Local band to leave Bloomington for New York

It's easy to see how the "labor" of making the rounds in the Bloomington scene would be cake to Laborious Clef, simply by observing the sheer amount of energy the band members exhibit. On April 5, the band will release its first album, Laborious Clef, at Upland Brewery, which it hopes will better its profile in the community. The party will be held from 9 p.m. to midnight.\nBut the event will be bittersweet, though the band will be celebrating its first album, it will also be looking towards its own impending doom. At the end of the school year, the band will leave the Hoosier state and make the move to New York City. But one member will not be along for the ride.\n"Each and every one of us has a path to follow, if we are honest enough with ourselves to see it," says Rory Sandhage, drummer for Laborious Clef. Sandhage has chosen to move to the opposite coast, hoping to pursue acting and film, as well as music.\nJason Allen, the self-prock "epicenter" of the band, says he is optimistic about his future with bassist Darren Lipper.\n"New York is a very opportunistic scene currently. It's a melting pot of culture, music, art, and humanism in it's rawest form," says Allen, lead guitarist and vocalist for Laborious Clef. \nSandhage says he regets his impending departure from the band, but says he understands that it is necessary for Laborious Clef to move on.\n"It's an especially unfortunate fact of life with bands, but the best groups are the ones that keep on moving forward without a moment's hesitation. The cream will always rise to the top, and Laborious Clef is no exception," Sandhage says.\nAlthough Laborious Clef will soon be leaving the Bloomington scene, the fans will not forget the impact that the band has made.\n"They're very energetic at shows and they play their instruments well," says Nora Flaherty, a junior.\nOnce the band is gone, the CD will serve as a reminder of a band that has made its rounds in the Bloomington music scene. The album focuses both on the band's older sound (more funkier, slower tempo time) and its new, refined sound.\n"(The new album is) a wonderful presentation of our efforts here in Bloomington," says Sandhage, "capturing both our sound last year with our new sound that takes all the best aspects of our formative days and kicks them into high gear with a new emphasis in the raw power and genuine reality of punk music, however still staying true to our roots."\nLaborious Clef took six days to record, which includes two days of tracking and four days of overdubs and mixing, \n"It took an incredible amount of focus and discipline to achieve the desired level of results in such a short period of time, but it was a challenge we were up for," Sandhage says.\nThe three musicians who collectively make up Laborious Clef strive to bring a mix of intelligence, vivaciousness and motivation to their music. Sandhage says he doesn't like to place its music in any single genre. \nLaborious Clef is one of those rare instances when a band doesn't clearly fit into one category or genre," Sandhage says. "While rock would be the most logical definition, how do you account for the jazz, punk, funk, Latin, hip-hop, and reggae influences that pop up all over the music? Is it fusion, experimental music or just plum crazy? That's our challenge to our listeners."\nSandhage is the self-described "chameleon" of the group. As the drummer and a backing vocalist of Laborious Clef, he took an interest in music at age fourteen.\n"My dad bought a set of drums to play, so I started fiddling around with them, and it just snowballed from there," he says. \nIn high school, as Sandhage pursued the drums, he found another pastime -- Theater. \n"My love for theater transferred beautifully over to the drum set, which allowed for the many emotions expressed in theater to enhance my drum performance," he says. "Any good drummer knows that technical ability is only half of it. It's the emotion that goes into every note that makes it all worthwhile. When you strike a drum or a cymbal, strike it with love or hate or lust or anger, however the music moves you. True musicians follow their emotions."\nAllen also began playing music at fourteen, but unlike Sandhage, he chose the guitar. Allen brought his love of music to IU, where he majored in music. Although he left the school when the jazz-guitar major was no longer part of the curriculum, he found a new home for his creativity in English and literature, which has helped develop the lyrics of Laborious Clef. \n"The lyrical content challenges the listener to question and stand up against false authority and ignorant social trends and institutions, as well as appreciate the true beauty and mysteries of our day-to-day lives," he says.\nLipper says, because of his behavior, his stage performance has drawn comparisons to that of Flea from the The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Lipper is the bass player for Laborious Clef, and also considers himself the melodic counterpart to Allen. \n"Playing the simplest bass line with conviction is just as important as playing something complicated," he says. "By implementing numerous texturizing effects, it maximizes the band's sound."\nLipper says he is able to loop his bass parts on the spot during performances, so that he can solo over the top of them in the context of the songs. This allows him to compose entire songs, unaccompanied. \n"It's something you have to see to believe," he exclaimed\nThe impending break-up hasn't hindered Laborious Clef's efforts, or its ability to gain international exposure. Over spring break, the band traveled to the Cayman Islands for a show.\n"We got to play at the island's largest nightclub for $600 a night, and we would've been crazy to have refused," Sandhage says.\nArthur Hall, a junior, met the band at a neighbor's house when Laborious Clef was still in its infancy.\n"Their music is never the same," Hall says. "It's always innovative, and they have evolved so much. They're a bunch of wonderful, talented, brilliant musicians. Above all, they make intelligent music"