Akudama: Simple Brilliance
By: Becky Firesheets

Two teenaged brothers in rural Connecticut were bored with the hardcore scene. A few jam sessions got their juices flowing, so they joined forces with fellow friends looking for something new and in the moment. “Not thinking about long-term anything,” the high schoolers recorded seventeen songs while snowed into the wooden, hallow attic of a friend’s cottage. Seven years later, these now 20-somethings are fully embracing the creative explosion that is Akudama.

With a nationwide tour and the release of their second album on the horizon, the members comprising Akudama are ready to take their authentic rock-n-roll as far as it will lead them. Their distinctive vocal harmonies contrasted with experimental, instrumental passages have already pleased many ears. Drawing from bands like Wilco and The Doves for inspiration, Akudama strives to create stimulating and original art.

“We’re putting so much into each other,” says drummer Cayce Pia. “I actually got fired from my last job!” But he’s in good company, as each member is just as dedicated. “With Akudama, I can do all the things I love. It’s time to focus and channel my energy on this,” says older brother and guitarist Calvin Pia.

This genuine excitement is evident in their recorded tracks and live performances. Combining 60’s-influenced melodies, featuring the vivid imagery of lead singer Blake Charleton’s lyrics, with clever bass lines and syncopated percussive rhythms, Akudama hopes to connect with people who sincerely love and appreciate music.

The majority of raw material for their songs comes from Charleton, a self-taught pianist, guitarist and singer. “When I was young, I remember humming Madonna in class and getting in trouble. I still find myself humming through life,” he says. With influences ranging from his late uncle to Elliot Smith to the Carpenters, Charleton will typically find a melody and bring it to the others, who then add their individual parts. “I’ll like the way words come off my tongue but they won’t make sense until later,” explains Charleton. “I admire him,” Pia says of the lead singer. “He’s free-spirited. So simple yet so brilliant.”

Akudama’s focus doesn’t stop with songwriting and performing. In the basement of his eclectic apartment, Pia has been mixing all the tracks for their forthcoming album. “I like shaping the sounds,” he says. “It’s like being the conductor. I blend everything and make it into what people hear.”

Pia also arranged the entire recording process in a Massachuetts barn that doubled astheir studio. For three weeks, Akudama worked, lived and goofed off together. “The frenetic energy [of New York] gets insane,” Pia explains. “We loved the idea of escaping back to our roots.”

With their creativity, talent, and overflowing enthusiasm pushing them forward, it seems like Akudama can only meet success. But no matter what future setbacks they experience, this band is goin’ for it. “I’ve done a 180,” says Charleton. “We’re a band now. This is it for me.”