Courtesy Aviatik

Credit: Ron Soltys

Michael McFarland Watson wanted to start his own band. A week before his previous band broke up, he started to form Aviatik. That was in 2003. Currently the band consists of five members: Jeremy Langham (vocals, synth, guitar), Watson (vocals, guitar, piano), Alex Herman (bass), John Zarski (vocals, guitar) and Michael Edward Louis Hausknecht (percussion). However, the band has been through quite a lot of history.

“I’m the only one left from the original band,” Watson said. “We went through seven bassists.”

The list of members that came and went goes on. Watson also said there is a lot meaning behind the name Aviatik.

“Aviatik is a very powerful name. I’m a big fan of World War I aviation,” he said. “I thought it was a cool name for a band.”

Watson said that the album has been in the making for nearly two years, so they are looking forward to their CD release show that will be held at The Robin Hood Inn at 8 p.m. this Friday.

“The entire album was started in my dorm room of Centennial C when I attended Kent State,” he said.

It’s been a long road, but Aviatik is more than satisfied with the finishing product of The Reconstruction, Aviatik’s debut album.

The newest addition to the band, Jeremy Langham, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, just started working with Aviatik about two months prior to this CD release.

“It has been awesome ever since I joined the band,” Langham said. “I feel like a complete equal, and I’m very proud of everything.”

However, it wasn’t going to be easy to create a whole new sound now that Langham was on board.

“We had to tear the whole CD apart when I joined,” Langham said. “We spent hours and hours working on thirty seconds of music, but we would end up sounding how we want the songs to sound.”

Zarski said that there’s a lot going on in the album in terms of big projects and layering.

“When Jeremy joined, the final product sounded a lot more cohesive,” Zarski said. “We’re able to work ideas in really well.”

Hausknecht agreed with Zarski.

“We’re all really good at collaborating ideas,” he said.

Additionally, the album is a story within an album.

According to Langham, the whole story is about an individual fighting for a particular cause.

“There are lots of stories on the album that people can relate to,” Langham said.

Watson said it’s up to the listener of the album to interpret these stories.

In terms of Aviatik’s plans for the future, Langham and Watson hope to support themselves with music.

“I love to pay the bills by making music,” Langham said.

Zarski and Hausknecht have a much different point of view.

Zarski said he has no intentions of leaving the project but isn’t relying on music to support himself.

“My primary goal is to grow as a musician.”

Hausknecht said he always wanted to go to school for music, but it’s hard to make it conventional.

“I want to do it because I want to do it,” he said.

All the band members have a very strong bond with one another.

“It’s more then a band,” Langham said. “It’s a family.”

Real Quick

Aviatik

The Reconstruction CD release party with Azimuth Dream, Affiance, and Arbor’s End. The Robin Hood Inn. April 11 at 9 p.m.

Upcoming Shows:

April 17 at 8 p.m.

The Green Room. Kent.

May 2 at 8 p.m.

Rick’s Music Café – benefiting Habitat for Humanity. Toledo.

May 3 at 8 p.m.

The Rathskellar with Another Found Self, The Promise Hero and more. Kent.

May 15 at 8 p.m.

The Jigsaw Saloon with Lost State of Franklin, Muttley and Midnight Passenger. Parma.

Aviatik is giving away a downloadable version of its CD online at www.aviatikrock.com. Aviatik’s main concern is that many people hear the album as soon as possible and spread the word.

Contact all reporter Samantha Tosado at [email protected].