MUSIC Bancroft ponders its next step

Newton Falls native Andrew Hutchinson wants to give the band his best shot.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
The transition from college to the real world is tough.
For most graduates, reality makes you feel a lot of things, but extraordinary isn't usually one of them. So out of this post-college malaise one must discover happiness. And for Newton Falls native and Bowling Green resident (former Bowling Green State University student) Andrew Hutchinson, that slice of optimism was music with the band Bancroft, and specifically the song "Extra Ordinary," which can be found on the outfit's 2005 release "The Melophobic Solution."
"There was a short time where we weren't sure what we were going to do and put things on hold," said Hutchinson, calling from Bowling Green. "It was after we graduated and we ended up deciding this real-world stuff sucks, that we really love doing the band and we believe in what we're doing."
Bancroft, which is named after a street in both Newton Falls and Toledo, was formed in 2001 by Hutchinson along with his hometown buddy Brett Duffy. The act's distinct Jimmy Eats World-meets-Weezer rock sound fits perfectly into today's alt rock scene with the band's initial appeal found in its earnest songwriting. Take, for instance, mid-tempo rocker "Stealing Fate."
Balancing act
"It's about trying to balance everything you have in life and that's where we're kind of at now," Hutchinson said.
"We're trying everything possible to be a professional band and would love to make that jump where we didn't have to have day jobs. But if down the road we don't succeed as a band, we're not 28-year-old guys who never held down a decent job."
In talking to Hutchinson, there's a distinct sense of satisfaction, knowing the group survived its tough times and at least gave music a shot.
For now, touring dominates the 1997 Newton High School graduate's schedule, with Bancroft performing locally tonight at Face's Lounge in Newton Falls.
"I'm looking forward to seeing old friends," Hutchinson said.
"It's a pretty special thing to go home."