Today we speak to teen rockers Undefeated from northern New York state. Lead vocalist Meredith discusses the band’s booming and glittery sounds, her ridiculously good ideas and love of performing live.
Band Name: Undefeated
Members: Meredith Dunckel (Vocals/Guitar), Christian Dunckel (Drums) & Ian Birk (Bass)
Genre: Rock
Founded: August 2017
Originated From: Lewis County, New York.
Discography: Shadows & Where Are You
How would you describe your music?
Booming bass, war-like drums, and a little bit of glitter. We’re a teen rock band from northern New York! We live 45 minutes from the Canadian border. There’s a lot of classic rock and country up here, and it comes out whether we mean it to or not! So, we embrace it, and make it more metal.
What is your musical creative process like?
I (Meredith – the green-haired gal!) write the initial lyrics/melody, and we all collaborate on the music! I have a notebook titled “Ridiculously Good Ideas”, so obviously ridiculously good ideas happen there. It’s filled with all sorts of poems and lyric ideas and songs. It’s a 5-subject notebook and I’m on my fourth one.
How did the band form?
Believe it or not, the host of the Rock N Worship Festival in Dalton, MA, walked up to me. For some unknown reason he was like “hey! I want you to come sing!”. I was playing electric guitar for my church’s youth band (needless to say, it was a less-than-stellar performance).
So, I went. I had just turned 14. There were all ages and genres at the Rock N Worship Fest; from metal to reggae to gospel. Something clicked. These people were like me! I asked my younger brother (a rockin’ drummer) on the 4-hour ride home to start a band, and he said yes! We met bassist Ian through mutual friends. (Truthfully, he literally fell -he says he jumped- out of a tree. But I guess there’s worse ways to meet people!)
We played under the banner “Undefeated” for the first time August 5th, 2017 on the lawn of a bookstore.
How did you come up with your band name?
We were driving home from playing at the Rock N Worship Festival, we straight up ripped the name off of the rap song Undefeated by KB.
Who influenced you within the music industry?
Let me tell you how we come together. Our drummer (Christian) is a die-hard djent/metal/screamo fan.
Ian’s (bassist) heart was born and raised in classic rock – The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the whole thing.
Then there’s me. I LOVE to sing. You can’t take a singer and stick her in one genre. The trick is melding these three sounds without losing what God gave each one. The whole is greater than the piece.
Have you performed live much and what was your favourite gig to play at?
We play once a week with an occasional week off. We opened for Seventh Day Slumber on their Summer Rock Fest Tour when they came to our area. The crowd was on their feet, and ready to rock!
What is the best thing about being in a band?
Being with people who love music as much as I do. Including my band mates and meeting other bands and concert-goers To enjoy something you love with others who love it just as much is energizing!
What’s the biggest problem you’ve had to overcome so far as a musician(s)?
Being called a family band, which happens on occasion. The drummer is my brother. When someone throws out the term “family band” we cringe a little on the inside and they turn away. When you hear the term “family band” the assumption is one person has talent and dragged the rest along with them for the ride! (Does anyone call the Bee Gees or Van Halen a family band?)
Also, when you’re drinking a lot of water and have to go… in the middle of a set.
What plans have you got coming up this year?
There’s a lot going on in the world with the COVID-19 virus. It has reached every corner. Due to this, all of our shows March through May are on hold. We were booked in New Jersey, Maine, and locally. So, looking forward to rescheduling those!
We can’t wait to tour. Christian (drummer) has two years of high school left. But, we’re ready to try our hand at short tours (3 weeks to 3 months!)
We recently released our ballad, Where Are You. To be followed up by 3 more releases this year to finish up our EP!
We’re super pumped to play our newest song, Land of the Dead, live. It integrates some punk vocals against a metal backdrop. We can feel ourselves locking into this style!
What is your ultimate dream as a band?
To make a living performing. That’s the ultimate dream.
You can find out more about Undefeated by following them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
If you’re in a band or a musician and would like to appear on this blog, please contact me and I’ll forward you an interview template.
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