A Band Of Perfectionists

Meet the band Porcelain Twin. Hailing from Denver, Colorado, they’re the most serious band you’ve never heard of…yet. 

Having started with Sam Hooks's Craigslist ad in 2021, Porcelain Twin has had quite the crawling start as Hooks put it. Circling through several members, the band now consists of Sam Hooks, Jared Cummans, Gage Collins, Zach Aedo, and Eric Mai.  

“I think part of me knew this would take time, so I didn't want to waste any.” Hooks spoke to his decision to post a Craigslist ad the day he moved into town. 

 Unlike others who throw together musicians and jump straight into shows, Porcelain Twin seems very controlled about their tactics. Cumman explained that one factor is that they wanted to mesh well as people before hitting the stage; which is why they had to open auditions after an early member did work out. 

“Trying out people is an interesting task, you learn a lot about yourself and other human beings, for sure,” Hooks recalled. 

Once Porcelain Twin collected all their current members, Cumman said that it took time to figure out what genre meshed with every member’s talents. Singer Gage Collins was a special outlier for his mates due to his country background. However, when asked, Collins clarified that his early interests included heavier sounds like metal, and eventually Jazz. He wanted listeners to know that country was not his primary music taste currently—or ever. 

In this effort to make their music known, drummer Zach Aedo, talked about their internet presence. While he acquired the role as their social media manager by being the youngest band member by about seven years, he admits he’s still learning the ropes of it. 

“It's just such a beast…a monstrosity honestly,” Aedo said concerning social media. 

While on the outside Porcelain Twin is a band with four songs on Spotify and several shows played in the Denver area, they’re dreaming of much larger accolades. This is where the professional side of music shines through.

“I feel like I've kind of taken on this role making sure that we have a strategy…because this is kind of a business… you can't just like release music” Aedo speaks to his managing position. 

With a plan to release four new songs throughout the summer and play loads of shows, Aedo explained that he wants to make sure they cover all handles online and use that to their advantage. However, Aedo describes the tricky nature of algorithms because sometimes the videos they put the most effort into filming don't gain any traction online. Hooks laughed, adding that their most viewed video was a compilation of random footage with custom audio over it…so go figure. 

In trying to reach the widest possible audience, the band spoke about balancing business and art. Collins illustrated that some days they have to devote purely to administrative stuff such as booking and emailing. This way musical practices get to feel more productive. By keeping the art and business separate, each member feels their music gets to feel expressive. 

“I've always wanted to see how far our music can go, and that's where the business side comes in,” Aedo said “but we never want to compromise our own art.”

Further, the band has taken a life of its own as it’s grown more serious. Collins explained that he joined Porcelain Twin purely as a hobby, but has appreciated each member's commitment. Mai echoed this sentiment, saying he’s excited for their future music as such dedicated musicians. 

Another issue Porcelain Twin brought up with the digital age is that social media leads to oversaturation of music. Cumman’s describes how most people know they like a song within the first ten seconds of hearing it. He says he finds himself doing the same due to the sheer volume of listening options these days. With that, Cumman’s says they try to keep that in mind when writing their own music.

On the other hand,  Hooks argues this is a double-edged sword. Because while there’s more competition, there’s also no walls to break down if you’re really good. You can just blow up on the internet and that’s enough. Even so, who doesn’t want to be a band gaining success in the nineties…? It sure sounds much easier.  

Citing their influences as Death Cab For Cutie, Radiohead, and Smashing Pumpkins, that’s exactly what Porcelain Twin’s sound resonates with. Their precise instrumentation coupled with a charismatically controlled voice gives way to their nuanced sound. Listening to them makes one feel like they’re simultaneously something new and old. 

As sheer perfectionists, Porcelain Twin disclosed the volume of songs they had to toss before even hitting the stages. Bass player Eric Mai talked about how some of these simply sounded too similar to the artists they loved. Others just didn’t sound right when playing full sets added Cumman. In this vein, each member agreed that they sometimes might be their own harshest critics. 

“We’re just five guys trying to create fun music” Aedo astutely put…. To which the whole band laughs. 

There’s much more to Porcelain Twin than what meets the eye. They are a band like many trying to find their grounding in an ever-evolving music industry. It’s like trying to build a plane with no instruction manual… No one’s gonna be flying any time soon. Regardless they’re a band to look out for in the future. 

“The biggest thing for me is if we put out a record…and I can listen back and be proud of it, I think that is always our goal,” said Cumman. 

If you like what you read, please go check out Porcelain Twin’s music here.