The Start Up, a pop-punk band out of Platteville, strives to connect with their fans while creating memorable music.
According to their Facebook page, “(The band is) not preoccupied with tight jeans and glamorous egos, but with creating well-crafted and catchy music and a stage show worth talking about.”
The Start Up holds Facebook contests to allow fans to name their songs, including the newly debuted “Aspirations.”
The band also had a fan and student of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville make the album cover of their first released album “With All Odds Against Us.”
Matthew Aguilar, drummer for The Start Up and junior business administration major, said this sets his band apart from other local or mainstream bands.
Aguilar, who wrote “Aspirations,” said that this song has a long history already. He has been working on it through three other bands that he has been part of.
Aguilar decided that the song was a good match for the three-person pop-punk band.
With a basic beat that matures into a more fun and energetic sound to put off the lyrics, “Aspirations” was released to the public a few weeks ago.
Bret Bender, sophomore civil engineering major and The Start Up bass player has played the bass for more than six years, starting with jazz bass.
Lindsey Deibner is the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist.
After Aguilar joined the band, they began playing together in more of a rock tone.
The band released the album “With All Odds Against Us” in December 2012. The album follows The Start Up’s appreciation for their fan base by providing it as a free download.
The Start Up added personal touches to “With All Odds Against Us” through their songs. The three track album starts with “A Story About Us,” an original song that highlights the band’s style with driving instrumentals and keeps pace with Deibner’s lead vocals. This song describes The Start Up’s formation, the struggles they have gone through and the future of the band.
The second song, “Good to Bad Overnight,” is about women that the three band mates have experienced and break-ups in general.
The final track to the album is a cover of “All Star,” a song made famous by Smash Mouth, that shows how they interpret the song in a different light.
“(The band is) planning on playing shows in Rockford, Cuba City and Dubuque soon,” Bender said. “And we are planning on hosting a concert for local bands in City Hall Park this spring.”
The members of The Start Up said that their goal is to succeed in expanding their fan base and writing music everyone can enjoy.
