August
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August

Band Pop Punk

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


This band has no press

Discography

lots of small demos
"Throw Hope Out The Window" (full length)
radio airplay, live radio, on air interview.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

“Sick Rock With Catchy Lyrics” Wikipedia defines “August” as the eighth month of the Georgian calendar, but you should know August as a pop-punk quartet from Dublin, Va. The band is made up of singer/guitarist Eric Gress, bassist Adam Linkous, drummer Ryan Turner and guitarist Chris King. While in high school, Gress and Turner played together in Grounder, another pop-punk act. The first-time venture dissolved after two years together. Gress and Turner reunited after several months to form August. The name August was, “something we thought of before and we liked it.’ “It’s simple and easy to remember,” says Gress. Just weeks after forming, August entered a battle of the bands. On the day of the show, the band’s bass player went MIA, leaving the guys scrambling to find a replacement. Luckily, punk fan and bass player Adam Linkous had no plans for the day, and no one knew exactly how the bass lines were supposed to sound anyway. Linkous learned all the band’s songs in a few hours and agreed to fill in for the show. Call it serendipity if you will, but August found the right combination with Linkous and won the contest. Linkous stayed as the band’s new bassist and has brought important elements to the band’s live show. “Adam tries to get the crowd going more than anyone else and he adds humor,” says Gress. “I try to keep everyone calm and together, cause I’m in this for the long run,” Linkous comments. Turner adds, “Adam seems to always get girls to come to the shows.” The other guys have their own roles in the band. Gress says of Turner, “He’s the most serious. He doesn’t joke around and act stupid; kinda shy.” Turner agrees with those descriptions, “I’m older and a little more mature than the other guys. I guess I’m the big brother in the band.” “There is a time to be funny and a time to be serious. I think I’m a unique drummer, my type fits them well.” Gress, who is serious about the music, but not so much himself, says, “I’m always trying to be funny.” Even though Gress pens the lyrics, writing music is a very collaborative process. He finds lyrical inspiration from “girls and relationships.” With their dynamics in place, August has set out to conquer southwest Va, playing every venue open to them, from union halls and recreation centers, to small bars and clubs. Coming from a local scene drenched in hardcore, August has played with Far-less, Hand to Hand, and locally known Red Letter Philosophy and The Pleasant Noise. Playing to audiences outside their genre, the guys have won over crowds; even the boys wearing white belts. The hometown scene is also a haven for straightedge and Christian bands, a trend taking shape nation wide. With temptation to jump on the bandwagon and join the labeling craze, August has distanced itself from such labels. “We feel like we are one of the first bands from around here, and we’ve never felt we need to change to get people to like us,” says Gress. August has also played along side bands with a style similar to their own, such as Running with Scissors, Brookside, Lock and Key, Close Quote, J. Page and School for Heroes. The band has begun to catch the ears of the local college crowd. August has played shows in the Blacksburg, Va. area and been featured on Virginia Tech’s student run radio station, WUVT. They have been busy in the studio as well, recording two demos, “Not This Time” and an untitled three-track, and recently, their first full-length album. Their biggest break yet came when industry known producer, Jamie King, agreed to produce the band’s new album, “Throw Hope Out the Window.” It was quite the accomplishment for a band that has received considerably less local support and attention than their counterparts. King, former drummer of the now defunct Swift, has worked with Tooth and Nail Records’ The Far-less, Victory Records’ Between the Buried and Me, and regionally known artists Scarlet Undercover and The Cardinal Effect. August spent time in the studio with King throughout the summer and found the sound they have been looking for. The differences between these sessions and their previous demo sessions were evident from the start. “He (King) is professional and the others were not. One guy went out of business before our CD came out and the other’s studio was in a basement,” says Linkous. “He knows what he’s doing, before it was always what they (the producers) wanted. This time we produced like 80 percent and he did 20 percent,” comments Turner. “It felt like we knew we were a decent band because he’s very picky about who he works with.” Gress says, “It was just really crazy to be in a room where bands that have made it (have) recorded.” “It was probably the most fun we’ve ever had together as a band. We were in the studio for about 10 hours a day. This was the highest budget recording and highest quality (for us).” Shortly after recording wrapped, guitarist, Jeff Hoyt left the band. Chris King, formerly of F15B, has since taken Hoyt’s place. Because members we