Meet Joel Zeiner of Amorphic in Fort Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Zeiner.

Joel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The group Amorphic is a four-piece group based in Fort Collins, CO. It consists of Caleb D’aleo (Guitar, Vocals), Brian Keller (keys, saxophone, flute, vocals), Dustin Hinds (Bass, Chapman Stick, Guitar, and vocals), and Joel Zeiner (Drums). Our music covers a wide range of genres and styles and puts a heavy emphasis on group improvisation within the songs. We are constantly pushing ourselves to be better listeners and to function as a unit verses four individual players.

I (Joel) originally met Caleb through mutual friends at an open jam in Fort Collins and was incredibly impressed with his guitar playing. He was living in Greeley at the time, so our paths rarely crossed. We started playing together after he moved to Fort Collins, and we both had projects that recently fizzled out. Our first jam was just guitar and drums, but we could tell there was a musical chemistry. We start gigging with a handful of covers, and a collection of originals that Caleb had already written. That first year or so, we had a ton of different players filling in for gigs on bass and keyboards. We were anxious to be playing out, but without consistent members, we really struggled to move forward. I convinced a long time friend of mine (Brian) and a multi-instrumentalist to move to town and work with us. Brian and I studied music in college together, and I knew his abilities would be perfect in our situation. Dustin was the final piece of the puzzle that we needed. Dustin is a powerhouse of a bass player and singer, as well as a great songwriter.

We all come from very different backgrounds musically. We do our best to blend all of our ideas and voices into creating something greater as a group.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have had plenty of difficulties along the way. Finding members that were a good fit personally, musically, and motivationally was one of our biggest struggles. Trying to pursue original music can be incredibly trying at times, as with any art form. There are so many dynamics that come into play while working with a group, its easy to let business, goals, or expectations add stress to making music. I have to constantly remind myself to take a step back and remember the reasons that I love playing music.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Musically I think we do our best to create something unique at the moment. We strive to create something new every time we play and explore as much as we can as a group. Improvising as a group, is like a conversation. If you talk too much, you don’t hear what the other people are trying to say. Its really a balancing act of being supportive and still being involved in the conversation.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think perseverance has been a huge part of our small victories and limited success. It has been a pretty long road in chasing this dream, but I feel like we are always getting just a little bit closer to what we envision. I think that can be a good reminder in all facets of life. Its not often that everything just works out in some magically easy way. It takes a lot of work and faith, but if you keep pushing towards your goals, you can at least be closer than you were yesterday.

 Contact Info:

• Email: amorphicband@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amorphicband/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmorphicBand/

Image Credit:
Tara Gracer at Tara Gracer Foto
Nicholas Stock at Fat Guerilla Productions

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