Three Years and Still Going Strong, Omaha Rock Band 'Aurasing' Will Stop at Nothing to Maintain the Position They Have Earned in Local Music

By: Audrey Kay xx

It was just another Sunday for the five member ensemble as I dropped by their usual practice space for our interview. Afraid of taking up too much rehearsal time, Aurasing's leading vocalist, Mike Clark, assured me they planned their practice time around our meeting. Little did I know they set aside four hours every Sunday for practice. That does not include the many extra hours they put in on top of that throughout the week developing new material, promotional work for the band, and of course, more practice. It is that type of dedication that has helped place Aurasing at the top of their game, and to keep them there. What sets apart this band from many others is their tremendous level of self-efficiency. They refuse to sit around and wait for things to happen, people to recognize them, and people to endorse and get their name out there without having to do their part. They do all of their own 'dirty work' and have proved quite well that if you want to succeed and make things happen, you really can only rely on yourself to get to that point.

What I appreciated was the band's straightforwardness with the music industry, and more specifically, local music. Clark was willing to really lay out his feelings on how egotism, idleness and negativity have corrupted the purpose of performing musicianship.

"We're fans of music first, we're musicians second. I make music that I not only enjoy playing but I would enjoy hearing. If [we] love what we're doing musically and we put on a show, people show up, and THEY love what we're doing, that makes it ten times better. Why should I be ashamed of that? And why should I say I don't do it for that reason?  Of course I do it for that reason! There is no point to playing shows if you don't do it for that. You are wasting the venue's money, a promoter's money; you are wasting time and money of everyone willing to put you on the stage if you don't give a shit about what you're doing. There's this self- righteous indignation with a lot of musicians that don't feel like they have to put in the time and effort because they are THAT GOOD. You may be that good, but that's such a shitty attitude and people won't buy it. You have to be able to sell what you are doing to yourself before you can successfully sell it to other people. For musicians to say 'I don't care what anyone thinks, I don't care if anyone comes to my shows', they are full of shit."

The most distinctive character Aurasing encompasses is their energy and confidence that shines through, even when they are off the stage. But, they have all reached that balance of constructing a contagious type of enthusiasm, not an off-putting one. They fully understand that being a great musician does not make you a great performer, and feel that if musicians want to strike that balance, they need to carry their own weight. "We love all types of music," Clark says, "I love everything from country, to rock, to blues. We all genuinely would love to see all types of music succeed, but [every musician] needs to hold themselves accountable and not be lazy about it." To the band, it is not about being the best or outshining anyone who is out to accomplish the same goals in music. Even for a show that the band is headlining, they have a strong belief in keeping everything equal. "Really, we are just in competition with ourselves," Clark explains, "At our shows, everything gets split equally and it has always been that way," adds bassist Matt Oliver. "We aren't out to be better than anyone, just continuously improving and bettering ourselves. That has and always will be the main goal for us as a band."

After three long years, line up changes and personal growths, including expanding families and careers, it can be hard to keep the dynamic of the group stable. What I honor about this band is how everyone can stay so grounded and on the same page even with everything else going on. "There are times it gets pretty ugly," drummer Lowell Owen adds, "We have all reached a level where we can get pissed at each other, and then move on. In order to keep moving forward as a band, that level of communication has to be there, or it won't work." While they lost their old guitarist due to conflicting schedules (fortunately on good terms, however), Adam Thompson joined the band, playing his first show with the group barely even two months ago. With their new material being written, some of which will be showcased at their performance June 18th, Thompson is given a much more expansive opportunity to shine alongside fellow guitarist and now principal songwriter, Tony Hemann. They describe their new sound as raw and polished, yet maintaining the core rock persona that Omaha has come to know and love.

You can catch Aurasing alongside some of Omaha's finest in rock; A Moment Lost, The Rising and The End in Red at The Slowdown next Friday, June 18th! Doors at 8 and show starts at 9. Aurasing will be headlining the event. Buy tickets now at etix.com or pay seven dollars at the door IF they are still available! Youngin's need slips! See you there!

Audrey Kay xx

6.12.10