Captain Squeegee

Captain Squeegee (Credit: Janet Zhou)

Captain Squeegee Members:

Chris Hoskins : Saxophone

Austen Mack : Guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals

Kory McCarthy : Guitar

Ryan Sims : Trombone, vocals

Danny Torgersen : Vocals, trumpet

Tyler Carlblom : Bass

Mat Maloy : Drums

Captain Squeegee Influences:

Currently, the band is influenced by conceptual-based music and artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Mars Volta and Circa Survive.

Captain Squeegee Genres: Progressive rock, alternative.

Better described as: Don't be fooled by the horns. Captain Squeegee's no ska band, channeling rock-opera melodies into an experimental, complex sound.

Behind the name: They were originally named Captain Squeegee and the Soap Suds more than seven years ago, but the current lineup shortened it to Captain Squeegee because "it was just wordy and especially ska-like," Torgersen says. "It's just kind of silly. We kept Captain Squeegee because we already had a fan base centered around the name, so it wouldn't be beneficial to ax all the work we've done promoting it.

"I think with my music, I've had an approach of showing people a sincere truth, trying to clear their mind and show them some bigger ideas and questions, so I like to say, 'Captain Squeegee - helping you see more clearly.' Maybe I'm wiping away the polluted muck of society."

If you have two minutes to check out the band's MySpace page, listen to this: "Laughability" is an upbeat, catchy tune with an optimistic message - even when life sucks, you still have the power to laugh. "I think people take away a positive idea from that song, and it's a nice contrast to some of the negative tunes," Torgersen says. "It has a driving tempo and proves that we're something much more than a ska band."

Currently working on: They're constantly writing new songs and recording as they go along so that the songs become more polished live. They also continue to promote their current full-length album, "Nothing vs. Everything." Torgersen says they're also working hard to talk to labels, booking agents and investors, who might be able to help the band tour beyond the Southwest.

Music is . . . : "I think music obviously should be viewed as an art form and not as an industry," Torgersen says. "I think that because it is an art form, it holds great potential for a universal understanding between humans, because music as a system is indoctrinated into all of us. We all feel connected to music, even though no one really chose the musical language. It's almost like the divine language that we all can communicate between, and what's especially exciting to me about it is that everyone feels something exciting about it. The fact that you can record music is amazing. Then it's like I can be in a bunch of places at once just trying to emotionally connect with people."