Purdue graduate Kyle Heimann started an acoustic band whose name is a verb for picking your nose in German.
Popple is the musical combination of Heimann and Dan Harms, sophomore in the School of Liberal Arts. Since last fall, the duo has been playing mellow acoustic songs at local coffeehouses. Popple will play at 8 p.m. Friday at the Java Roaster.
Heimann said that the band got its name during an island camping trip.
"The boat drops you off and you hike seven miles to this Camp Popple and there was no water and you (weren't allowed to) start a fire."
So when the band decided to make a list of 50 band names for audiences to vote on to become its permanent name, "Popple" found its way onto the list. Popple was the audience favorite and the duo adopted the name.
Popple's first compact disc, titled "I Thought You Said Wet Suit," was released earlier this year. Heimann said the CD's title was inspired during a road trip over the summer.
"Someone suggested we mimic The Beatles and walk across the road in white suits. I misinterpreted and thought they said 'wet suit.'"
Harms met Heimann last year when he was looking to play music at St. Thomas Aquinas. Heimann was involved with the church and the two began hanging out playing music together. One of their friends suggested they start a band. When they left school last summer they had the intention of writing 100 songs each over the summer.
That goal went unmet but the two began playing again at the beginning of the year. While Popple may not have started with many songs, Heimann says, "(We) now have quite a few."
Harms and Heimann describe their music as all acoustic and vocals. They say half the songs they write are funny while the other half are more meaningful.
"We like to keep a mix of more mellow songs and higher intensity songs," Harms said.
The band says they play mostly original songs, but they like to give the audience something they will recognize, too.
"(We do a) sweet cover of Mrs. Robinson. And Meatloaf (songs), too." Harms said. "We do improv on people in the audience, (such as) waitresses."
Both Harms and Heimann have backgrounds in music since childhood.
Heimann said he began playing piano in second grade, but did not start playing guitar until high school. He liked it because it was portable and he could sing while playing it.
"I love all kinds of music. I listen to everything. I think it's all influenced me in some way. Bands like They Might Be Giants and Weird Al Yankovic."
Harms's musical roots came from his family.
"My dad played in college, similar to what we're doing. I always had demo tapes, so he was my biggest inspiration, and in seventh grade I picked up a guitar.
"My mom gets mad 'cause my older brother plays guitar, too, and she gets super upset 'cause there's three people playing guitar in the house and none of them play together."
Harms is on Purdue's crew team which takes up most of his time. He uses Popple as a way to relax.
Neither of the two is trying to make money from their music. They sell "I Thought You Said Wet Suit" for $4 and neither expects their exploits to take them anywhere.
For information about Popple, visit the Web site www.popple.us.
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