The Flash Mob is a band that had no problem finding its groove. Formed from the remnants of Boondok Saints and Ultrachronic, the outfit got off to an auspicious start providing main support for the Flobots and hasn't looked back. A song the players wrote the first time they practiced together, "By My Side," has already appeared on a comp alongside Sublime and Slightly Stoopid, and the group has opened for Ziggy Marley. We caught up with the guys — guitarists D. Scott Morris and Wayne Alden, bassist Dave Crotser, drummer Matt Fink and frontman Kyle Ingram — at their rehearsal space on the eve of the release of their debut EP, Common Thread.
Westword: How do you write your songs? Is it a collaborative effort?
Kyle Ingram: Absolutely. Someone will play a melody or whatever in practice, and we'll just build on it. Everyone brings their own style.
What's your day job?
Matt Fink: I'm a detail manager for Jeep. The car industry are a bunch of scumbags. You can say that in the paper; I don't care.
Dave Crotser: I'm a rocket scientist.
[pause, then some laughter]
MF: He's not kidding.
What's your position on covers?
MF: Covers are for the crowd. Especially when you're at the point we're at, they're great for catching people's attention.
D Scott Morris: It's a blast to do somebody's music in your style.
Where do you see yourselves in a year as a band?
Wayne Alden: We'd like to release our full-length by next fall. We've definitely got plenty of material. I'd say four albums' worth.
KI: In the meantime, it's all about spreading the word, having fun.
Where's the best place to listen to Common Thread?
MF: At the skatepark, or snowboarding. My dad lives in Hawaii, and every day he listens to it as he's walking out to the beach. The other day he called me and said he got to the sand just as the sun was rising, and there was this tortoise. And the light hit its shell, and right then "Happy Ending" started. He told me it was the perfect day.
DSM: I like to listen to it while I'm walking through the woods. It's kind of a diverse set of songs. Out there, you can just kick back.
But it's definitely better to listen to it outdoors.
DSM: Yeah, definitely. It's sort of a mixture of Colorado and California.
Why should people support local music? What do you tell your friends when you're trying to convince them?
KI: It's just more personal.
WA: Denver is a great city for music. Very music-friendly for bands and fans. I can't believe more bands aren't getting signed.
DC: You're fighting to get heard, so you're writing your best stuff.
DSM: There really is a sense of community. Out in L.A., there are a lot of bands, but everything is so competitive. Here, we'll give each other a leg up, help a band when we can, and they'll return the favor. It's the sense of community that inspires me personally.
