Ian Andersen is doing interviews with Japanese magazines. He and his mates from One for the Team have been trotting the country for several months and, after a quick break in Minneapolis, will continue on to the east coast where they’re already fairly well known. Two of them attend the U of M. They’ve put out two records (Good Boys Don’t Make Noise and Build Up), live in Dinkytown, and drive a fifteen-passenger van to their shows. What’s more, Ian claims that playing Minneapolis is “a bit of a crapshoot” because the city has yet to take notice of their increasing popularity; “the vibe is always different when you play hometowns because there are people you know watching you. But here, as far as we can tell, we’re relatively unknown.” We could say that our fair city of Minneapolis has been far too busy cursing or praising the passing of the RNC to notice, but One for the Team’s been around for a while. And we haven’t been very supportive.

With members ranging in age from 19 to 23, One for the Teamis a fresh-faced operation cut straight from Minneapolis stalk. Ian says their name comes from a Dillinger Four song on the album Situationist Comedy, a song “about how this scene is so full of itself.” He says the lyric “one for the team” references “swallowing one’s own pride while other people are name-dropping.” It is tempting to conflate this idea with the band’s own musical theory, but Ian says the name is simply an upgrade from his last band’s moniker, Aneuretical. In fact, Ian and his crew seem to be quite the low-key group. From citing Elvis Costello as an influence to admitting that they make “cutesy wootsy couple pop” sometimes compared to (a more guitar-driven) Mates of State, Ian paints an unassuming portrait
of the band. He describes it as being made up of the people he loves best: he met John in high school, has known Elliott since he was 13 and already playing music, and he has been dating Grace for two years. The band’s snug, girl-guy harmonies and pre-concert “family dinners” are further proof of a kind of effortless cohesion. Rather than musical theories or poetic statements, Ian emphasizes the pleasures of touring: “I think we all really enjoy it and get a lot out of it. It’s really fun to meet people you’ve never met who connect with you already. It’s a really strange and exciting feeling.” It seems that One for the team is really about human interactions. Along with their big band van, Ian says they often lean on the kindness of family when traveling. They call themselves lucky and inspired by the
warmth they’ve received from audiences so far.

The way the band’s music takes shape also seems effortlessly unified. Ian writes and then passes the songs along to Grace who “chews on them for a couple of says.” Then, Ian says, the soft sad songs he begins with an acoustic guitar are amped up with the help of the rest of the band. They make loud music and like to have fun: “We’re not really downers.” If you plan on going to a show, expect to dance. You’ll see a group of kids on stage trying to show you that “really sad songs are actually really
poppy and catchy.”

Of the many cities they’ve already played, One for the Team has been particularly charmed by Phoenix, Denver, and L.A. And predictably, Ian says, “we all just love New York, so that will probably take the cake when we get there.” But even if we Minneapolites have been less than encouraging, One for the Team has been kind enough to continue pulling for us as an audience. Ian even says, “we’re not in Minneapolis often so when we are we like to make it a big deal if we can.” They know what they’re doing, and it’s possible that One for the Team is capable of conjuring that best-of both-worlds feeling so often illusive during politically-charged times such as these. Could it hurt to turn
our ears to something both happy and sad, played by both boys and girls who, popular or not, can be seen strolling our very own campus at the price of nothing? Hardly.

Tags: Dinkytown