUDD hopes this release will encourage its reach beyond Columbus, even hoping to potentially reach an international audience, Greer said.
“As a college, local band, your fanbase is kind of restricted to just the area where people can come see you until you have music out,” Greer said. “Then, people can — from all over the world — can like you. We’re hoping somewhere, somebody likes it.”
As for what’s next, Thompson said the group’s overarching plan for 2023 is to keep its “noses down” and get more serious about its craft. While the band is proud of what it’s put together for this EP release, Thompson said the members know “DESCEND” is only the beginning of their journey.
“All four of us know we can do better,” Thompson said. “Like it’s good, it’s good music, but we can definitely do more. There’s a lot of stuff we can do, and I’m excited. I think we gave ourselves room to go up.”
