Derek Van Heule was in his early 20s, doing the "acoustic singer/songwriter thing" around Orange County, Calif. He was getting gigs, but nothing special. Meanwhile, a local band called The Colour was making classic rock that transformed smoky clubs into roaring mini-arenas. Their drums, bass and twin guitars churned behind a charismatic kid from Kansas named Wyatt Hull.
Van Heule was aware of The Colour early on because his old pal Luke MacMaster (they both grew up in Southern Cal) was one of the band's guitarists (he recently exited the group). Every time Van Heule saw the increasingly hyped outfit perform, he felt it — the urge to sweat and swagger on stage in front of throngs of freaked-out fans. It can get under a young man's skin. Quiet coffee-shop performances in the company of erudite types suddenly seemed impossibly boring.
As fate would have it, The Colour lost its bassist. Van Huele finally had an in. Problem was, the dude was a strummer who really didn't play bass. "I had an audition and it went horribly," Van Heule said in a phone interview. "But they were getting ready to go on tour and already had the dates booked so they had no other choice but to take me. After a couple weeks, things clicked and they decided to keep me. Now, I actually feel like the bass is the instrument I was meant to play." Becoming a part of The Colour three was certainly a life-altering experience for Van Heule. But it wasn't exactly a beeline from rags to riches. The Colour, which makes its Tampa Bay debut Monday at The Orpheum in Ybor City, is touring in support of its recently released debut CD Between Earth & Sky. The disc is a blast of '70s stoner rock, thick with epic anthems. Hull's manic vocal stylings sell the songs with fierce aplomb. Whether confronting the price of sin on "Devil's Got a Hold of Me" or applauding the joy of a new woman on "You're a Treasure" the album has an Us vs. Them sensibility coursing through it. It's the kind of chip-on-the-shoulder attitude borne from breaking down career barriers, enduring shitty living conditions and soldiering on in the face of busted dreams. The winning spark comes from a live-in-the-studio feel achieved by producer Jacquire King, whose resume includes work with Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse and Tom Waits. Ultimately, it's a recording that promises an explosive concert presentation. "I don't wanna sound full of myself," says Van Heule. "But we're definitely a high-energy band that's best seen live."
The Colour is being promoted as the "flagship act" for the new EMI imprint Rethink. But the band's journey from L.A. to the world has been a long one and is far from realized. The past three years have been a cycle of practice, recording, travel and shows inside dank rooms. For Van Heule, joining the band meant music became his sole focus. His new lifestyle involved dumpster diving and sleeping within a few feet of bandmates inside what sounds like a glorified shack. Van Heule is quick to clarify that it was "selective dumpster diving" done behind an organic food market called Trader Joe's. "We would find out when they dumped their old food into the dumpster and get it that day," he says. "But there was definitely some days when we went without eating."
Van Heule's voice resonates with pride as he recalls the band's hard-knock beginnings. "The house we lived in had a couple bunk beds; we'd sleep on and under the bunk beds — it was pretty insane," he says. "We called it the Gypsy Hotel. We'd throw shows there and [parties]. It was small, but we'd cram like 70 people inside and it got pretty intense.
"Those experiences had a lot to do with how we developed as a band," he continues. "The reason we lived there like that was that we had no money; everything revolved around sacrifices we made in the name of band. It was a lot of hardships. Whenever we hung out together or got bored, we practiced and wrote music."
On the road, the sleeping arrangements remain similar for the band. They roll in a 15-person van customized with bunk beds. They take turns driving. They pick up their guitars and pen tunes. "In the beginning, when we had no tour support, we spent a lot of nights in the van," Van Heule says. "But now we get motels pretty often."
And what about passing time during the band's current trek from Pennsylvania to Florida? Is there a video game console onboard to help while away the hours?
"No, I think we're one of the last bands to not have any kind of Playstation," Van Heule says with a laugh. "We read a lot of books, listen to a lot of music, maybe hook up a movie on someone's laptop. We all get along real well, so we spend a lot of time just hanging out and talking."
That camaraderie is reflected in the band's songwriting process. The four musicians share a love of The Rolling Stones (which can be heard in the interaction between the twin guitars and keyboards), The Beatles and other classic rockers like The Doors, but each man brings his own influences to the mix. "I grew up with a Motown background," Van Heule says. "We're not all the same person musically, and those differences keep things fresh."
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2007.