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Taking the stage for a Halloween show dressed as Paul McCartney and joking that his music was “as good or better” than The Beatles was typical onstage goofiness for Eric Timlin, the frontman and founder of student music collective The Accountant and All-Thumbs. He likes to be unpredictable during performances and tends to banter with the crowd between songs.

But Timlin’s comedic stage presence shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of seriousness. Each day, he tries to write a new song. The work may never be performed or shown to anyone, but it keeps him creatively active.

“Eric is kind of a goofy person on the exterior, but he is genuinely one of the most real and raw creative souls I’ve ever interacted with,” said junior Enzo Cupani, the group’s manager. “He understands himself on a level that I’ve never experienced interacting with someone else before, and I think his music truly reflects that.”

Timlin, now a junior at Syracuse University, formed the Thumbs in his freshman dorm room. Since its creation, he has been the only constant as a long and shifting roster rotates to join him on stage. Currently, Abbie Wood plays the keyboard, Ben Webster plays guitar and Alex Talarico is on the drums. Timlin is the lead vocalist and plays bass.

“I’m just along for the ride, Eric will book x, y, z and I’ll just be happy that I get to play on a show with him,” Wood said. “For me, any show is going to be exciting because it’s Eric and you never know what he’s going to say.”

The Thumbs blend styles ranging from alt-rock to R&B to hip-hop, with influences that Timlin described as “eclectic.” Timlin refuses to explain the band’s unusual name and prefers that listeners interpret it for themselves.

Timlin wrote all five tracks on their debut EP, “From the Desk Of…,” which was released on Sept. 22. The Thumbs have released a series of singles since 2022, but “From the Desk Of…” is their first collection of original music. In the studio, Timlin records, engineers and produces all of the Thumbs’ music himself, “with exceptions here and there.”

Lars Jendruschewitz | Assistant Photo Editor

The Accountant and All-Thumbs are known for their creative, individual sound. Their stage presence sets them apart from other bands in the Syracuse scene.

At first, Timlin’s plan for the EP was to take the best songs he wrote during high school and, together with a friend, update and release them. After his friend moved to Chicago, however, he pivoted to a new concept and wrote and produced five new songs independently.

“I think the themes between are much more cohesive, and they work together now,” Timlin said. “We’ve done a lot of singles, and it was important to me as a writer to try and do something longer. I thought it would be a big deal for the people that like our music to give them a little bit of extra stuff to chew on.”

Though the band’s specific lineup is fluid, Timlin’s unique voice as a songwriter is what drew Cupani, a music industry major, to become the group’s manager. He first knew the band would become something special on Feb. 3 when they played a freezing-cold Redgate.

“It was that weekend that was like negative 40 degrees outside, and still over 200 people came just to see them, and they were headlining that show,” Cupani said. “People were still having fun.”

Timlin agreed that the show was a turning point for the band, even if they had to play in a snowstorm.

“We didn’t think anyone was going to come out because it was really freaking cold and there was snow everywhere, but people really rolled up for us, and that was such a big deal,” Timlin said. “We felt like we had such a community at that one … Those people, they just came out because they liked our music and they wanted to see us play, and that was amazing.”

At Funk ‘n Waffles on Sunday, the Thumbs played tracks off of their debut EP, including two of their most popular songs, “Hold Together//Fall Apart” and “Slow Down.” The set also mixed in a rock cover of “The Rainbow Connection” and Beatles’ songs like “Day Tripper” and “Don’t Let Me Down.”

The show featured opening sets from Champagne Blondes, a student band from Le Moyne College, and SU junior Nancy Dunkle. The Thumbs’ guitarist, Webster, also played in Dunkle’s set and will continue to join her for other shows this semester.

Webster said that playing with the Thumbs has provided him a creative outlet after his regular band, The Garage Lights, went on hiatus while their lead singer Avaana Harvey studies abroad. Webster had known Timlin through Harvey and joined the Thumbs for the opportunity to keep playing gigs this semester.

“I’d seen him perform a couple times — he opened for my band in April, got him on the bill — and he’s got a very fun, comedic energy on stage,” Webster said. “His music is not exactly standard with a lot of the other student groups, so it’s cool to do something fresh.”

During the Thumbs’ set on Sunday, Timlin, Wood and Talarico surprised Webster by revealing that they had learned to play “Jamie,” a song by The Garage Lights. They performed it along with Webster as part of the setlist.

Like Webster, some of the Thumbs’ members play on a temporary basis and are also members of other bands, which is why Timlin refers to the band as a “music collective.” Even as members come and go, they are always welcome back for another show.

“You play with us once, you’re in the Thumbs for life,” Timlin said.

Published on October 31, 2023 at 10:25 pm