Mahoney brings two-man rock to Pittsburgh

Mahoney

Feb. 13, 10… Mahoney

Feb. 13, 10 p.m.

Brillobox

$5

ticketweb.com/brillobox

Bigger isn’t always better — two-man band Mahoney can tell you that.

“Being only two guys actually helps. We’ve been in many different bands, and I think it’s a lot easier. Decisions aren’t done by committee. We both have clear-cut boundaries, so we never step on each other’s toes. The only times it’s tough is when we have to drive somewhere like Texas with only two guys,” said guitarist and lead vocalist Christopher Martin.

Mahoney will be making the drive out to Pittsburgh this Saturday, Feb. 13 for a show at Brillobox.

Martin and drummer Chris Phillips have been honing their style of rock for the past two years. According to Martin, it’s their deceivingly simple sound that sets them apart from other bands.

“What we do is try to focus on what we feel matters the most — like rhythm, melody and vocals. We boil it down to the essence,” he explains.

The end product is a condensed, upbeat brand of rock that Martin feels is sharper and tighter.

While Mahoney’s musical style might be simple, its music videos certainly aren’t. The band has won numerous awards for its music videos, including Fuse TV’s MakeAStar.com Best Music Video 7 for its “Ms. Jones” video, as well as getting into the Top 8 for Super Shorts International Film Festival’s Online Music Video Competition for the “Turn Off the Lights and Turn On the Stereo” video, which is a cross between a rock concert, a laser show and an ’80s jazzercise class.

“We love making videos,” said Martin. “We work with a friend of ours, Marty Stano, and he loves our music, and he just comes up with great stuff. We really don’t have that much to do with it.”

Growing up in a small town outside Ann Arbor, Michigan, both Martin and Phillips developed a love for music by listening to bands like Radiohead, Weezer, Nirvana and “pretty much anything grunge.”

The two have played in various bands together since they were both 16, but they found that the best dynamic takes place when it’s just the two of them.

“Chris is the only drummer I’ve ever worked with, actually,” said Martin.

As for writing songs, Martin explains that the process is collaborative.

“Typically, I’ll try to come up with a melody or something. Before we get together, I’ll try to come up with three parts. Then we flush out how the song is going to work and arrange from there,” he said.

Most songs are catchy, fast and upbeat, usually with tongue-in-cheek lyrics inspired by the band’s daily travels.

“We just focus on whatever’s inspiring us at the time. There’s no set agenda to the lyrics, we just start to sing and then work on the melody from there,” Martin said.

“It’s nice to give yourself limitations. Again, we only want the vocals, melody and rhythm. It’s a lot more streamlined. We don’t need a flugelhorn or an accordion solo, or a harmonica solo, stuff like that. It makes the music tighter and stronger,” said Martin, explaining of the band’s dynamic.

However, being in a two-man band does come with its challenges. According to Martin, one of the biggest issues the duo struggles with is focus.

“We are just a two-man band, you have to know your limits. You can’t just throw in an 18-minute guitar solo.”

For now, Mahoney plans on touring more, one of Martin and Phillips’ favorite activities.

“We want to put on a fun, energetic show,” Martin said. “It’s not that we’re just some party band. It’s just that to play music with a bunch of people around makes it that much more special. You share it with a bunch of people, which amplifies the energy.”