I’ve been thinking about that “moment of discovery” for awhile and thought it’s high time I share my thoughts. What do I mean by “moment of discovery?” It’s that exact moment when you see and/or hear a band and think to yourself, “I get it.” It’s the moment when you fall in love with a band and you feel like you are speaking the same language. I’m not talking about the stalkers who think the band is sending them messages through their music. I’m talking about connection. A very real and somewhat intoxicating connection that you share with the music.

And what if you never made that discovery at all? What if you never came to know that band? Or you did but it was at some other point in your life? How would things be different? I’m sure a few of you out there must be thinking I’m crazy at this point but hear me out….

One of my all time favorite bands is The Academy Is… I’ve flown back east to see them play a few times and catch every single show they play when they are in town. I can’t fully describe to you why they are my favorite band because even I don’t know. I’m aware of certain key elements but there feels like there is more to it than that… I mean, I discovered them fully on my own. I picked up Almost Here in a Target on a break between classes because I liked the cover art. Pure chance. Just a whim, in fact. I had never heard of them before but said, “hey, what the heck?” That wasn’t something I normally did. Way out of left field for me at the time. And you know what? I liked them. I thought they were fun and catchy with good music videos but nothing amazing.

Seems kind of lame right?

Well, I saw them play a few times and fell in love with their live energy. I think they were one of the first shows I went to, that wasn’t a top 40 band, where I was floored and… I got hooked. I like to think they are a huge part of my transition into the not top 40 other realm of music. I feel like with the discovery of them, I discovered this whole other universe.

Still, part of me feels like that isn’t a huge deal… I mean, how does all that get my undying love and favoritism? I still don’t know. I know their lyrics mean a lot to me. Whenever I’m feeling down, they make me feel better. Kind of like the perfect boyfriend who doesn’t expect anything back. But in all seriousness, I’m still not sure why their lyrics affect me so much but they do and I’m thankful for it.

So where am I going with this? Well, I happen to have their ep from when they were The Academy (which I got much after Almost Here). And I can tell you with certainty that I would not have liked them. Also, had I discovered them during Santi, I would not love them as much as I do right now. It was that moment of interest, that moment of listening, and that moment of connection that gave me what I have with them. I’m so thankful for it and while I can’t explain why, I just know that it was exactly what I needed in my life at that exact moment.

It’s my own personal opinion that we find and connect with certain bands and music at a certain point in our life for some inexplicable reason. It’s fantastic and I’m so glad for it because I’m not sure where we would be without it.

<3

~Amanda