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From the Studio

Local band The New Daze looks to increase presence at Syracuse University

Kadijah Watkins | Staff Photographer

(from left) Steve Graf, Max Flansburg and Jamie Knittel, make up local band The New Daze. The three have been a part of the band for four years, and have performed throughout Syracuse and upstate New York.

By Isha Damle So fresh, so clean

Bass player Jamie Knittel said audience members don’t need drugs or alcohol to be put in a daze.

“You don’t need any of that stuff to have you a good time. We’ll give you the daze, I guess.” said Knittel, a member of local band, The New Daze.

Knittel, a sophomore environmental science major at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said that the band’s seasoned performance skills make their live shows a “good time.”

The band’s current lineup has been together for four years, and they have released two full-length albums, which they recorded at SubCat Studios. Guitarist and vocalist Max Flansburg founded the band when he was in middle school, and Knittel and drummer Steve Graf joined a few years later.

The band recently placed third at Battle of the Bands for a crowd that Knittel said was mostly unfamiliar with the band.



“That was a good step in the direction of meeting Syracuse (University) people and we’re just going to continue playing as much as we can and have fun with it,” he said.

The New Daze has performed throughout Syracuse and upstate New York, at The Montage Music Hall in Rochester, New York and at the Sterling Stage Kampitheater. The band, self-described as “heavy jam funk rock with an edge,” plans on releasing a third album and hopes to further gain recognition in the SU music scene.

“We’ve played for the townies, we’ve played for the people who are into the jam scene and know about the jam scene, but as far as college kids go and average music fans at SU, we feel like they don’t really know us,” Knittel said.

Everything about the band, from its name to its album titles is quirky and has a story behind it. Their first album name, titled “Lose Your Culture” stems from the group’s first experience playing at The Westcott Theatre. The second album name, “Don’t Judge the Universe,” stems from what Knittel calls the “mad ramblings of Max Flansburg.”

Flansburg started the band at 13 years old, and said that the band has transformed immensely.

“You learn a lot being on the road, going to different shows, traveling — there’s a lot to learn,” Flansburg said. “As people, we’ve grown, and that’s been represented in our music.”

The band has no agent or manager, but Flansburg said that having to independently book shows and promote the band themselves has made all of its members grow both musically and as independent adults.

“We do everything by ourselves… Me and Jamie do all the bookings and all the promoting, physically and digitally,” Flansburg said. “That’s a lot of hard work, just building your name and getting it out there. It’s tough but I think we all love it so much that it’s not even a question that we’re in it to win it.”

The band’s music is available on Spotify, iTunes and YouTube. The band will be playing at SUNY Oswego’s Ozfest on May 8, Alfred State SUNY College of Technology on May 9 and played at RedFest this past weekend.

Knittel said that although he hadn’t known his fellow band mates until joining the band, he now considers them his best friends and that this has added to the sound quality the band produces. Drummer Steve Graf agreed.

“It definitely adds a level of chemistry and ability to maybe anticipate what another member is going to do next,” Graf said. “Plus, what’s better than doing what you love with guys you love?”

Though he is from Syracuse and extensively plays music in the Syracuse scene, Flansburg has been commuting an hour and a half to play with the band. He plans on returning back to school to study music.

Knittel acknowledged that it will be somewhat difficult to play without the band’s founder, but said that The New Daze doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

“We love to play. It’s literally our bread and butter, it’s our water. If we can continue to play, we’re happy as clams,” Knittel said. “We don’t need fortune, we don’t need fame, we’re not in it for the money. We do it because we love to play, we love to perform, we love to see people be happy, and it kicks ass to be in a band that kicks so much ass.”





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