With a summer of touring ahead of them and a batch of new songs working their way into the band's repertoire Seville is looking ahead to the fall when they hope to schedule studio time for a full length release.Not Waiting Anymore
Jim Doherty

Juggling the demands and schedules of two bands is no piece of cake, but it keeps Seville tight, toned, and light on their feet.
In a little over a year, Seville has certainly made some impressive strides, but don't think this band is some flash in the pan. The band was formed from the ashes of lon-time South Florida band The Agency. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Drueke has certainly paid his dues on the way to the success that the band is currently experiencing.

Formed early in 2001 by Drueke, Mike Marsh (drums/vocals), Dan Bonebrake (bass) and John Owens (guitar/vocals) Seville recorded and released an impressive debut EP, Waiting in Seville, which was released by Miami's Fiddler Records. The EP, also recorded in Miami, features six taut, driving tunes. The sound is somewhat reminiscent of early Dischord Records stuff: think Fugazi's first few records with the vocals and speed tuned down a bit. Most musicians shy away from comparisons to other bands, but when CLOSER spoke with Drueke recently, he didn't seem to mind being compared to bands he sees as influences.

When asked to describe the band himself he said, "If I try to describe our sound to someone who's maybe a sort of FM radio kid, I'd compare our sound to something like The Foo Fighters. If someone has a little more indie education I'd say that bands like Burning Airlines and Jawbox make sense."
That comparison makes sense to these ears as well, as the band employs some tempo changes and, especially on the standout track, "Transmission," some terrific vocal interplay. The primary vocal interplay on the CD is between Drueke and drummer Marsh, who have played together for over six years.
Currently the band is in transition, since Marsh recently decided to concentrate his time on Dashboard Confessional. For some time now the rhythm section of Seville has been splitting time between the two South Florida bands, but they seem to have made different decisions about what to do with regards to this conflict. Since Marsh's decision, Seville has recruited Kris King from Against All Authority, and Owens (also of Anchorman) has taken over more of the vocal duties. This shift in personnel has also affected the band's sound. Drueke acknowledges, "We're definitely getting more melodic."

For most of the time since the band's formation they have been on the road. They have spent time playing with Dashboard Confessional, Ultimate Fakebook, Rocking Horse Winner, Rival Schools and Duvall. The band feels a special affinity with Duvall, and recently booked a short June Midwestern tour with the band as well as a split EP due out soon on the Double Zero label. Drueke is clearly excited about the summer plans and about being on the road in general. He acknowledges that at times it's tough being an opening act playing for people who are there to see the main acts.

But Drueke says he has a simple way of judging how successful they've been, "I always judge that by how much merch we move, and we've been selling a bunch of the CDs on the road." They've also had the opportunity to play in front of bigger crowds than they have usually seen in their South Florida home. "We've been playing in front of crowds of about 300 to 1000 at times," says Drueke. Although they've been playing away from home, Drueke tells us that they're definitely starting to recognize some friendly faces after having played some towns a number of times now.

By far the biggest challenge the band has faced is the balancing act that Marsh was attempting, and that Bonebrake is still managing. Drueke remembers stretches where the band could only practice for two or three times before heading out on the road, but he feels that this has helped the band get stronger and tighter. With a summer of touring ahead of them and a batch of new songs working their way into the band's repertoire Seville is looking ahead to the fall when they hope to schedule studio time for a full length release.

It may be a while before they play in our neck of the woods again, but in the meantime enjoy their CD Waiting In Seville, and keep an eye out for new material. You can keep up with the band through their website at www.waintinginseville.com or through the band's management at www.deadlinepublicity.com.