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SafetySuit sings a new song

Julie Roche and Anna Turner, Senior Staff Writer

(www.myspace.com/safetysuit)

Miami Program Board is hosting its 16th annual Party on The Patio at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10 featuring Tyrone Wells, Needmore and headliner SafetySuit.

An alternative rock band from Tulsa, Okla., SafetySuit came out with their debut album Life Left to Go in 2008. The quartet had two immediate hits in "Someone Like You" and "Anywhere But Here," with the former featured on popular ABC show Kyle XY.

According to singer/guitarist Doug Brown, the band name SafetySuit comes from how "safe" the band members feel with one another, which has allowed them to feel comfortable enough to be themselves and write meaningful, inspiring songs that people can relate to.

Although it has taken some time for the band to gain momentum, faithful fans have kept them going from day one.

Take sophomore Ian Kelly. He first started liking SafetySuit three summers ago when he heard "Someone Like You" on one of his favorite alternative rock radio stations.

"It's too bad that it's been so long since they came out with music," Kelly said.

And while that may be true, with their debut album in 2008 being their only CD release, the Nashville-based band is finally starting to thrust itself onto fans' iPods and stereos across the nation, as well they should be.

"I am really into alternative rock that really strays away from the more mainstream bands like Nickelback and Daughtry," Kelly said. "I just feel that SafetySuit is great at providing great musical backgrounds to their catchy lyrics, something plenty of other bands have trouble doing."

After a 10-day hiatus, (their last show was in Michigan Sept. 1), SafetySuit is more than ready to get back onstage to show off those great musical backgrounds and catchy lyrics Kelly mentioned. According to SafetySuit bassist Jeremy Henshaw, the band is psyched about trying out their new material.

"There's an excitement for us in experimenting with new music and seeing what people like and what people don't like," Henshaw said. "It's great to have the audience and whoever is there be a part of the process of creating new stuff."

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The band is currently recording their second album, filling up any free time in between shows with studio hours. This sporadic recording process is a stark contrast to their experience recording their first EP, which involved eight straight months in the studio.

"Our touring schedule doesn't allow for us to spend months on end recording," Henshaw said. "It's been really cool because it's allowed us to sit with the music a little bit more and hopefully at the end of the process come out with the best material we possibly can."

For SafetySuit, the best material communicates something genuine, real, hopeful and inspiring. "Hopefully people are able to listen to the music we're making and think ‘that's exactly how I feel' or ‘that helps me in some way,'" Henshaw said. "It's really cool that music can do that."