The Always Already

In late 2004, friends Jaime Cano and Dustin Withers were set on forming a band armed with little else than an ancient laptop and a two-octave Casio keyboard and love of both dance beats and indie rock. They showed a few of their songs to their friends, playing tinny beats, hammering out keyboard riffs, and singing with impassioned vocals which at the time came out as perhaps a bit inappropriate. Determined to make this music work, the two were already calling themselves a band and were ready for step one.

Over the next few months, the two auditioned some guitar players, got a rehearsal space and P.A., and began playing with a full kit, where the energetic vocals seemed more at home. They called upon Adam Hilton, whose stage presence they had seen with his previous bands, to cement the sound a little more with guitar, another keyboard, and a second set of vocals. Together the three fully worked out a few songs in the cold of their rehearsals space. Springtime saw the addition Frank Edwards on bass, and with his suggestion of the name The Always Already, the band was properly christened.

Not ones to sit on their heels, these four Austinites immediately began plans for potential gigs and an EP, despite the fact that they had only a handful of songs. The band were nonetheless able to elicit an avid response to their six song set at their first gig, and within two weeks they entered the studio to record their eponymous debut EP. After a summer of working up more songs and preparing for the release of their recording, The Always Already quickly sold out of their initial pressing and met head-on a nascent yet avid fanbase. The remainder of the year saw a slew of shows with increasing crowds that were able to garner them a Best New Local Act nod from the Austin Chronicle 2005 Critics poll in just these few months.

It may seem that only the Casio keyboard is the only surviving staple of their initial formation, but The Always Already remain true to their inspirations as they continue to grow their audience with shows throughout the region. Their mix of new wave dance-pop sensibilities and post-punk energy belie their record collections, where The Cure and At The Drive In sit comfortably side by side.

With a new EP in the works, a national press promo blitz pending, national tours looming, and a full-length album on the horizons of the coming year, The Always Already are poised to become the next bunch of Texas kids to take over the indie rock scene.