Banding Together: Discovering the Indie Rock Sounds of ‘A Higher Third’
Dylan Tolley chats with Madison Hinson, drummer & guitarist for rock band A Higher Third, about craft, music, & beginnings.
From the strum of a worn-out Fender to the beat of the drums in a sold-out stadium, music moves and transforms those who play and listen. It creates a way of life for lovers of the craft, and every artist knows and lives for the feeling that comes with producing a new sound and sharing it with the world. This feeling is familiar to A Higher Third drummer and guitarist, Madison Hinson, who was able to tell me a little about his sound, his bandmates, and the unique love he has for music.
“I’m just so passionate about this music and the meaning behind it, and I want to share this connection with others to try to emotionally touch as many people as possible,” Hinson said, after looking back at a recent rewarding performance on his college’s campus. “Each of us has such a passion for the notes we play, and we want to share that emotion with others.”
A Higher Third has been making toe-tapping rock music ever since they “joked around about making a band” during Hinson’s junior year of high school in 2015. “None of us knew how to play the instruments we currently play,” Hinson said, laughing. “We just wanted to be in a rock band.” This desire fuels the band in every stage of their production and performing process, and has created a common goal for Hinson and his bandmates; they simply want to create and share the music that sounds best to them and will accept any fans that come along with it.
Hinson and the band list the Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, and Switchfoot as their most prominent influences. They continue to perfect their unique sound, which combines classic rock with indie and pop, and have recently released their first EP, I Feel Quite Alright, in February.
Speaking to his own love for his craft, Hinson said, “It’s not about fame or anything like that.” Whether performing to 10 fans or 10,000, A Higher Third will still be delivering their own brand of music.
As with any endeavor, however, the band faces a primary opposition: the members of the band are spread among different colleges. “All of us being at separate colleges during the school year is definitely the toughest thing about this band,” Hinson said. It’s difficult to organize and coordinate because of the distance between them, but A Higher Third’s love for music and creativity spreads further than any space between schools. “We are pushing really hard to find ways to play during the year, and we are pretty sure we have found a few opportunities to do so.”
A Higher Third recently played at the Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia, where they performed several songs from their new EP. More shows throughout Richmond are coming this spring, along with band merchandise, even though Hinson laments that they “don’t have shirts … yet.”
When asked about an ultimate goal for his own musical career in the band, Hinson said that he seeks to, “allow [people] to feel hope. I want to make a positive difference in people’s lives through our music.”
DYLAN TOLLEY is a future English teacher and lover of all things literary.
