MOORHEAD – Raining in Paradise (RIP), a well-known band comprised of current and former Concordia students, added a new member just a few weeks before they are set to perform as the student openers for Cornstock.
Tony Berndt, a sophomore keytar player, joined the band in early April, according to the band’s Instagram account.
“We were only a four (person band) and given that I can’t play any instruments super well, having another in the band is insanely helpful and adds depth. Tony is also cool and talented and we like him,” senior and lead singer of RIP, Izzy Johnson said.
“Honestly the whole thing is just inspirational. It’s really something cool to be a part of a group and watch our ideas come to life. I’ve really enjoyed my time in Raining In Paradise,” said Berndt.
Adding a new member to a band can be a strenuous process, but Berndt fits right into the band’s sound, according to junior band member Trevor Tiongson.
“I have been learning the band’s originals by ear and have been trying to add my own unique spin to the songs. The whole band works well by listening to a song and figuring out how to replicate the sound and how we want to make it our own,” Berndt said.
RIP is well-known for their catchy melodies and polished sound, which takes work and time to develop. To achieve this, the band largely relies on collaboration between band members.
“Someone, usually Izzy or I, will come up with some lyrics and an idea of a vibe, then we build the parts from there. It lets everyone contribute to the song and have their fingerprints on it,” junior drummer of RIP, Nick Trzynka said.
RIP is to be the student opener for Cornstock, Concordia’s highly anticipated yearly music event, on April 20. Students voted for RIP to play at the event at Concordia’s annual Battle of the Bands.
“We’ve done a lot of thinking about what sound we want for [Cornstock]. We know this is going to be a lot of people’s first time hearing us so we’ve put a lot of consideration into our set list to give the best first impression we can,” Tiongson said.
Cornstock will be the first time many will hear Berndt performing with RIP.
“[I’m] more excited than anything. I know that we’ll put on a show and I’m excited to see what Concordia thinks of it,” Berndt said.
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