Grad student, band play unconventional holiday music at Hot Topic this Tuesday
Shatesha Scales
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Entertainment
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"It's quite a contrast to Christmas music," said graduate student Amanda Caines.
When Caines isn't busy typing up a paper in Dacus Library, she sings lead for the group, which has been gathering attention since their debut in February 2008.
So far, the group has had radio airplay on Charlotte's 106.5 The End and Greenville's 99.3 The Planet, and they scored a spot on the 2008 SCarowinds soundtrack.
Caines is currently getting her masters in English, but music has always been a part of her life.
"I first began playing guitar when I was 13. I performed in my eighth grade talent show," Caines said.
Since then she's been a part of various bands and has had interesting career choices.
She got her undergraduate degree in theater, despite her discomfort of being on stage.
"I had horrible stage fright," she said. "But you get over it."
She said her major in theater has helped her a lot with the band and performing.
After graduation she said there weren't many opportunities for theater in South Carolina and she didn't feel like uprooting to California or New York to make it big.
"I knew a friend who worked at Carowinds and there was an opening for a computer technician," Caines said.
After awhile she got bored with working on computers and went into various other jobs.
But when those started to drag on as well, she decided to go back to school.
"I decided I didn't like computers and customer service," she said.
Caines felt English was the obvious choice and had little trouble choosing an area of study
"I like words," Caines said. "I always like to write - whether it's poetry or music. My favorite part of songwriting is making the words fit the music."
Other members of the band include Josh Wright, Brandon Usher, Adam Blackmon and Joel Blackmon.
The band started their career last December and gigs have been mostly schedule through word-of-mouth.
For more information on Tattermask, upcoming peformances or their CD visit them at the Web site, myspace.com/tattermask.
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