Thoughtful and intelligent lyrics, with songs structures that are both fresh and familiar. Derren Raser Band is a refreshing and exciting mix of Folk, Pop, Jazz, and the Blues. They've been described at "Elliot Smith meets James Taylor, with a splash of

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POP: Folky Pop, ROCK: Folk Rock



Details:
Derren Raser is not an articulate conversationalist. He speaks in sudden spurts, his words careening out in a rough jumble one moment, slowing to a near stall the next. He interrupts himself often, gets hung up on âyou knowâ or âum,â and then spins off into an entirely different sentence or thought, leaving fragments and half-phrases in his wake. He seems to constantly struggle for the words that will express what he wants to say.

It may come as some surprise, then, that the other three members of the Derren Raser Band unapologetically claim he is the most articulate singer-songwriter they have ever had the pleasure of working with. Mark Samples, the bandâs jazz-trained saxophonist, confesses to being âblown away by his clarity of expression.â Daniel Rhine and Cole Petersen, the bandâs bassist and percussionist respectively ...quot; also experienced jazz musicians ...quot; are quick to agree.


Their unfailing belief in Raserâs abilities has kept them following him for more than three years, during which time the bandâs unique blend of folk and acoustic rock has emerged as a pleasant new sound in the San Diego music scene. Itâs a sound that is at once classic and fresh, hard to classify but easy to listen to. Although the most common comparisons made are to John Mayer and Dave Matthews, these fail to grasp the depth of the bandâs roots. Well-schooled music fans will likely recognize a resemblance to the work of James Taylor and Paul Simon, two of Raserâs musical heros.


Taylor, in particular, is an inspiration for Raser. âIâm a big fan. He loves, I think, to write music that is therapeutic for him but also for other people. A lot of his music is looking at life in an honest way, and I really appreciate that.â


Raser has a habit of punctuating his speech with the words âI think,â as if heâs never really completely sure. As it turns out, this quirk is just a symptom of a devotion to sincere expression that runs so deep in Raser, it is inseparable from his personality. Indeed, his sometimes confused and jumbled speech may simply be a consequence of the same; heâs so pre-occupied with expressing what he truly thinks and feels that he winds up second-guessing himself, cutting himself off and stumbling awkwardly, while his mind gropes for the purest possible expression of each thought.


All this changes when he sits down with a guitar. Something about composing music unlocks Raserâs mind and enables him to produce honest, emotive expression that is nearly flawless in its purity.


"Itâs amazing to me how done it is when it comes out,â says Samples. âItâs not like a first draft. Heâll say, ââ¬ËI wrote a new song; can I play it for you?â And what you hear is a complete piece of expressive art.â As a result, the band members almost never suggest changes to the songs.
Raser understands that music is the catalyst that frees him to communicate without inhibition. âThe way my emotions come out is through musical ideas,â he says. âWhen I get emotional, my brain hears music. And I sit with my guitar and I write it out. It almost always comes out all at once.â


Petersen, the percussionist, says that âof all the people that Iâve ever played with, Derren is the most comfortable and confident with his emotional expression. Some songwriters write to draw an emotional response from the audience. Derren writes more as an emotional expression regardless of his audience.â


According to Samples, Raser âhas found a way through song to express feelings in a way that Iâve never heard anyone else do. Heâs articulating it for himself, but it resonates with every other person whoâs ever been in that situation. And because the human condition is such that we have similar experiences, it resonates with almost everyone.â


In stark contrast to his shy and unassuming nature, Raser relishes in performing for a live audience. âThere is something about the performance that I feel more at home there than I do almost anywhere else. There arenât many situations where I feel as comfortable or as confident.â


This perfect storm of confidence and honesty often gets Raser in a tight spot. âDerren has a really interesting rapport with the audience,â says Samples, âbecause he just says whatever comes to his mind. Sometimes itâs borderline inappropriate.â


âA lot of [musicians] will try to be funny in an attempt to connect with the crowd, but you can see through it,â says Petersen. âDerrenâs totally different because heâs so honest. Sometimes you can almost be embarrassed for a person when they go on and ramble, but with Derren, itâs so pure that people relate to it.â


Raserâs unbridled sincerity on the microphone once led him to infamously debut a new song about a bad breakup to an audience that included the girl whom the song was written about. âIt was a pretty honest and harsh song,â he explains, and then, in a burst of spoken clarity, he describes himself precisely: âBut I can say things through a song that I would have a really hard time saying in person.â

By Jake Sibley
944 Magazine
November 30, 2005