Band tries to stay true to its music

Band members aren't shy about expressing their political opinions.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Just like the popular fast-food television commercial that finds hungry folks pricing items in a cheeseburger currency, Dropping Daylight bassist Rob Burke can't help himself when discussing the Minneapolis-based band's set list for its Saturday tour stop at The Cellar in Youngstown.
"I think on this one, we're going to bring out some more of the fun, poppy tunes like 'Lucy,' which has been our favorite and many people's favorite for a very long time," said Burke, calling from Minnesota. "If we had a dollar for everybody who sang that song back to us, we'd have at least enough for a cheeseburger."
While he's being modest, the truth is the pop rock sound found on the band's 2006 debut, "Brace Yourself," has been garnering plenty of radio and press attention. Even though the quartet was a part of the 2004 Vans Warped Tour and has shared the stage with the likes of Crossfade, Breaking Benjamin, Simple Plan, Flyleaf and Yellowcard, its sound is unique when compared with what qualifies for rock radio today.
Heavy on piano
You could call the band's material piano-centric, in that the keys are never too far away from the hook-y melodies. Recorded nearly two years ago, "Brace Yourself" has a Breaking Benjamin-meets-Ben Folds vibe. Already the band is looking ahead with Burke saying: "It's going to be more like the Foo Fighters/Incubus-meets-Ben Folds. But we don't really try to make it sound like anything. You just try to make it the best song you can. That's always been our philosophy as a band, and people always say to us, 'You don't sound like any other band. You sound like a mash-up.' This is what Dropping Daylight sounds like."
He added, "You can't try to make the music into something else. Once you start doing that, you turn into every other band. Everyone is trying to do what already sold a million records. We're going to do what we do and if it's successful, great."
Opinionated
There's no beating around the bush when it comes to Dropping Daylight, which isn't afraid to delve into blue state/red state matters. The not-so-subtly titled "War Song" depicts the moment before a soldier loses his life in an overseas location. With friends currently fighting in faraway and dangerous places, Burke feels the band is at liberty to comment on the situation.
"I think either way you look at our country's foreign policies, there isn't a person in this country who isn't affected by what's going on, and it's just a way for all of us to say, 'Hey, we're all together on this one,'" Burke said. "We want our brothers and sisters to come back home because we miss them. It's that simple."
Respectful to others but opinionated is how Burke describes the band's political bent. In essence, it's putting the onus on its fans to do their homework.
"I don't think it's our responsibility to tell people what to think," Burke said. "I think as a band, it's our responsibility to tell people to think."