Colored by Numbers
you are going to be let down
blow on these seeds...
Colored By Numbers began in the hearts of two childhood friends, Alex Fine and Christian Fecht. Fans of music such as Fall Out Boy, Sherwood, MxPx, and Jimmy Eat World, they began playing guitar together and writing songs while in high school, recording their first album under the name “Breakfast of Champions”. While rough around the edges, it showed promising signs in the form of such songs as “Cold Hands,” “Cotton on Cotton,” and “Break My Heart,” all of which would be performed by CBN in the future.
High school ended and the duo entered Wheaton College (IL) in the fall of 2003, where they met Ben Rey (drums), Tyler “Teeds” Carrington (keys/bgvs) and Travis Gingrich (bass) within a matter of weeks. The group practiced frequently and wrote new songs, resulting in the 5-song EP “The Only Thing That’s Not,” the first release under the Colored By Numbers moniker.
Biography
With artwork provided by Maggie Davis, the EP was a hit on the campus and resulted in a number of off-campus gigs around the Chicagoland area, as well as excursions to Iowa City, Cincinnati, and Danville, IL. The band continued to hone their sound and, though Travis and Teeds departed for their respective homes during the summer of 2004, shows were performed with the help of band friend Eric Exley filling in on bass and bgvs.
The band kept this lineup through the fall of 2005, when Teeds departed and a new keyboardist was found in the form of Lars Hayne, a rising new talent on Wheaton’s campus. At about this same time, Eric Exley officially joined the band to fill out the guitar sound (allowing Alex to focus on lead vocals for a few songs). With this lineup the band kicked into high gear, writing and rehearsing songs for what would be their most popular release to date, 2006’s “You Are Going To Be Let Down.” Recorded in the same studio as “The Only Thing That’s Not,” YAGTBLD showcased a remarkable amount of progress, most notably the new version of fan favorite “Dictation Goes Deeper,”. All six songs on the EP were crafted and fine-tuned over a number of months, and the difference is evident. “Dictation” is just the tip of the iceberg, as the rest of the tracks create a snapshot of a band in motion, anticipating a world of possibilities.
Following this release the band continued to play whenever and wherever there was an opportunity. As college wound down for the bulk of the band members, however, many questions loomed. Instead of crumbling aimlessly, the band choose to record a goodbye of sorts in the form of “The Epilogue” – two separate songs that were merged to create a farewell gift for their friends and fans. Part 1 displayed the band at their loudest and rowdiest, while Part 2 evoked haunting images of sadness even at the happiest of times, with Fine imploring a wedding scene, “oh girl, just cut me loose, just cut me loose.”
Following graduation, the band literally parted ways, with Fine heading to South America, Fecht to Syria, Rey to Boston, Gingrich to Seattle, Hayne to Minnesota and Exley to Long Beach, CA. Despite the many miles, the members all kept in touch and still remain good friends. And with a foundation like that, you never know when a reunion might occur…