Intransit

Finally, the punk–rockers are taking acid. Well, maybe not acid, but if you look closely, a lot of kids in this area are growing up. Intransit are proof. A year or two ago, the boys in this band were all in very different groups. With varying resumes featuring stints in local punk faves like The Detrimentals, Burnside, Malaprop, and Glory Fades, the members of Intransit came together when their ears got tired and their collective tastes started shifting towards more melodic, anthemic rock. Mike Christie (vocals, synth), Joel Mieske (vocals, guitar), Mark Walsh (bass), and Keith Heppler (drums), let their new aspirations bring their band together and they’re just about to unveil the fruits of their labours with the release of their debut EP, Morning Watch. “Some of our background in punk has definitely played a role in shaping our sound,” says guitarist Flatt. “We like to think that we’ve kept the things that originally resonated with us about punk and post–punk––intensity, a certain driving quality, emotional honesty––while leaving behind a lot of the tired and overdone elements. It’s helped us understand dynamics and the power of a great pop hook that’s delivered sincerely. This band represents a divergence for us, a new expression of what originally got us excited about music, but also includes our larger love of atmospheric, anthemic rock.” Morning Watch is definitely a sum of their influences. While the melodies clearly come from a post-punk leaning, the hooks are grandiose, the choruses positively soar, and their driving rhythm section steers the ship for echo–drenched, languid solos to stretch out over top. It’s music that would sound pretentious if it wasn’t so good. Tunes like “Goodbye Missouri” and “A Stone’s Throw Away” could’ve been written by Billy Joe Armstrong to be played by Pilate, or even U2. It seems an unlikely synthesis, but Intransit pull it off quite masterfully. Every minute of their studio time was well spent, with each member working their damnedest to make sure every song was as good as it could be. Intransit work hard, as a democracy, to give their music its life. “It was a great process from beginning to end,” Flatt says of the recording. “The thing we probably enjoyed most was hearing the songs come together as each of us left our own distinct mark on it. We really pride ourselves on everyone contributing equally and being entirely responsible for composing their parts in whichever way best serves the song. In some bands that just doesn’t fly, but in our case, we were thrilled that each of our creative inputs came together so well to articulate our musical vision.” Their vision, though not inherently strange, does make them somewhat of an anomaly in these parts. We don’t really have any straight-up, anthem-pop bands in the area, and several members of the group are still more well–known for their previous bands, (and thus their more punk connections). This combination of circumstances has led to some interesting bills for Intransit, (and the odd up–hill battle with audiences), but for the most part, they’ve been an invigorating breath of fresh air at shows growing stagnant with mall–punk. “We’ve been fortunate enough to get some great shows in the region,” says Flatt. “In this town the punk scene is actually pretty diverse and the fans are usually open–minded enough to give us a shot. I think our unique sound gives us a leg–up. It’s something different that grabs people’s attention. That said, sometimes we do feel like it would be easier if we could play to people more often who we knew liked our style of music, rather than trying to change people’s minds or introduce something new to them. But things are coming around, and K–W has a lot of good bands, with a lot of grassroots support. We believe in what we’re doing and the music we’re making and we hope to convey that belief to other people too.”

Intransit are releasing their debut EP tonight at UW’s Bombshelter. It’s $5 at the door, with Glory Fades and Lifestory:Monologue opening. Go out and show these boys that there is indeed life after punk. - Echo Weekly

INTRANSIT
Local anthem–rockers, Intransit are quickly building a reputation as the finest export our fair town has seen in years. Their *Morning Watch* EP is still garnering praise all over the country and gaining them a staunch, swelling fanbase, (even gaining them indie distribution in Tokyo). They won’t forget us anytime soon though. Intransit have a lot of big plans for the year ahead, not the least of which is their full–length debut which looks like it could be as sprawling and moving as any masterwork of Pink Floyd. - Echo Weekly