MD Web Log Archives

The Urgency's Guerin Blask
2009-04-14

Hey, everybody! My name's Guerin Blask, and I play drums for a band called the Urgency, based out of New York/Vermont. I can't really remember a time when I didn't bang the skins on a regular basis, whether on pots and pans as a little kid or on an actual drumkit in my basement. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for putting up with the constant noise all these years–I love you!

I was born in Tucson, Arizona, where I began this uncontrollable habit. I think I owe part of that to my dad, who's a jazz trumpet player. He used to drag me along to his gigs and always played Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock records. Let's just say that this fueled my habit (in a good way).

I moved to New York at age ten, where I continued my drumming obsession. In fourth grade we were asked which instrument we wanted to play for the school band. This was perfect–an excuse for me to play drums at school! I played in the orchestra and jazz ensembles and in the pit orchestra and pep band. During study hall, I always found a way to go play drums in the empty school auditorium. I was addicted. When I was eleven, I started watching MTV and studying all the drummers I saw. This is when I first realized I wanted to rock the kit just like they did, in front of tons of people. I played in some funk/rock projects in high school and really got into drummers like Stewart Copeland and Chad Sexton.

Upon graduating, I decided I wanted to take my drumming and knowledge of music to the next level. I was accepted to the jazz studies program at Ithaca College. That's where I studied music theory, sight singing, and arranging and really got my ass kicked musically. I took jazz and Latin drum lessons and learned to improvise on the vibes. This truly helped my rock drumming and gave me a great foundation to build upon.

I played in a bunch of rock bands and played shows all over town outside of class, which is where I met fellow classmates Ian Molla and Kevin Coffrin. We started a band, which later ended up becoming the Urgency. We formed the band in New York City upon graduation. We all lived in a one-room loft and wrote songs and played as many shows as we could land. Three years and one record deal later, we've been touring the U.S. nonstop in our fifteen-passenger van, just trying to win over music lovers one city at a time. We recently completed our first U.K. tour, and we're going back in May!

Our first full-length record, self-titled, was produced by David Bendeth (Paramore and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus) and is scheduled to hit the shelves this April on the Militia Group Records. We couldn't be more excited!

Peace!

Check out Guerin's band at www.myspace.com/theurgency or www.theurgency.com.