By Bruno Halpern
Entertainment & Lifestyle Editor
“Perfect Sequence” is the name of a local alternative rock band from Southwest Florida that has made an impression in the local music scene.
This Valentines’ Day, the band is releasing a music video of one of their songs, “Learning to Fall.”
Caleb Vilca, the band’s lead vocalist, said the song is romantic, but not in the way people would expect.
“[The song’s] concept revolves around depression; being there for someone in need,” Vilca said. “We are trying to spread a message of solidarity and hope, that if we find ourselves in that situation, we should know there is someone out there that cares about us.”
“Perfect Sequence” was featured in the Naples Daily News and interviewed by Univision and Telemundo because Vilca is originally from Peru.
They takes pride in being “100 percent self-produced” since they record their own albums, make their own music videos, create their own merchandise products and social media pages.
They shot two music videos in SWFL. The first one, “Awaken,” reached 30,000 views on Youtube. Their second music video, “Us and Gravity,” accumulated over 9,000 views.
Vilca started the band two years ago after some time being exclusively a solo artist. He believes having a group where all band members can offer inputs is better for the creative process.
“Music brought us together,” Vilca said. “We had a very slow but steady beginning. The positive side of it is that it made us more resilient to adversities.”
The band’s lead guitar player, Todd Sloan, couldn’t make it to the interview.
Skyler Lapham, the band’s drummer and a psychology major at FGCU, said that “you can be anyone and listen to our music.”
“If it resonates with people, that’s what’s important,” Brandon Dubois, bass and backup vocalist of the band, said.
Today’s mainstream market values music genres that aren’t that of “Perfect Sequence,” but that doesn’t faze Vilca.
“We don’t focus too much on how we’re going to compete with today’s hip-hop, or today’s metal. We want to connect with people with similar interests in art and concepts. But at the root, we want to convey a human message. That’s our objective.”
“We’re making music to ourselves,” Lapham said. “If it sounds good to us, other people might think so too.”
The band’s songwriting process is open for the input of all bandmates. Vilca is the main songwriter, but he stimulates the other bandmates to come up with their own lyrics, melodies and concepts for songs.
Being from Peru, Vilca also talked about the stigma latino singers have in the music industry.
“It’s as if we are only allowed to do a certain kind of sound,” Vilca said. “Being from South America, I feel like I’ve gotten the opportunity to appreciate latino artists that didn’t get to the top 20 here in America. I grew up listening to Spanish-speaking bands that sounded like [American bands].
“But even in Peru I’d listen to American bands. There was something in some of the songs that shook me. There was some angst that I didn’t comprehend. I knew it meant something to the artist, so I wanted to feel that.”
“Perfect Sequence” plans to film their next music video at FGCU in April.
They will shoot the song “Chemicals” in the Vetaran’s Pavillion.
Lapham invited FGCU students to be part of the music video. It’s part of the band’s mission to connect with local people.
“Come have some fun and support the local artists,” Vilca said.
Also, “Perfect Sequence” will have a live session at WGCU on March 14.
Dubois sees the SWFL music scene as “blossoming a lot in the past years.”
The band sees opportunity and hope in the future.
“I’m satisfied with what we have,” Dubois said. “But this isn’t the end goal. The goal is to make this a full time thing. To share with the world.”
“We’re looking to be legitimate musicians,” Vilca said. “We’re not unpersuaded by fame, sucess and stardom. If we stay disciplined and focuses, we’ll get there.”
If I have people that are willing to listen to my music and I can survive out of it, that’s the dream,” Lapham said.
“You’ll always be best doing what you love to do,” Vilca said.
When giving final remarks about “Learning to Fall,” Lapham gave an important reminder to everyone that suspects someone they know may be suffering from depression.
“Check on your friends.”