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SALT LAKE CITY — For seven years, Secret Abilities has been carving an indelible mark into the Salt Lake music scene with its brand of pop punk.
Secret Abilities founding member Davin Abegg played in a few bands over the years, but after playing in a group where he only played guitar, he decided to start Secret Abilities, so he could write his own music.
He found band members by reaching out to his friends on social media, and gradually he was able to find like-minded musicians who shared his desire to make fun music without any agendas.
“We didn’t have a lot of direction when we first started, we just wanted to make something honest,” Abegg said. “Overall it’s just simple pop music for people to enjoy. Nothing too deep or too political or too sappy.”
Abegg said he had been listening to a lot of rockabilly music at the time as well as the simple but raw punk music of the Ramones. Channeling these influences, Secret Abilities has created its own fashion of pop punk that often draws sounds of ’50s rock and roll with its rolling bass lines, fun lyrics and singer Tink Safeer’s crooning voice.
2014 has been a busy year for the band as it has been able to hit some of the biggest goals Abegg had for the group.
Overall it's just simple pop music for people to enjoy. Nothing too deep or too political or too sappy.
–David Abegg, Secret Abilities
The band was able to travel to Olympia, Washington, earlier this year to record its new album out Nov. 22. It traveled so far because K Records, a label Abegg has always found inspiration from, invited the band to its studio to record. Calvin Johnson, the founder of the label, recorded the album and is even featured on the song, “Creepy.”
“I’ve always been a fan of the label K Records. I’ve always felt really in tune with the bands they’ve represented,” Abegg said. “I asked if Calvin would record us, and he said yes. So we got to be recorded by one of my biggest inspirations in one of the coolest studios.”
While traveling there, Secret Abilities was able to tour the Pacific Northwest and play a few shows. Abegg said through the tour the band was able to meet other musical artists and received a great reception everywhere it played.
This album will also be a landmark for the band because it will be releasing it on vinyl. Its previous works have only been released digitally or on cassette, and releasing an album on vinyl has always been a goal for Abegg.
Nov. 22, it will be playing a release party show at Diabolical Records. Its new LP will be for sale there, and Secret Abilities will be joined by local bands The Statuettes, PTO and Shot in the Mountains, who will also be playing new music.
