By Allie Matherne
Reporter
Indie folk band Seryn breaks the static, slow mold of the genre. The six-piece band will play songs from its newest album, “Shadow Shows,” at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Common Grounds.
The band’s members have created a distinct sound to match its unique name.
“I ran into a British clarinetist and he said, ‘Oh, like serenity but without all the messy bits at the end that nobody likes anyway,’” singer Nathan Allen said. “We’ve been a band for five years and no one’s ever put it like that — that guy nailed it.”
Seryn, featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” in the “Bands that Should be Bigger” segment, is adapting to a location change and a shift from label to independent.
The band recently moved from Denton to Nashville, Tenn., but this has not fundamentally shaken the band, Allen said.
“[The sound] hasn’t changed at all,” Allen said. “It’s just put a lot of creative energy in the gas tank.”
Each member of the band plays multiple instruments, including the ukulele, accordion, bass, viola and many percussion instruments.
“We focus a lot on dynamics and everything else feeds into that,” Allen said. “We try to be as dynamic as we can because at the end of the day that’s what’s interesting. Being a group is our strength. We’re all better at being in a band than we are at most things.”
The band floats between folk and pop as it continues to create its commanding sound. Allen said live shows are one of the best aspects of his line of work.
“I like that idea that the air that’s vibrating in our lungs is the same one that vibrates someone’s eardrums, that direct connection,” Allen said.
Austin junior Timmy Dyer, a Common Grounds barista and fan of the band’s music, said he believes Seryn brings an unprecedented amount of energy to the stage.
“They don’t put themselves on a pedestal,” Dyer said. “They just want to connect to their audience.”
This will not be Seryn’s first trip to Waco or Common Grounds. Dyer said Seryn has become a sort of kin to Waco, and when the band is in town, everyone knows it.
Allen echoed this, and even called Waco “a kind of second hometown.”
Katy senior Joanna Calhoun, a fan who has seen the band perform, said Seryn is worth seeing live.
“Seeing them live is an experience in itself,” Calhoun said.
Taylor Torregrossa, venue promoter and manager, said Seryn was selected for the Common Grounds stage because the band has a sound that fits in well with the coffee shop’s atmosphere.
Torregrossa said the concert will play late in order to accommodate All-University Sing.
