XY Brought Back to The Mitchell

St. Scholastica's Student Newspaper
The Cable
By: Hayley Smith - Student Journalist -
Photo credit to myspace.com

Photo credit to myspace.com

The CAB brings entertainment to all on the last day of January. In the week of entertaining activities, there was Jared Mahone, a Name That Song Contest, a mind reader, the Mr. CSS Pageant, a concert by XY Unlimited, movies, and a super bowl party.

XY Unlimited is a band that is local to Los Angeles and that has come back to Duluth after a warm welcoming from CSS students last year. Having enjoyed their time here in this chilly city, they agreed to an interview, to let you know more about them.

XY has been around for 4 years total, but this particular configuration has been together just a month. With the members having changed, this was a whole new XY Unlimited brought here. The band members are Andrew Abaria, Christian Stranne, James Adams and Michael Kohl.

The group writes their own music, but they also perform covers of popular songs such as David Guetta's Titanium and Cee Lo Green's Forget You. They met in a topsy turvy way that included Craigslist, being in college choir together, and previously knowing each other. They have a combined 85 years of singing/music, but not to worry they're not that old.

So why should people especially college students listen to their music? Well according to Michael and Christian, "Our goal is to always make great songs, a lot of bands are focused on their sound, but we make a point to make great songs that have messages that will help people and inspire them."

Their favorite superheroes? Storm, Nightcrawler, Batman, and Pikachu. Their influences? Sting, Aaron Rodgers, Paramore, Abraham Lincoln, The Beatles, their family, Descartes, and George Gershwin. Their favorite place to perform? Duluth. They've really liked the treatment received here by CSS students, but more specifically the CAB. But of course their least favorite part about it? The temperature making it hard to be outside for more than 40 seconds at a time.

Their songs, like many artists,' are full of meaning. For James this meaning comes from despondency. Michael, it comes from girls he's had a crush on and screwed it up.

Christian, it comes from "girls but moments of introspection and trying to revel and be present in moments of happiness".
And for Andrew, it comes from "life and the struggle of doing something artistic" and his family.

But their fun doesn't come without struggles either. When asked about the biggest struggle James said, "Keeping each other's spirits up during hard times. We make a point of supporting each other and having each other's back. It what brings us closer together."

Throughout the rest of their tour they will be going to Chicago, Peoria, back to Chicago, and then onto Milwaukee. If you wanted to come to the concert but didn't have a chance to make it or if you just think they are awesome, the guys said feel free to check out any of their music on Amazon, iTunes, Youtube, Louder, and all digital marketplaces. But also signing up for their mailing list and liking them on Facebook gives you all of their music sooner and has its own little perks and bonuses, also feel free to check them out on their funny blog (at xyunlimited.com).

But hey, if you can't get to listening to their music right away, don't worry about it! When asked how long they plan on singing Christian said, "Always." James, "Do we have to stop?" Michael, "Till my voice runs out." And finally Andrew, "Or until the world ends in a fiery mass."

Many safe travels and hopes for the guys to return. If you would like them to return, XY Unlimited did say to let the CAB know because they would "absolutely love to come back."