Shapes And Faces

A testament to the power of Craigslist, Shapes + Faces came together via the ubiquitous classified advertising website in 2012. A couple of years prior, singer/guitarist Derek Bennett started recording home demos in Garageband which he continued throughout moves from Kansas to Connecticut to Texas. The backdrop of nondescript one-bedroom apartments served as an ideal blank canvas for much of the early Shapes + Faces material. Once he arrived in Dallas, Derek posted Craigslist ads in hopes to start a band using these home recordings as a starting point. Musicians came and went until the right pieces fell into place. Ryan Martin (drums/backing vocals) brought intricate and dynamic drumming that would breathe new life into the demo material while laying a foundation for what Shapes + Faces would become. Jeff Givens (guitar) would bring a dramatic guitar style that always serves the song and an animalistic stage presence. On bass, Chase Gamradt solidified the lineup with an ability to dance around the fretboard while maintaining rhythmic harmony with the drums. Individually, the musical influences of the band are wide-ranging but overlap in interesting ways. From Minus the Bear to Rush to REM to Explosions in the Sky to David Bowie, Shapes + Faces’ sound combines pop songwriting with dynamic arrangements and a general ADHD that makes them a moving target for most genre labels.