Students start local band, play gigs under new name Urban Sons

Urban+Sons+sings+their+original+song+Clementine+at+practice.+The+band+has+plans+of+releasing+the+song+in+the+coming+months.++Were+working+on+originals+right+now%2C+guitarist+Jack+Funk+said.+Last+concert+was+our+first+one%2C+so+we+did+covers%2C+and+its+kind+of+hard+to+be+an+original+artist+because+no+one+is+going+to+come+to+your+concerts.+Hopefully%2C+by+next+concert%2C+we+will+have+some+originals+to+play.%0A

Aaron Boateng

Urban Sons sings their original song “Clementine” at practice. The band has plans of releasing the song in the coming months. “We’re working on originals right now,” guitarist Jack Funk said. “Last concert was our first one, so we did covers, and it’s kind of hard to be an original artist because no one is going to come to your concerts. Hopefully, by next concert, we will have some originals to play.”

Notes and noises come from every direction. Four high school students fill the space of their two-car garage while warming up their instruments for practice. Last year, starting a band existed only as a dream for senior Caiden Jackson. But with a chance of fate and a lot of practice, Urban Sons came to life.

“I had been thinking of starting a band for awhile,” Jackson said. “It just kind of happened.”

Starting a band brought moments of doubt, members said. But, ultimately perseverance and practice brought the sound they wanted to create. Jackson and guitarist Jack Funk said they came up with the idea at a local concert that attracts young musicians.

“I think it started at the concert before last, at ‘Act Your Age,’” Funk said. “There was a moment, we all wanted to do it, but I think we were all like ‘I don’t think this is going to happen.’ Then, we just kept playing two times a week. Once we got to Cameron’s house and started practicing was when it started going good.”

The band formerly named Fiesta Red has taken on the new label of “Urban Sons” to more accurately describe their surroundings. The house where they meet stands in Prosper, one of the fastest growing suburbs in the North Dallas area. With weekly practices in drummer Cameron Moody’s garage, a metropolitan name seemed more accurate. The band has even grown a small fanbase in the neighborhood where they meet. 

“His mom sent out a facebook [post] saying ‘sorry for all the noise lately, they’ve been practicing a lot,’” Jackson said. “Everyone responded with ‘No, we love them,’ tons of people said that. And, so, we were trying to think of something neighborhood-based.”

Charity Moody said she sent out the Facebook post to warn other neighbors of the noise. But, she said she did not expect the amount of positive responses she received.

“We had just recently moved to our neighborhood, and I was really concerned that neighbors would be upset with the noise, and nobody was annoyed at all,” Moody said. “They loved it, and there would be people who drove by just to stop and listen to them play.”

Newest band member and lead vocalist, senior Reagan Argyle originally joined the band because she was interested in performing.

“I went to Fiesta Red’s concert. I saw Caiden, and I was like ‘I wanna do this so bad,’” Argyle said. “He ended up Snapchatting me later that night and was like ‘Do you wanna join my band?’ I just wanted to be in it because I’ve always loved music. I was going to perform with my best friend’s Dad’s band. That’s how much I wanted to do this.”

After joining the band, Argyle quickly took on the role of lyricist. She said that it feels strange to hear the group perform her songs. 

“It’s kinda weird,” Argyle said. “I’ve always written songs, I really like to write, but when they start coming up with chords to play, and they do drum fills and other things, it creates a whole mood of the song. A whole tone.”

Argyle said songwriting has been a part of her life since she was a child and that writing is a force of habit now.

Aaron Boateng
Senior Reagan Argyle works on an original song during practice. She said she has been writing her entire life, and it is like a force of habit now. “I like weird lyrics,” Argyle said, “stuff that doesn’t usually mix together.”

“Whenever I have a thought in my mind, I just start writing, and I literally can’t stop until I get all the way through,” Argyle said. “It’s usually the first thing that pops into my head, and then I’ll tweak things until they sound right. But like, I really like writing. I’ve been writing since I was little. It’s kind of second nature at this point.”

With a new-to-the-scene vibe, the band said they thought a strong connection with fans onstage was unlikely, but the crowd proved their assumptions wrong. 

“Going up there and having the whole crowd jump and sing along,” Funk said. “Then to see the (other) bands not be able to do that and that be our first concert, that was kind of crazy.” 

Between the breaks taken at practice or the time spent before going on stage, the band said they have made memories that will last a lifetime. 

“Before we performed, we all went on this walk for like 30 minutes,” Jackson said. “We all sat in this one place, and we were like ‘we’re about to do this.’ I was very nervous, and I know everyone else was, too. And, then we all stepped on stage, and my nervousness went away.”

The band said performing live is the most phenomenal feeling a musician can feel, but they also lacked the words to accurately describe everything it is. 

“That’s a really good feeling,” Funk said. “I think I can speak for us all when I say ‘it’s like …. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

But the rush of performing doesn’t come without its moments of nervousness and jitters. Before their first performance, Jackson said he couldn’t put his guitar down. Bandmate Funk had to pry it from his hands. 

“Before the show, I was playing my guitar all day,” Jackson said. “I didn’t set it down.”  

Funk said that when it comes to music, he doesn’t have a major inspiration that he wants to be like.

“This sounds really weird, for inspiration when it comes to songs, like I don’t,” Funk said. “I was thinking about this the other day, like I just want to be original and do me.”

The band is working on booking multiple gigs coming up in the next few months. These gigs range from small crowds to groups of more than 2,000 people. 

“We have a couple of gigs that we’re trying to book right now at The Gin, and we got asked to play at a concert in Prosper that they throw every year,” Funk said. “We’ve got a couple gigs coming up and a lot of them will probably be free.” 

Tony Zeleke
Drummer Cameron Moody sports his drum sticks during a photoshoot. Moody hosts band practice in his garage. The band is working on an original song titled “Clementine,” and members have made plans to release it soon.

Along with upcoming gigs, the band is working on releasing original content in the coming year. Most of their songs are inspired by the members’ childhood and past experiences. Argyle said she draws ideas from her own personal experiences or those of other members. 

“Usually When I’m writing by myself, I’m writing about something in my life that happened,” Argyle said. “When it comes to us messing around, it just depends what we’ve all gone through. What will make it really personal, and how it can really touch other people.” 

Funk said one of his favorite things about the band is that all the band members have different taste in music. 

“I think we also all have a very wide range of music,” Funk said. “We don’t all like the exact same thing.” 

Jackson said a lot of songs are written through trial and error. It’s common that they all start playing and turn it into a song. 

“One night we were practicing,” Jackson said. “Jack started to play something. Cameron started to play something, and then I played something over it and it sounded perfect.” 

Moody said she feels lucky to have the opportunity to host the band in her home, and that she sees a bright future for the band and its members – even beyond music.

They’re all great kids with good heads on their shoulders,” Moody said. “I definitely see them going somewhere with this. They’re very charismatic and fun and kind. I definitely see them making a big impact no matter what they do, whether it’s music or something else.”

You can find more information on upcoming gigs and new releases at ‘Urbansonsband’ on Instagram.