A bit poppy. A bit punky. And a bit more. We give you today’s BotD, A River Runs Thru It…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are from Butte Montana, it is a small mining town but has a lot of history. We have a pretty large art community, which is awesome, and a growing music scene!
How did you meet?
I’ve known my singer and guitar player (Michael & Joey Smith) since we were little kids, We have been lifelong friends. We’ve also been friends with our bassiest (Cody Peterson) since high school.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We have been playing as a band together for about 2 years now. Michael Smith sang in a band called Verities and after they broke up we started up this project together.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
There is a movie called A River Runs Through It about two brothers growing up in Missoula Montana, and me (Milan Garcia) and the singer (Michael) were watching it and it just kinda felt right!
What are your influences?
We take influence from early hardcore and emo bands like Underoath, Saosin, Senses Fail, and Taking Back Sunday, The Wonder Years, and Citizen.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We aren’t chasing a generic sound that most pop punk bands go for. We are taking elements from early post hardcore/emo bands from the 2000s and mixing more modern emo and experimenting with instruments like the violin and trumpet to add that extra zing.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
No, we don’t really have a theme. We try to make each song its own story or statement, and tell it through metaphors when we write our lyrics.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We’ve played around 20 shows and will be playing a lot more this summer! We just try to bring a lot of energy and get as much crowd participation as we can!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Hmmm… nothing too crazy has happened to us yet! But one of the craziest things I’ve seen was Adam Lazzara from Taking Back Sunday do the wildest mic tricks I’ve ever scene. He swung the mic 10 feet in the air wrapped it around his neck and caught it then immediately went into the chorus, it was very impressive!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I play on a EVH 5150 III Tube Head, with an EVH Cabenit Cambo.
My guitars are a Gibson SG Custom, and a Fender Telecaster.
Some of my favorite pedals I play with are my JHS Haunting Mids Boost pedal, and my Ibanez Tube Screamer.
What are your plans for 2019?
We are going down to North Carolina to record an 8-song EP called Living Under The Weather and besides that we will be keeping busy by touring around the West.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
If I had the chance to open for Silverstein that would definitely be a dream! They have always been one of my favorite bands since I was younger and is definitely a goal I am pushing towards!
I would love to support my buddy Benny’s band. He sings in a band called Avoid and they’re starting to get some good recognition!
