After six years together as a band you become more than just a band…you become a family, a way of life, and oddly enough you become a marriage. A marriage between five band members, one whole hearted passion, and thousands of fans who’ve each had their day made just a little bit better by hearing the unique and eccentric sound of Synthetic Elements.
During the early spring of 2001, long time skating buddies Todd McMullan (Lead singer/Guitar) and Kyle Hernandez (Bass) started what would soon become Synthetic Elements, to get out of the cold and find a new pastime and dodge the crazy Colorado weather. Growing up in a small farm town of less than 10,000 people, punk rock music wasn’t the most popular sound coming from teens stereos, but after being introduced to the likes of Goldfinger, Less Than Jake, & Rancid on video games, Todd knew he wanted to dive headfirst into the ska/punk scene.
Less than 48 hours after the youngest member of the band graduated high school, the band hit the road for a solid two and a half years of touring! Thick skulled and unprepared, Synthetic Elements learned relatively quickly that there are only two things that create success in the music industry: blind luck and a never say die DIY attitude. Choosing the later of the two, the band released two full length albums along with two EP’s while on the road, all self produced and distributed. These albums became, more than anything, stepping stones in the path to finding Synthetic Elements own unique and amazing sound.
With musical influences all over the spectrum, there is one common denominator that can be found in every one of Synthetic Elements songs: Energy!!!! It’s the explosion of energy that starts with the first note of their live performance and resonates in your body long after the last chord blares from the speaker that keeps the hundreds and hundreds of fans, in Denver alone, coming back for more, show after show after show. “Somewhere in between Voodoo Glow Skulls and Dropkick Murphy’s is a drunken-blast known as Synthetic Elements. The music sounds like a party where nobody gets pissed about what kind of beer is served, where the chicks ask the guys to dance, and everyone asks the band to play their next shin-dig. It’s not music for every type of people, just yours.†says Nerf aka Jeb Freedman, Program Manager and afternoon DJ on Denver based KTCL 93.3 FM.After beating down the road and logging close to 400 shows, Synthetic Elements decided to settle back in Colorado where they built Sockout Studios and began recording 2007 release “Standing Stillâ€. Instantaneously word spread and popularity in the Colorado scene grew. After being picked by DJs and radio listeners to play at KTCLs Big Gig(with punk staples Social Distortion) in August, old-school sounding punk tune “I Can’t Believe†worked its way into regular rotation on the Clear Channel station in December and gained major label interest from Roadrunner/Atlantic records.In today’s thriving Denver music scene, it’s no surprise to hear the never-ending buzz about Synthetic Elements. Colorado Music Buzz magazine pegs them as “What to Watch for in ’08†and with radio support of KTCL 93.3 FM presenting their local shows, SE are the ultimate self-sufficient, DIY crew, in the driver’s seat of the Colorado punk scene. Sharing the stage and touring with everyone from ska gods The Skatalites, English Beat, and The Slackers, to pop-ska legends Mustard Plug and the Mad Caddies. You even might have seen them at Warped Tour alongside Big D and the Kids Table or firing up a sold out crowd for the Aquabats.Breaking ground on their 4th full-length album in early 2008, Synthetic Elements is heading full force into its seventh year with all four original members (Todd, Kyle, Brett-Drums, & Mike-Trumpet/Keys/Vocals). With newest member Johnson(Bone/Accordion/Washboard) adding even more diversity to the mix, the band has found its sound and writes tunes that everyone can relate to in their own little way. Main singer/songwriter Todd says “We’re not a political band, or anything like that. We don’t try to preach our individual beliefs to anyone through our music. We write songs that everyone can relate to because we write songs about life. That’s something that everyone has in common and brings us all together as one.â€The Synthetic Element family will go on forever in one way or another. The band grew up together and learned so much about life, for better or for worse, together. “To me its way more than just the music, it just seems normal to take this journey together, and along the way write some songs to share with anyone who will listen. “ And anyone who will listen to Synthetic Elements is guaranteed to have on hell of a good time!
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