Person L embraces garage-rock sound
Hilary Saskin
Issue date: 11/9/09 Section: Culture
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This is exactly what happened for Kenneth Vasoli … sort of.
Vasoli, the former frontman of Starting Line, is now fronting the band Person L. And he is entertaining an almost entirely new fan base.
"Understandably, a lot of Starting Line fans I don't think can really make the jump, or at least they haven't in the past," Vasoli said. "But on the other hand, there are a lot of people out there that are just fans of what I do and the songs I write."
The change in fans has not affected Vasoli in a negative way. In fact, he understands the change.
"If Starting Line was my absolute favorite band, I don't know how I would react to a band like Person L," he said. "So I can see how it is."
The main reason behind this change is the actual music.
The jump from Starting Line's music to that of Person L, however, is not the only difference. Person L has changed their sound from their debut album, Initial, to their upcoming album, The Positives (to release Nov. 17).
"As far as songs go, there aren't a whole lot of songs you can compare from the first record to the second," Vasoli said.
The new album has similar vibes on it, he said, but it also has a lot more funk and soul.
He described The Positives as "more of an old school garage rock-and-roll sort of record" with a lot more "funk and soul."
"The biggest difference is it's more of a comprehensible record," Vasoli said. "When we were making our first one it was just kind of a mad rush to get out all of these influences and I didn't really care how they related to each other."
They decided to take a different approach with their second album. The band spent time figuring out a way to "tie it all together" instead of just throwing it together.
"Even though it's a fairly schizophrenic record - it's really loud and abrasive stuff and also really ambient and just very kind of spacey music on it - it somehow works together," Vasoli said. "And I think it's a good flow from one song to the next."
With such a cohesive record, Vasoli has trouble choosing just one favorite track.
"It's probably 'Stay Calm,' the slow song on the record," he said.
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