3rd of June

3rd of June started with the rantings and ravings of Bassist & songwriter Jesse Akins. After serving the US Army in Iraq in 2003-2004, Jesse returned to the US with little interest in his previous hobbies and obsessions.
Rediscovering his childhood love for music while struggling with the depressive grips of readjustment back to normal life, he formed a thrash metal band called 'Portrait of Aggression' with some of his fellow soldiers. He began writing songs, taught himself how to play bass, and forged what would be his musical identity over the next year.
The following year his unit returned to Iraq and took the other members of his band with them. Nearly a year later on June 3, 2007 a roadside bomb detonated beneath an armored humvee, killing four members of Jesse's unit.
The deaths of his close friends Tyler Kritz, James Akin (no relation), weighed heavily on Jesse and inspired him to follow his musical aspirations following his time in the Army. Which ended in September of 2007.
Upon leaving the Army, Jesse entered the musical arena of Seattle's indelible rock scene and 2 years later, made his journey to LA in order to attend the Musician's Institute. While there his strong personality drew in other musicians as he began exploring the music he had written in the intervening time since returning from Iraq. Labeling the project '3rd of June', Jesse carefully drafted and redrafted the sound and shape of the band until he found the right mix of musicianship, dedication, creativity and passion in it's members.
Now, 3rd of June is diving headlong into the wild limitless horizon with a plan - to show the world the darkness we ignore. The joy's we take for granted, and the freedom we should all be proud to fight for. and to rock, hard as hell, along the way.