Up From Here wins chance to play Warped Tour In Tampa FL

June 8, 2017

Another band has been added to play their date at Vans Warped Tour this Year. Up From here will be playing in Tampa Florida. Read what the band has to say about playing the date below.

How did the band get started?

We somehow found each other in a Facebook group called "Florida Pop Punk", then we met up and had practice and the rest is history. We're surprised it's worked out as well as it has.

How did you come up with the bands name?

The name "Up From Here" came from a lyric in the song "Same Thing We Do Every Day Pinky" by the band Broadway.

Describe the style of your music

We like to call ourselves pop-punk although we've had a lot of promoters say we're pop-rock or alternative. "Radio friendly punk" is another term we get sometimes.

How does it feel to win a chance to play Warped Tour in your city?

It really feels great. We've worked so hard in the local Tampa scene as well as worked hard to promote this contest so it feels very relieving to see our hard work come out with a good result. We actually won this contest a couple of years ago when there were 5 bands selected to play on the smallest stage, so we're stoked to be the one band selected to play the main stage this year.

What does Warped Tour mean to you?

Everyone in our band has grown up going to Warped Tour almost every summer so it's something we all know front to back. It's almost like our Christmas. Being able to play the main stage on the St Pete date feels like a dream come true; it's definitely something everyone wants to cross off their bucket list.

Driftwood Exile wins chance to Play Warped Tour in Nashville

June 7, 2017

Exile Driftwood Recently won a chance to play the Nashville date of Vans Warped Tour. The band will be performing 6/27/17 at the Tennessee state Fairgrouds. Get to know a litte about the band by reading our short interview with them below.

How did the band get started?

It's a pretty funny story actually. Richard Adams' cousin (Demi) was out barhopping and socializing in Nashville and met Johnny Gentry one night, somewhere. Neither really remember meeting eachother, or exchanging contacts, or where they met. They were both too drunk to remember. But a few days later while going through his phone Johnny saw Demi's name and decided to call him. This led to Richard meeting Johnny and Evan. And through a long chain of events Demi quit the band and Sterling happened to be at the house and filled in on bass. The band never even missed a step. And the lineup hasn't changed since.

How did you come up with the bands name?

The name idea came from the Rolling Stones album, "Exile on Main St". While "Driftwood" signifies the nature of the band, "Exile" symbolizes a force you can't control.

Describe the Style of your music

The singer would say it's our own take on Garage Rock, but the songwriting process alone takes influence from hundreds of bands/styles and we've all heard so many different opinions of what our style is.. We got some punk and grunge in there for sure. But our rhythm has much more to offer than your average rock band. It hits you in a way that will make you think, "hey these guys don't actually sound like they're trying to copy anybody". It's a strength and a weakness because we also can't just slip into a scene like bands that sound generic. Not like an emo/hardcore band for example.

How does it feel to win a chance to play Warped Tour in your city?

It feels like a win. Feels like judges picked us over the competition and that is always inspiring and reassuring. You can tell yourself a million times that you know you got something special. So can friends and family. But when you win in a competition like this it justifies everybody.

What does Warped Tour mean to you?

It's the First Step. It's that next little accomplishment and credit to this band's resume that will get us into an even bigger concert in the future. It means doing what we love on a level that many bands don't get to.

Leave us with any links to your music or videos

http://warped.amplifiertv.com/channel/Driftwood+Exile

Heart for Hire Interview - DMV Access Rock

June 7, 2017

What is the bands name and where are you from?

We are Heart for Hire and we are from York, PA and Baltimore, MD.

Whats the story behind the bands name?

It’s kind of a blur how we got the band name. We had agreed upon two different names prior to Heart for Hire, but when we looked them up, they were already taken. So this was actually the third name we had settled on, which ended up being the best one of all (slightly biased). While working on finding a name, we continued writing, and one of the songs we were messing with had lyrics about being used, or mistreated, which eventually evolved into the lyric, “Heart for Hire,” and here we are now!

How did the band get started?

Technically, Craigslist. I had zero knowledge the local music scene at the time, so I resorted to the musicians section of Craigslist to see who was out there. I was starting to feel pretty drained after multiple failed attempts at starting a band, but one day I got a text from Ty, our drummer, who had found my ad. We met up a few days later, and found that we work super well together. Through a friend in the Baltimore music scene, we then found Mike, our bass player, who then found Brian, our lead guitarist.

Describe the style of the bands music and what makes you different from other artists?

Our style is mainly pop rock/alternative, but we have a lot of pop punk influences from growing up. One of the things that makes us different from other artists is that we really embrace our nostalgic sound. People tell us we remind them of their favorite bands from the early 2000s, and we love hearing that! There are artists out their chasing whatever sound is on the rise, and we continue to embrace the style we’ve loved for years, while developing our sound at our own pace.

Who are your musical influences?

As a band, some of our favorite artists include The Starting Line, Yellowcard, and Taking Back Sunday. Even bands like Silverstein, with a much darker sound than us, have an impact on our writing. We all have a wide variety of musical preferences, ranging from hardcore to pop, so it all blends together.

What are you guys currently working on?

We just finished recording an acoustic version of our song, “Colors” from our latest EP, “Safe Inside My Own Head.” We are planning to release that in the coming week or so. During the month of July, we will be taking a break from shows to begin writing our debut full length record.

What do you want listeners to take away from your music?

We want our audience to be able to connect to our music, no matter what stage of life they are at currently. We are all in our 20s and have experienced tough times associated with becoming an adult. For younger people currently going through those times, our music can be a source of comfort, and for people our age and older, it can be a reminder to learn and grow from your experiences.

Check out the bands music and stay posted from them here!

Twitter & Instagram: @heartforhire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartforhireband/

For music you can go to heartforhire.bandcamp.com or find them on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, etc.

Photos - Liz Peterson