Steel Sounds
Longtime friends turned bandmates Aaron Harris and Yos Munro have had rock music pulsing through their veins since their awkward teen years. Yet, after studying the arts and experimenting with different genres from jazz to punk, the pair decided to start a band of their own. Putting a refreshing twist on what has recently become Brooklyns trademark sound, their group, Steel Phantoms, replaces hazy reverb laced tunes with infectious pop choruses and punk-driven melodies.
Growing up in Pittsburg and joining forces at 14, Harris and Munro set their sites on Montreal, attending McGill University, where influential musical connections were made. We went to school for music and we went to [a] performing arts high school. Weve been doing it our whole lives, Harris says. It was also in Montreal that Harris got his first big break: as a drummer for lush Canadian indie-rock group Islands.
After original Islands drummer Jamie Thompson quit (he has subsequently floated in and out of the band), Harris landed the once-in-a-lifetime gig. I introduced [frontman Nick Diamonds] to his then girlfriend cause she and I were good friends, and she went to McGill, also, Harris recalls. And when Jamie quit, she recommended I try out, so I did. Shortly after, he was whisked away to be a percussionist on tour and played his first Islands show in front of, like, 10,000 people, an experience Harris likens to a happy whirlwind.
With their visas no longer applicable in Montreal, Harris and Munro separately made their ways back to the States during the summers of 2007 and 2008. The two took up residency in Brooklyn, a decision fueled not only by the guys friends and family in the area, but also by the boroughs reputation. If you want to play music, especially indie-rock, theres not a lot of places on the Eastern seaboard you could go, Harris explains. You know its like Brooklyn and New York City will always be the epicenter of music.
Having their feet planted on the heavily trafficked streets of Greenpoint and Bed-Stuy, Munro and Harris recruited guitarist Jesse Newkirk and bassist Alex Mallett to join them in Steel Phantoms. Playing their first gig at Glasslands in 2009, the band has since played at neighborhood haunts including Secret Project Robot, Europa and Matchless.
A collaborative effort from the start, Steel Phantoms self-titled debuts nine punk-laced tracks were created in rehearsal, with each member putting his creative two cents in. Its very much a band album, Harris says. Sharing singing duties, Munro and Harris are on the forefronts of songwriting, focusing on real life events and occurrences for inspiration. And while both have been known to create the unavoidable relationship-related track, Munro mainly focuses on family, while a lot of Harris songs deal with insomnia.
Swayed by Wolf Parade and 80s college-rock vets like Elvis Costello and R.E.M., Steel Phantoms set out to fuse the really punky, and also melodic style of music from those times. Alternating between Munros deep, smoky baritone and Harris angsty boyish vocals, the four-pieces tunes embody exactly that, supplying infectious hooks and jump-worthy melodies to the masses. Fast Stop, for instance, which was recently picked up for a Pepsi ad, combines driving, yet mellow choruses with a background of infectious guitar riffs and a thrashing percussion. While, the whimsically played keys on Palm Sugar, references New Yorks current sound, but with that desired punk spin courtesy of anthemic, duel-vocal harmonies.
With a fire under our asses to gain more exposure and obtain label support, the future looks like it will shine brightly for Steel Phantoms.The boys arent wasting any time, as plans for new songs are already underway with a 12-hour recording session lined up, which the band won from a contest. The four-piece also just returned home from its first real tour with Islands, during which Harris shared his skills behind the drum kit with Nick Diamonds and company, as well. And after allowing music to be a driving force in their lives for so long, it looks like best friends Munro and Harris are starting to see their dreams come true.
>Steel Phantoms
July 24, Robertas Outdoor Garden Space, 261 Moore St. (betw. Bogart & White Sts.), 718-417-1118; 4, $10.