Denton's Sans Soleil have spent their two years in existence as a Denton band playing at Gutterth Productions showcases, recording at Echo Lab and generally doing the types of things bands here do. As of August, though, they will become an Austin band, and the cycle of acceptance, inclusion and success will have to start all over again.
"It's exciting and a little bit scary not having a specific plan," guitarist Lee Fatheree says. "But we get more fulfillment from this than any other wage job."
The band, made up of Fatheree and Dustin Anderson on guitar, Cyrus Meyers on drums and Eva Lynn Aldridge on the viola, knows that Denton is an easier scene than Austin to break into, but they accept the difficult task lying before them.
"It would be nice to try a little harder once we're down there," Anderson says. "I guess you kind of have to wait in line."
Despite being quite active since their formal creation in February of 2009, Sans Soleil have only one release to their name—a self-titled and self-released EP, recorded and mastered at Echo Lab, and put out on CD-R in time for this year's 35 Conferette. Their sound, contemplative and sober, pulls heavily from post-rock influences and demands to be taken seriously, injecting into their music none of the levity that many of their Denton colleagues embrace. It is for this reason that the band's members feel their work would be more at home in Austin.
"What we play is more accepted down there," Anderson says. "And there are more touring bands."
Not that there hasn't been support from the people in Denton.
"The people who come to our shows seem to come to a lot of our shows," Fatheree says. "And I really enjoy feeling like people want to come back and see it again."
Gutterth Productions has also been keen to recognize their talent, inviting the band play at two of its showcases and featuring them on a Denton music compilation.
At this point, though, the band has almost enough material for a second release. According to Anderson, they're just one or two songs away from being able to record it. Despite the upcoming move, though, they plan on recording the new material in Denton—even after their planned final Denton show in mid- to late July.
So, why move in the first place?
"Obviously, we're not in it for the money," Fatheree says. "But the more we do this, the more we can make this a career."
