As 2009 approached, InPulse looked at its jam-packed calendar and the daunting task list which accompanied their busy schedule. There were posters to be printed, financial statements to be calculated, products to be ordered, and residencies to be scheduled. The idea had been discussed before, and even tried out for a brief period of time, but it didn't stick. This time they all knew what had to be done.
"We need a manager," they thought.
Matt and Marcus discussed at length, the job description and character attributes of the person that would essentially step into the driver's seat and take the wheel of the a cappella machine which they had built over the last 6 years. What kind of person could they implicitly trust with their financial livelyhood and the future of their band?
"It occurred to me that the only way this was 'really' going to work was for one of us to step up to the plate and do it ourselves," said Marcus Hanson, "and it would seem to be a lot easier to replace a bass singer than a front-man...who happens to be from Australia. We all have our unique qualities, but I from a commercial standpoint this made a lot more sense."
So InPulse began a nationwide talent search for a new bass singer who would anchor the band through its next phase as a musical ensemble.
"This is a very exciting time for us," said Matt McDonald, "We have a lot of big projects in the works for the next year or two and we knew that this person had to be a perfect fit."
In mid-January, they struck paydirt! Elliott Robinson, a recent graduate of Nashville's Belmont University and a cappella veteran, flew to Minneapolis to audition for the opening.
Andy described his audition - "When we heard Elliott sing, it was like, 'Whoa. Is this guy for real? You just know that he is going to be famous someday.' We need to sign this guy up, now!"
InPulse offered Elliott the job, and after taking the weekend to ponder the question "Why the heck do I want to move to a state where it is currently 20 below zero?" Elliott saw the light and accepted the job offer.
The band used the month of February to rehearse with him and work up some new music and on Saturday, March 6th, Elliott made his InPulse debut, playing to a wild crowd in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
"I'd have to say that it felt pretty good," Elliott recounted modestly, "What could be better than dropping a pedal A in Hotel California, then hearing the crowd rap along with you to 'Baby Got Back'?"
Gabe had this to say, "Of course, not everything was perfect the first time around. But it never is. That's what you must keep striving for as a musician. I think this is the strongest musical lineup we've ever had and I look forward to exploring some new territory with Elliott, Matt, and Andy."
So, what is in store for InPulse's future?
Marcus will book the group and manage the day-to-day operations from his home outside the Twin Cities, while the group will keep touring to maintain its reputation as the hottest and loudest a cappella band in the universe!
"I am most excited about the groups marketability," said Marcus. "I mean just look at them - men of different nationalities and ethnicities singing HARMONY together... You can't buy that kind of symbolism. It is priceless. InPulse is a poster-child for diversity, and we plan on riding that all the way to the bank."
