In a stuffy garage on Monroe Street, the sounds of guitar tuning and light drumming provide background noise to discussions of upcoming gigs and rehearsal plans. Once home to beloved student band “Vudu Caravan,” the makeshift studio now serves as the headquarters for another group leaving their mark on the Santa Clara music scene.

From bringing the energy to APB’s Spring Revival Concert to rocking out the Bronco last Friday with One Million Beers, student band Dental Insurance is making big waves on and off campus.

Following the departure of their bass player and lead singer last year, drummer Kyle Burroughs and lead guitarist Will Fergusson of the former Vudu Caravan knew they had to find a way to keep performing.

Using their network of fellow Santa Clara musicians, they found the perfect opportunity.

Sophomore Tommy Lewis came into Santa Clara as a solo act, releasing music on Spotify under the moniker Tlew. After being introduced to the school’s underground music scene and jamming with bands like Vudu Caravan, he was immediately hooked on forming a band of his own.

Knowing his brother, and fellow musician Charlie, would start at Santa Clara in the fall, he proposed joining forces with Fergusson, Burroughs and first-year bassist Luke Carlson. And, after some first rehearsal brainstorming, Dental Insurance was formed.

To those wondering why the name Dental Insurance was decided, the group says “Why not?”

“Everyone needs some Dental Insurance man, it’s important to have in your life,” added Fergusson.

The group believes it represents the “just have fun” aspect that motivates them as performers, although they admit it does look pretty weird on posters.

“My inspiration isn’t just one source, it's a collaboration with all these different sources,” said Burroughs. “I’m still working to create my own style.”

While the group has a predominantly indie rock vibe, they don’t lock themselves into a single sound and look to draw influences from as many genres as possible.

“That’s the beauty of playing in a band because not everyone has the same influences you have” added Fergusson. “We get to put it all together and make it almost like an individual fingerprint, your own sound.”

Often mixing in covers of classics like “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon and “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis with originals like “Mystery Lady” and “Toothache,” the band likes to keep the energy high and get the crowd moving.

“I think we do a good job of rocking out and also getting more thoughtful with our songs, more attentive to different sections and buildups,” said Charlie Lewis. “I think the fact that we all come from different genre backgrounds blends nicely and you can definitely see that in our original songs.”

The group also emphasized their love for live music, both as performers and avid concert-goers.

“The feeling of playing live is reciprocal because there’s so much energy to build off of,” said Fergusson.

Looking back on their growth, the group reminisced on their most memorable performances. Bandcamp was a near-unanimous favorite, but the group also couldn’t help but appreciate the free-flowing vibe of their three-hour set at The Cats in Los Gatos and the feeling of opening for a platinum artist at APB’s Spring Revival.

Despite the discussion of favorite performances, the group highlighted an important aspect of their approach.

“I don’t think it matters how many people are there,” said Burroughs. “It can be 10 or it can be 600 and it doesn’t change anything. You still get that same adrenaline and excitement.”

“It just matters that we connect with who is there,” added Carlson.

With seniors Fergusson and Burroughs graduating this year, Dental Insurance is looking to make the most of the time they have left while also paving the way for their future as a group with a Spotify page and debut single.

“We’re gonna go to the studio, live track the whole thing, mix it and hopefully by that night, we’ll have a song to release,” said Tommy Lewis.

Both Luke and Tommy emphasized the significance of live tracking the song rather than using software production.

“It’s gonna sound the same on Spotify as it does when we do it right in your fucking face and you're gonna get a goddamn toothache,” added Carlson.

If you have yet to check them out, Dental Insurance is performing at the Forge Garden’s Owl Coffee House series on May 24 and their last official set at After Hours, a venue in downtown San Jose, on June 1.