Everyone’s a Lobo, or at least used to be.
Members of alternative rock band Great States are the living embodiment of “once a Lobo, always a Lobo,” with all the band's members being UNM alumni and saying they’re still fond of their time at the University.
In 2010, a series of coincidences (like random roommate assignments) united keyboardist Sean Leston, frontman Morgan Ching, bassist Eric Jecklin and drummer Ryan Rael.
After founding members Jecklin and Ching recruited Ching’s dorm mate, Leston, and auditioned Rael, the band began working on their first project, “Gatsby.”
“A few rehearsals in and we were like, ‘Let’s do this for real. Let’s take this seriously and see what happens,’” Ching said.
Over the next three years, Great States spent their time making music while finishing up their degrees.
By December of 2015, all members of Great States were UNM graduates: Leston with a bachelor’s in English and another in philosophy, Ching with a bachelor’s in business and finance, and Rael and Jecklin both with a bachelor’s in music with a concentration on jazz studies.
Rael said while he doesn’t play jazz in the band, the education he received at UNM taught him how to be prepared and conduct himself more professionally in the music industry.
While earning their degrees, Great States also worked to put out a record.
The band members wrote about this experience on their website, greatstates.com, stating there is nothing glamorous about releasing a record independently.
“Time, there isn’t enough of it. Energy, there isn’t enough of it. Money, there isn’t enough of it,” Ching wrote. “Dreams of million dollar studios are quickly replaced by university basements, vocal booths by bedroom closets and record deals by personal bank accounts."
Rael and Ching said “Gatsby” was a collaborative project among the band, though Ching, inspired by his life as well as elements from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” wrote most of the lyrics.
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The band succeeded in releasing the album on their own in April 2014, and now they are re-releasing nationally under their label, Khool Media, an independent label located here in
“This is our national debut, but
Ching and Rael’s advice to other local bands looking for a record deal was to create music they are proud of and to never give up.
Great States has returned to
Doors for the 13+ age show open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 each.
Skylar Griego is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TDLBooks.
