Downtown Phoenix; a bustling city full of unique art, trendy cafes, nightlife and a diverse music scene. In a city filled with bands from all different genres and backgrounds, one can find Cablebox, a local indie rock band of college students from Arizona State University!
The college band first started with ASU students Brandon King and Dhinesh Nagarajan, two musicians who were looking for a way to kickstart a band. A simple text message sent out asking for guitar or bass players was the start of it all; members Vaughan Jones, Nick Foss and Lauren Rho joined soon after and from there the rest was history!
Each member in the band came from different places; from Minnesota, California, Illinois, India to Arizona, they've all brought their own influences and inspirations that are channeled through the music they create.
As for the band names meaning, the process of getting to the name Cablebox wasn't easy and there was a period of time in which the band had no name at all. Each member presented different ideas, but it wasn't until King brought up the name Cablebox that it all came together.
"There's a lot of stuff you could do with it basically, but it rolls off the tongue really well which is why we like Cablebox a lot," Jones said.
Every member has contributed at least one song they've personally created and if you were to ask them individually what their favorite was, they'd probably have different answers! However, a fan favorite has been one of their earlier songs called 'Wish', a song loved by every member and the opener to every one of their practices, making it a collective favorite amongst them all. The process for creating music for the band is a team effort, with one member presenting chords or lyrics and from there each talented member brainstorms their own part, transforming an idea to a full band arrangement.
The group has been inspired by many different bands and artists but they love Bruno Mars the most! From listening to his songs in the car ride to band practice to creating an actual cover to his song 'Treasure', this artist has been at the top of the band's list of hopeful collaborations in the future.
Being a band centered in Phoenix, the group has grown to love the city and gotten to know other bands in the area as well. Trunk Space, a small venue held in the rec room of a church, is their favorite place to play music. Here, they've performed shows for fun events, one of which being a fashion show for the Fashion Journalism Club at ASU.
Alongside this, the group got the chance to be a part of Battle of the Bands, which has become one of their most memorable experiences, as they were able to meet bands who have welcomed them into the Phoenix music scene and helped them along the way.
As for his own advice to any aspiring musicians, Jones says to just keep looking. While he may have lucked into his own band, he knows there's still lots of people out there who are searching for musicians. All it takes is an ad search on Craigslist or simply just putting oneself out there that can make a huge difference.
"Once you find people you fit with, you'll know," he said. "So just keep pushing, knowing different bands work with a lot of people and don't be afraid to socialize with people in the Phoenix music scene because they're all super cool."
Make sure to follow Cablebox on Instagram @cablebox_music to keep up with their music and videos!
