Four musicians combined forces on a mid-December night in 2013 with the goal in mind to bring positivity into the world through mindful lyrics and body-moving rhythms. From the heart of Cortez, Wake Up Laughing was born.
Its members are: Kevin Frazier (lead guitar, vocals, songwriter) and Isaac James Kimbro (drums, vocals, songwriter) of Little Brother, Mary Hess (bass, ukulele, vocals, songwriter) and Snyder (lead vocals, songwriter, rhythm guitar, trumpet).
Before the creation of Wake Up Laughing, they all supported each other as independent musicians through local shows and the frequent open mics, and in fall 2013, Mary and Snyder began collaborating on some of Snyder’s originals songs.
All four grew naturally into fast friends, which was reflected by the seamless flow with which they shared music. Group hugs, sudden bouts of laughter, and high-fives played an essential role in the early development of their sound, which has carried over to their live performances. Although they are a new band, they have already played a number of successful shows locally and recorded a live nine-track album.
Wake Up Laughing’s sound is most easily recognized as reggae, however due to each of its members’ diverse musical backgrounds you will notice strong influences from gypsy-jazz, funk, blues, and rock. The philosophy of this band is to keep an open mind about music, because inspiration can come from anywhere. They take responsibility for the sound they share with the world and do this by writing positive and thought-provoking lyrics and creating music that makes people want to dance.
In the end, the goal of this collective is to keep having fun, and to inspire in others the positive feelings that, as friends, they share for one another. Smiles are tantamount to success in the end. Wake Up Laughing is as much a name as it is a mission statement.
Wake Up Laughing will be playing at the distillery on April 12 at 8 p.m. and the cover charge is $3.