The Sandspur

Issue date: 4/23/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Kirsten Zarek Jamming: Essence d'Âme mesmorizes audiences with their energetic stage presence.

If you have been at Rollins for any significant amount of time, you have certainly noticed Orlando's local music scene. Though small and somewhat unclaimed by any particular style, the music's lack of uniformity makes way for an unmatched level of versatility.

Orlando's music scene is infiltrated with every genre of music and performance, from the Orlando Gay Choir to 30-year-old men playing grunge instrumentals at the Social.

It is this versatility, however, that opens the doors for bands that are not necessarily cookie-cut into any specific musical category - which is exactly what local band, Essence d'Âme, strives to be.

Essence d'Âme (French for Essence of Soul) is the conflation of hip-hop, funk, and jazz with accents of soul, pop, and blues. Their mission is very simple. It is to create music that does not follow any rules.

"We don't cater to any specific group of people, because music is for everyone, and our lyrics tell stories about life experiences that everyone can relate to, no matter what walk of life they come from," says Nick "Ridiculous Nick" Palmer, the band's first and founding member. "You can appreciate our music from a multitude of angles - just don't try and put us in a box."

The band formed in 2009 when Palmer hit a wall with his own music production. Playing all the instruments over sampled drum beats, he began creating his own so-called hip-hop in his home recording studio, "but all the rappers told [him] it was crap."

Frustrated at non-musical artists who seemed to be excelling despite a lack of talent, Palmer sent his S.O.S. via a Craigslist ad requesting "musicians for a unique hip-hop band." His first response was from 24-year-old MC True Rhyme, who impressed Palmer with the "deep and spiritual" nature of his lyrics, and mind blowing speed and intelligence.The two paired up and slowly completed the band's final line up through classmates, friends, and word of mouth.

About a year later, the line-up now includes Jeremy Adams on the bass, Will Busby on guitar, vocalist Lou Magee, Ryan "Houston" Eiland on the drums, Ridiculous Nick on the keyboards, and of course, MC True Rhyme.

Since the band's first show in June 2009, which Palmer admits "wasn't great," Essence d'Âme has gained an admirable following and is arguably one of the most energetic and passionate local bands in Orlando.

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