File Thirteen

This three piece band from Vancouver, Washington is nothing short of special. Anyone who has the absolute pleasure of listening to File Thirteen can hear how passionate they are about music. Although their lyrics are more of a joke than anything the musicianship in the band is unmeasurable.  

Lead vocalist and guitarist Karlson Drendel has always made music as a form of self expression. "I've always loved being able to capture an emotion through art, and then handing it off as this packaged product for someone else to unwrap and deeply interact with," explained Drendel. Music allows him to let go of his emotions, negative or positive. Being able to share these emotions and create art has helped bring him closer to all his friends as music gives them a common ground. Drendel stresses that music is a time consuming craft; so if you like an artist give their work your full attention. 

Bassist Will Gaines finds music to be extraordinarily important as it gives him a way to communicate through all language barriers. "I make music because it's the only way I'm able to express my pent-up creativity," says Gaines. His inability to create any other form of art has been a blessing in disguise as he is an extremely talented musician. He believes anyone who is not a musician needs to pick up an instrument and learn. Being able to appreciate music in a way other than just listening brings the whole experience of listening to music into a new light. 

Drummer Joel Koehler found a strong sense of community in music. Being able to make music with Drendel and Gaines has kept them connected while he has been away at college. Music has allowed Koehler to connect with people who he would not have met other wise, from an artist in South Africa to ten minute conversations in guitar stores. "The sense of camaraderie between musicians is super cool and it really makes you feel like you're a part of something bigger," says Koehler. Within that camaraderie comes the sense of accomplishment you get when you create something; even creating alone gives the same strong feeling of accomplishment. There is something about creating art out of thin air that is extremely rewarding to Koehler.  

File Thirteen is an extremely collaborative project; each musician brings their own taste into the sound of the band. They have played together for a few years, their first EP '440' was released nearly two years ago. Since then they have been hard at work on new material. Due to the distance between Koehler at school in Boise and Drendel and Gaines at home in Vancouver, File Thirteen has struggled a little bit to record new music. They are caught between wanting to make new music immediately and wanting to give the music their all, which can only be done when they are in the same place. "Once we live in the same place again we will start a more aggressive production of this goof soup of joke songs and pain," says Koehler. 

While File Thirteen's sound has been based around jokes they have matured since writing their first EP. Still holding their good humored, genreless sound the band has begun writing about the more serious bits of life. Not all File Thirteen's new music will be gut wrenching and somber, they have not completely changed; listeners can still expect to hear the funny, fairly meaningless lyrics they have grown to love from the band.  "All of us are incredibly passionate musicians," explains Drendel. "And wrote the last record mostly out of insecurity of releasing real vulnerable art out into the world." Each member of File Thirteen has grown as artists and people since the release of '440' and are ready to share some real emotions with the world.