Looking ahead as a band, Grand Cousin sees more than just graduation. Formed during the first week of freshman year, this trio, consisting of Evan Low ’14, Robby Caplan ’14, and Henry Hall ’14, has developed and transformed into a Wesleyan music staple. Now, venturing through their final stretch as college students, they are not planning to end their musical association with their Wesleyan careers. Rather, they plan on taking their upbeat, make-you-chair-dance, make-you-actually-dance, sing-along music beyond our humble campus.

Over this past winter break, the trio recorded its first, self-titled EP in New York at John Kilgore Sound and Recording. This new EP includes five new songs; the band is planning a regional tour after graduation to further promote the new music.

“I think [the songs] are more sophisticated, and I think that there is definitely evidence of our evolution as a band,” Caplan said of the EP after playing another successful show at Psi Upsilon (Psi U) this past Saturday night. “I think that the songs are fuller, the compositions are more sophisticated as well, and that you can hear us making music more collaboratively. There’s more synergy.”

Grand Cousin has been venturing into New York City more and more since its first show in October at Arlene’s Grocery, one of the band’s favorite venues, yet the members refuse to admit to a preference between playing shows at Wesleyan or in the city.

“Wesleyan has been the crucible, and Wesleyan certainly made us to a certain extent,” Caplan said. “It’s still the most influential measurement of our music, and how people might respond to it.”

The level of support on campus, Hall said, is unbeatable.

“We’re so lucky to have so many people who support us on campus, and we want to give them cool fun shows,” Hall said. “It’s always really awesome when a bunch of people come to the shows—we’re like ‘Thank you, Michael Roth.’”

Grand Cousin’s performance at Psi U this weekend was evidence of this outlook, because while the crowd was smaller than those that the band typically draws, the energy remained as high as usual.  There could be 100 or 10 people at a Grand Cousin performance: no matter the number, those people would be dancing and singing along to the band’s songs.

This happy, enthusiastic atmosphere is what Low, Caplan, and Hall hope to bring with them during their upcoming regional tour. Grand Cousin’s ultimate goal is to culminate the adventure at Bonnaroo, the music festival in Tennessee, where they may or may not be playing.

With those high hopes in mind, the band is also filming a promotional video for the EP. Filmed by Jack Coyne ’13 and Sidney Schleiff ’14, this video will incorporate clips from Grand Cousin’s show at Psi U and interviews with each of the band members.

“I think it’s going to capture where we are now, which is in anticipation [of] the release of new music,” Caplan said.

For the immediate future—as in, the last couple of months before graduation—Grand Cousin is going to be playing at Spike Hill in Brooklyn on Feb. 26, at Arlene’s Grocery in New York City on March 26, and hopes to be be scheduling a show at Beta for next month.

“Look for Grand Cousin at Beta, Grand Cousin in Matt Gross’s room, and Grand Cousin in Alex Rowland’s Copenhagen,” Hall joked.

No matter where they are, the music is sure to be energizing, exciting, and full of impossibly high falsetto and fun beats to which you won’t be able to resist dancing.