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Eye Alaska
Go ahead and Google "cinematic rock." Didn't come up with much? You probably won't, but when southern California's own Eye Alaska releases their debut EP Yellow & Elephant in June 2008, you'll be seeing the term everywhere. Hailing from Orange, CA, this quartet of musical visionaries has hit the scene with a sound that is just as bright and just as big as their EP's title. With rolling vocals, overlapping melodies and a polished sound, Eye Alaska doesn't just claim to be a genre pioneer: they deliver. Freshly signed to Huntington Beach based Fearless Records, Eye Alaska's obvious skill and distinctly unique flair makes them the band to watch in 2008.
Growing up in Orange County, schoolmates Brandon Wronski and Cameron Trowbridge had established a strong friendship long before they established their first band Dead Letter Diaries at the age of thirteen. Dead Letter Diaries took off and they found themselves sharing the stage with Cartel, Circa Survive and Emery as they toured the country. Back home in California, Brandon and Cameron decided to go in a different direction. With Brandon on piano, guitar and vox and Cameron playing lead guitar and singing, they were already off to a promising start. Soon their Dead Letter Diaries bandmate Chase Kenrsue had joined them on piano, guitar and vocals, and longtime family friend Christopher Osegueda provided the crucial bass, completing the brand new group.
When Eye Alaska launched in December of 2006, the name was no random choice. Wanting to give the band's name a true depth of meaning, Eye Alaska drew upon the Aleutian word "Alaska," meaning "that which the sea breaks against." "'Eye' means that you're looking to those upon whom the sea breaks," explains Brandon. "It represented us as people who have dealt with trials and problems in life, as people who have felt our own oceans breaking against us." As Cameron adds, "People can look at us and what we've been through and not feel alone."
With ambitions of unbounded sound, Eye Alaska set out to create music that was larger-than-life and full of big beats, employing the distinctness of carefully crafted but genuinely fun rock. A habit of listening to movie soundtracks gave Brandon a thirst for larger-than-life orchestral arrangements, but despite those orchestral leanings, the band doesn't want to corner themselves into any one genre; Eye Alaska traverses genres with ease, testing their prowess in jazz and hip hop as easily as they cover hardcore music or traditional rock, all the while maintaining a sound that remains all their own. "Eye Alaska is every genre," Brandon says. "We don't like to limit ourselves. Music is expression and art and it shouldn't be so bound by limitations."
Drawing on the cinematic spectacle that influenced the very origins of their sound, Eye Alaska threw themselves into their live shows and began attracting loyal audiences. Without ever having to tour, Eye Alaska charmed a passionate and steadily growing fan base that often caught them at Chain Reaction, a popular southern California all-ages venue most notable for fostering acts such as No Doubt and Social Distortion. "It was our home base," says Chris. "They supported us and gave us a place to play, and we wouldn't have been able to do it without them." As the excitement at every show reached new heights of enthusiasm, every performance promised a crowd of dancing, crowd surfing fans that cheered and sang along with the lyrics. "Kids around this area are really cool and supportive," says Brandon. "It's an awesome scene. We love to interact with the audience, to see people moving and having fun. That's what shows are all about."
The rising buzz surrounding Eye Alaska didn't just catch the eye of young show goers. In February 2008, the band signed with Fearless Records. In a big industry, Eye Alaska wanted to be part of a tight-knit group. "It was the people who worked there, the environment, that convinced us," says Chase. "It just felt like the right decision and the right move. Fearless was supportive of our decisions." Brandon elaborates. "Labels wanted to pigeonhole us, but Fearless embraced our style and believed in what we were doing. We realized we'd found our home."
Now with a label's support behind them, Eye Alaska is gearing up for the release of their debut EP Yellow + Elephant in June of 2008. Having wowed new fans at Irvine's Bamboozle festival in April, this summer and fall will see them hitting the road and playing shows across the nation, with plans to release a full length record in 2009. The band is eager to meet new people, share the stage with other bands, and make new memories on the road.
As Eye Alaska readies for an exciting future, the obvious maturity of their collective voice is both friendly and refreshing. "We're given this platform, this chance to have a voice, and however big that platform may be, we want to use it for good," says Brandon. "We have a responsibility and an opportunity to use our music to pass on good messages and do great things, to move people, to connect. But we also want it to be fun!"
Don't forget to pick up your copy of Yellow & Elephant this June, and be sure to catch these four in action. You might have to shoulder a passing crowd surfer, but this genre-bending group is not something you'll want to miss out on, because Eye Alaska is one larger-than-life musical force that'll have you coming back for more.
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