Endroit

Starting a band is a tricky proposition; a road paved in clichés and turmoil. Most people try and fail to establish a foothold in their local indie music scene. This certainly occurred to Joe Nguyen and Derek Johnson when they first arrived upon the notion of making music together. The odds were that they would fall flat on their faces.

The story has been told a million times. Two ambitious guys meet while working in a local sushi restaurant and bond over a love of The Killers and old Roxy Music records. The notion of starting a band comes up. To some, the endless hours of practice, the hiring of other members to fill out the band, the songwriting and the performing are too much. The rewards are slight. The obstacles are formidable.

Why bother then? There are easier ways to make money; quicker ways to get laid. That’s the funny part. Joe and Derek didn’t start writing songs so that they could one day become famous. They wrote songs so that the songs themselves would be famous. Their shared love of music drove them to put in the hours, days, weeks, months and years required to be a real band.

With the two sharing duties on the guitar, they would have to find the other pieces of a complex puzzle. A chance encounter with an earnest young singer from Modesto, Erik Roget, gave the band a commanding face. After hearing Derek and Joe's first collaboration, "With All Those Miles," Erik immediately went out of his way to seek them out for a spot as their frontman. Erik is the embodiment of Endroit. Sincerity, youth, and a voice that demands attention. Also, a really good head of hair. He brings that honest, unpretentious side of his voice to the heartfelt indie power pop of "Barcelona" and a darker undercurrent of melancholy to the brooding footstomper, "Elephants."

After an extensive search, Will Abbott stepped up to play bass guitar. Some would say he’s the heart of Endroit. Others would say, “Who’s Will Abbott?” Both would be right in their own ways. His enthusiasm was the first thing that was obvious during his initial interview to join the band. He has since become an integral part of the group, a fledgling promoter, unofficial manager and the backbone of Endroit's heavy, but dancable sound.

Ryan Sprinkle is not a cartoon character, despite his name. He’s a drummer and had the unenviable task of replacing a comely, young girl in the position. He may not be as attractive as the first drummer, nor does he fit into the same sized pair of jeans, but his work is mighty. He's been at it since he was a kid, bumping from punk band to punk band, before finding a home with Joe and Derek. His drumming keeps order in a musical world where anything is possible.

With the band solidly together, gigs were next. The only goal was to wipe out the posing, pretentious dilettantes of the Bay Area scene. Endroit has played RockIt Room, Beale Street Bar, Maggie McGarry’s and Brainwash, with a show coming up November 16th at Blondie's. With every show, every private house party, the word spreads.

This is a real, live band. Derek, Joe, Erik, Will and Ryan don’t spend all day in a thrift store. They’re working. They’re playing music. They’re a band in the grand tradition of Joy Division and early U2. Guys who just wanted to play and write songs about what they know. Any beards you see on this band are not fashion statements. They are simply a sign that someone can’t afford to buy new razors. With an EP in the works, a music video for “With All Those Miles to Go” in the planning stages, a tongue-in-cheek mention on young men’s lifestyle website CraveOnline, 2010 looks to be the year Endroit matures as a band.

This isn’t a lark. This isn’t about the jeans you wear. This isn’t about your drug of choice. No one cares about all the books you pretended to read in college.

It’s about that girl giving you the once over in the back of the bar. This is an unironed t-shirt. This is sleeping on your friend’s couch, not necessarily because you have to, but because you can’t think of any place you’d rather be. This is just music.

This is Endroit.