Written and Media by Ben Isaacs.
The lab bands of Greenville College provide students with entertainment almost every single week. Much of what we see of the lab bands here on campus are only their performances, but there is much more that goes on behind the scenes. Nienna, a lab band on campus, was recently asked to play a live recording of their song “Fall Behind.” They gladly accepted the request and began practicing. This article will explain the extensive process a live recording requires, as well as give insider access to the campus lab band, Nienna.
Nienna is comprised of four members. Nathan Andrews, with his compound time signatures and driving drum beats, creates the music for the band. Jacob Kersh brings the low end with his thick and heavy bass tone. Emma Nobbe, the guitarist of the group, sports a creamy distorted lead guitar. Being the only guitarist of the group, Nobbe has to play both rhythm and electric guitar. To top it all off, Kaylee Gaines provides the pure and contrastingly soft vocals that give Nienna their signature sound.
Their producer for the group, Randy Mueller, recorded the band as part of his senior project at Greenville College. The first obstacle Mueller had to be prepared for was the massive amount of set-up. Even though Nienna had a set meeting time, and many of its members arrived on the dot, the set-up still pushed the actual recording session back an hour or so. Not only this, but there were complications with the inputs going into the soundboard. For whatever reason, the microphone that was supposed to record the guitarist’s amp wasn’t picking anything up.
After spending about half an hour replacing cables, moving amps, and other various necessities, Randy was able to get the band into the system, and Nienna was ready to be recorded. Unfortunately, recording live isn’t just one and done. When playing a live show, a band can play through any mistakes they make. For a live recording, everything has to be perfect. Even after 3 hours in the studio, Nienna was still attempting a perfect recording. After a long and exhausting night, the band finally finished the recording and could all go home.
On the surface, lab bands already do a lot for Greenville College. Practicing and performing takes endurance, and really long nights in the studio cause additional exhaustion. Despite physical fatigue, GC lab bands continuously work hard so that students can enjoy a wide variety of concerts, free of charge. So next time you hear lab bands on campus, be sure to give them your full support! Until then, check out Nienna’s video below.
