Student
band works to create own sound
By Todd Leland
On-line Forty-Niner
Stare
Down Orion, a local Cal State Long Beach
band, keeps a relaxed attitude while playing
music it enjoys.
“We have an excellent group dynamic,” said
Jean Hsu, 24, who splits time as the band’s
lead singer.
 Two
members of the quartet are seniors at CSULB.
Rich Wilson, 21, is a communications major
and Rich Yodsukar, 22, is completing requirements
for a degree in recreation studies. Bass
player Liam Ferris, 27, graduated from CSULB
and is now a computer technician in the
liberal studies department.
Members of the group are dedicated to one
another and are constantly working together
to create music.
“It’s not just Rich’s music or Jean’s music
when we hear the final product,” Ferris
said. “The lyrics and music may be written
by one of us, but when we start jamming
we all add our part.”
All three band members confided that no
matter the starting product, the end result
is unique and very much a Stare Down Orion
sound.
“We’re influenced by the Foo Fighters and
Jimmy Eat World,” Yodsukar commented. “We’ve
also been compared to the Pixies.”
Wilson described the band’s sound as independent
alternative.
The band plays shows at numerous venues
all over Orange and Los Angeles counties.
“We play at Que Sera and the Block at Orange
a lot,” Yodsukar said. “We also have a show
coming up in January at The Cat Club.”
Wilson added that the band also plays on
campus in The Nugget quite often.
For almost a year and a half, the band has
been getting ready to release an EP in January
titled “Backlit Stars.”
Stare Down Orion has its roots in another
band. Wilson and Yodsukar met in the CSULB
dorms and formed the band NeverDrown. Ferris
was in the CSULB steel drum orchestra with
Wilson, who convinced Ferris to join that
band. The lead singer of the band quit and
the search for Hsu was on.
With Hsu on board the band only needed to
find a band name they could live with.
Wilson said the name is derived from the
Greek myth of the hunter Orion.
“It’s about staring into the eyes of a blind
hunter. Orion was a great hunter who was
blinded by the gods because he looked upon
a goddess princess and was killed by a scorpion,”
Wilson alluded.
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