SHREDnews

By Steph Mirsky

As the power pop/pop rock scene has exploded over the past two years, it has become increasingly normal to see bands trying to differentiate themselves by adding a synthesized or fabricated sound to their music.  However, The Bay State, the four-piece pop-rock band from Maine, is sticking to its rock roots.

The Bay State originated as Tom Tash’s (lead vocals, guitar) acoustic project, but Tash quickly decided to adopt a full band sound.  Thus, the addition of Drew Hooke (drums), Evan James (violin), and eventually Susanne Gerry (vocals, bass) occurred.  The search to fill the band lineup was not easy and it took nearly two years for the finalized members to come together and create the sound that would quickly become definitive to The Bay State.

What The Bay State offers is a truly upbeat soft-rock sound that incorporates the harder tone of Gerry’s female vocals with the softer feel of Tash’s.  It is hard to define the sound that is The Bay State because they exude such diversity on every track: there is a harder rock sound on older EPs followed by a newer softer sound on their newest release.  This range is going to be key to the band’s success because it sets them apart from most in their subgenre. While many bands have neglected the beauty of simplicity and blinded themselves by musically operating in one direction, The Bay State has embraced the variety of sound its various members can bring, which is generating great success.

Since The Bay State recorded their 2008 release Let’s Turn This City On EP with respected producer Paul Leavitt (All Tim Low, Senses Fail, Mercy Mercedes) the band has received significant publicity coverage.  They were the featured Unsigned Band on The Gunz Show on Idobi radio and the featured Buzz Band on The Daily Chorus. Recently, The Bay State earned a sponsorship with the well-established clothing company Glamour Kills for their hit song “Hey Hey Glamour Kills”.  To top it off, the band has shared the stage with many subgenre leaders such as Danger Radio, Farewell, Holiday Parade, The Cab, Mercy Mercedes, and many more.

In the end, The Bay State is a band that is redefining the way unsigned bands approach the music scene. Through their hard work, self-promotion, and return to rock origins, this band has surely made an impression in the New England area.  Go check them out now before it’s too late because pretty soon The Bay State is going to be rocking the music scene in their Glamour Kills.

For Fans Of: Artist Vs. Poet // The Holiday Parade // All Time Low

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thebaystate