by Melissa Komar
Minshara Hangs at That Mag’s Radio Show
Minshara. Music is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you hear the word, but the four-piece Harrisburg band of that name is slowly working toward making it a household name.
While lead vocalist Aaron Miller and bassist Dan Lucas have known each other for over ten years, the current line-up didn’t come together until about a year and a half ago, with final piece and drummer Evan Kirkley rounding out the band. Guitarist Mike Villegas had known the latter two for many years, but the three never thought to team up until running into each other at a concert.
“The band was kind of formed at a Circa Survive concert. Literally, Dan and I were in the middle of trying to find members for this band and ran into Mike there and we (Aaron and Mike) had jammed together around 2005,” Miller recalls.
With the line-up complete and over a decade of combined musical experience ranging from progressive-rock, pop-punk, metal, jazz, and even country, the quartet needed a name. The name itself, easily recognized by Trekkies, is based in sci-fi.
“It is taken from science fiction, but my understanding is that it has a basis in Latin and I thought it was a beautiful word and basically it means it supports life,” Dan Lucas, bassist and backing vocalist, explains. He adds, “The fact that it was unique and the whole concept of supporting life, we put our own spin on it.”
So what kind of sound can listeners expect from a band whose name is loosely tied to Star Trek? While the members point to influences from The Mars Volta, Michael Jackson, Muse, Peter Gabriel, and The Used, overall they consider themselves, as Miller put it, “electronic pop-rock with a small touch of progressive styling.”
Don’t, however, categorize them yet. “We’re not a band that sticks to a certain scene or only one style of music. We’re a band that appreciates high quality production, high quality sound and melody with high energy to it,” adds Lucas.
Currently, they have a five track EP available that they released in 2011. Listeners can expect the first full-length album, IO, to be released this summer. The lead single is coming up on a release and the band will perform it on the Live at 5 Show on Radio 104.5 on Friday, April 4th. The band will also play an undisclosed Muse cover.
If you missed them at Dobbs this weekend, Minshara will be performing at Winterfest 2014 at The Abbey Bar in Harrisburg this Saturday, March 8th. Over a dozen bands including Kid Felix and Ducky and the Vintage will be there, making the event well worth a drive from Philadelphia. A portion of the ticket sales will go toward the fight against ALS. They’ll also be back in Philly on March 29th at the M Room.
Music videos will also be released along with the first two singles. The lead single is “Into the Night”.
