There You Are

EP Review: There You Are hits you with a "Pretty Shade of Blue"

Feb. 14th, 2015 at 8:07 PM
When you think of rock music, what first comes to mind? The answer to this question is different for everyone. From Bill Haley and The Comets, to KISS, to Nirvana, to The Black Keys.... every era has a different opinion. What seems to be a consistent opinion these days however, is the thought of it dying out. Though several still make their attempt, it is rare to find decent rock music with a new appealing edge to it. There You Are, a Pittsburgh native band has been creating just that for over a year now.

The band, founded in November 2013 has not only created but shown in their performances that they are the sort of dynamic sound this era needs. Their modern version of old school rock meets 90s grunge sound is nothing short of thrilling. There You Are's most recent EP addition, is an excellent juxtaposition of their eccentric sound & disposition caught on tape.

The EP starts with a melancholy mid-tempo song called "Pretty Shade of Blue" that has an underlying raw energy that grabs your ears from beginning to end. It has a more contemporary sound than most of the other songs on the EP, making it stand out in delectable yet tantalizing way.

The second track, "Ann" has a more frantic and hardcore rock sound to it. The unwavering guitar riffs leave you wanting more, making the follow up song "Done Deal" even better. This edgy track has an euro-disco meets garage glam sort of effect, if that's even possible. It is a noteworthy mash-up of sounds. The EP crashes down with a mellow yet strong concluding fourth track titled "Yesterday's Loser" which has a very live & organic feel to it. It is phenomenally unprocessed and a great way end, showcasing the bands natural talent.

The EP overall has a tumultuous and lawless sound to it with some new-age features that don't bog it down. It is another sturdy step in this bands march to eminence, as well as solid proof that rock and roll isn't dead.

There You Are consists of:
Tom Chorba- vocals, guitar
Matt Bean- drums
Ryan Drish- guitar
Justin Trevis- bass

You can find out more about them at http://www.thereyouareband.com/ or follow them on Twitter @thereyouareband

Links to their EP:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/there-you-are/sets/ep
Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/thereyouare
Download for free: http://there-you-are.bandcamp.com/album/ep - Penny Lane Meets Pittsburgh

"There You Are is a 4 piece rock band from Pittsburgh Pa. The band was founded by members Tom Chorba (vocals, guitar) and Matt Bean (drums) who were childhood friends and jam buddies. Through the years, these two members have played in a variety of projects in the area, occasionally crossing paths, until late 2013, when they decided to write together. The band was initially formed just to create some enjoyable music to enable the two to play live as something to do on the weekends; and thats exactly how it went for the months after. A demo was released mid 2014 to satisfy demand of small fan base to have something physical to listen to; and a successful release show was organized for this release. This demo, labeled “There You Are” was a mix of various musical styles that included new members Ryan Drish (guitar) and Justin Trevis (bass). With the addition of these members, a more sophisticated ep was planned to pull together the band’s musical identity. This was followed with the recording of the band’s debut ep (self titled) which was recorded in the last two months of 2014; scheduled to be released early february. Two rather high attended shows opening for Royal Blood and also Richie Kotzen allowed this band to debut in front of a fresh local audience, to very well ratings among audience attendees."

There You Are is an alternative grunge-rock band from Pittsburgh. They have a self-titled debut EP out and will more than likely playing some of it on Friday night (5/8) at The Smiling Moose Upstairs for an early 6pm show with Turnpike Gardens and Good Ship Gibraltar. I want to thank Tom Chorba (Guitar/Vocals) for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
Oh man. This is tough. The Kinks "Village Green Preservation Society". I bought it in 10th grade with my own money, but I got some prior.. When "I'm blue da ba dee ba da" by Europop came out, I got my dad to buy it for me. (So that may be first)

Your last album bought?
Holy s*** lol... Foxy Shazam's "Gonzo" was the last one I legally got ha-ha but it was free.. before that, it honestly may have been “Wasting Light” by the Foos.

Favorite album of all time?
That's a loaded question lol; "Ritual de lo Habitual" by Jane's Addiction might be my favorite. The best days of my life had that as the soundtrack. I lost my virginity to it... Yeah that's it ha-ha.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
Hahahahaha dude... I remember when I got "Appetite..." when I was little, and I heard ‘You’re Crazy’. Well that says the f-word... And I was chilling in my room, listening to it on my PlayStation 1 (so prior to 2000, because I got PS2 when it came out in 2000), and I took it out, scared shitless because of the word I heard and wasn't supposed to hear… I took it to my mom, said I didn't want it anymore, she said "why". I said "cause I only know 3 songs (‘Paradise’, ‘Sweet Child’, ‘Jungle’)" she said "listen to more, you’ll like it" so, being a good boy, I listened to my mom, and also being scared to tell my mom what I heard, I kept it... So that album disappointed the 7 or so year old tom that heard it... I can just say “Year Zero” by NIN if you want a simple answer, ha!

First concert attended?
America (you know, ‘Horse With No Name’?) I was 7-ish, at the South Park Rib Fest. Just me and Papa T… Might have seen The Clarks one year earlier, but that could’ve been the following year... Go with America at 7 ha-ha.

Last concert?
WILLIE NELSON!

Favorite concert ever?
Foxy Shazam in Columbus!

Least favorite concert?
Allman Bros. in 7th grade... They played 2 songs and it went on for 2.5 hours.

Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
The bike trail, ha! But musically, it’d be opening for Royal Blood in December.

Thanks, Tom. Out of the hundreds of Q&A's I have conducted on the blog, you seem to have had the most fun out of everyone answering. Thanks, buddy! - Hugh Shows

There You Are, a 4 piece rock band from Pittsburgh, broke onto the local scene in 2014, playing a string of energetic shows at venues such as Club Café, Smiling Moose, and Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. The band then commanded their presence in the city when they released their refreshingly harsh self- titled, 4 track EP in 2015. This first release’s guitar tones, vocal style and songwriting were so deliciously reminiscent of the grunge era, you couldn’t help to draw comparisons to now legendary bands such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains, causing fans to foresee a genre revival with There You Are at the helm. Since then, the band has undergone a few lineup changes, or reductions for that matter. With the departure of their bassist, as well as their supporting guitarist, the band undoubtedly lost some edge to their live aspect. For most bands, these losses would have been a nail in the coffin, but There You Are are not most bands. Thankfully, singer/guitarist Tom Chorba and drummer Matt Bean decided to stay strong, and carry on the band’s name as a duo, which wound up giving them a little more freedom and creativity rather than becoming a weakness. Their first release as a pair, “Fata Morgana” expands the band’s sound from straight up, dirty grunge rock, to a wide array of musical styles and instrumentation that blend together to build a catchier, more mature sound.

The albums opener, “Hollow Trail,” is perfect example of this new sound. Although it acts more as an appetizer for the rest of the album, it gives us a taste of the band’s softer side as Chorba demonstrates his falsetto while he barely strums a guitar. Atmospheric synthesizers occupy the background landscape to the track, which sneakily bleed into the next, leaving no space in between to ask, “Are they trying to go in a different direction?”

Maybe they are, but you’ll stop caring about that once “Twenty-Three” gets started. As Chorba digs into the arpeggio styled riff, Matt Bean grabs his sticks for the first time on the record and politely asks you bob your head by means of trudging beat. Mix that all together with a simple, yet groovy bassline and some carefully placed organs, and you’ll quickly realize that this song is the radio hit you never knew you needed.

The third track, “Sharkbait,” takes us back to the grungier There You Are we got to know on their debut EP, except a little harder, a little faster, and with a little more attitude. The song’s sidewinding riff holds a place in both the grunge and punk genres, and so do the painfully catchy lyrics of the refrain: “Don’t pay your taxes, and hope they don’t know.” “Sharkbait” also holds one of the album’s greatest highlights, where the duo simultaneously kick the song into overdrive as Bean pounds as hard as he can on his kit, while Chorba screams the line, “Got a light switch/God hates me” over and over again into his mic.

There You Are again wonderfully shift genres from grunge to blues rock as the 4th track, “Sooner Later” kicks in. Chorba’s twangy slide guitar and harmonica blowing alongside Bean’s relentless drum fills blend together to make something that flirts with the line between southern rock and alternative, a line most people didn’t know existed. For how outlaw-ish the boys sound on this track, the naïve lyrics about meeting up with an old sweetheart let us know they’re just regular small town kids like most of us: “I’m such a nice kid, I try to ride it/I don’t know how to act, I’m so excited.”
(actually, it's "I'll take a napkin, I'll try to write it...")

There You Are keep a bit of their southern rock charm on the slow burning “Perfect Crime,” but decide to drizzle in some elements of shoegaze by way of organ, reverbed guitars, and spacy drum effects. This song contains some of the more impressive drum parts compliments of Matt Bean, as well as Chorba’s best vocal performance on the album. The instrumentation and songwriting is too unique to pin down to a specific genre, but the boys hit the nail on the head with whatever route they were taking on this song, most likely their own.

Without losing their own style, There You Are tries their hand at garage with “Who’s Julie?” The song is more reminiscent of newly popular lo-fi bands such as Bass Drum of Death and Thee Oh Sees than Nirvana, which makes for refreshing change of pace. The band isn’t taking themselves too seriously on this one, but its fun to sing along and embrace their goofy side. The vibe is quickly changed as “Everybody Floats,” the albums first and only ballad, kicks into gear. Yes it’s a more mellow song, but still impressive in its own right. With some foggy guitars and background synths, it makes for the perfect soundtrack for a midnight joyride.

The albums closer, “Maroon Balloons,” seems like the perfect way to end this album. The band decides to stick to their guns; straightforward, raw guitars, a driving drum beat, and a catchy hook. The song stretches out for a good seven minutes, which gives Bean and Chorba plenty of time to fluctuate the tempo and experiment with some starts and stops, tricking the listener into thinking they’re ready to wrap things up. However, There You Are feel more like a band who are long from ever being finished.

by
Nathan Cross - Nathan Cross, One Roof Music

THERE YOU ARE GOES FROM JAMMING PRE-TEENS TO THE KIND OF CREATIVE INDIES WHO’D WEAR LINGERIE IF THEIR SHOW HAPPENED TO BE IN, SAY, A LINGERIE STORE
Written by:Emily Plazek
“THE BEST PART OF BEING AN INDIE BAND IS THE FREEDOM. WE HAVE NO LIMITS WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING AND BEING CREATIVE.”
There You Are’s lead singer/guitarist Tom Chorba and I got coffee at the Starbucks on Walnut Street months ago. It was one of those talks where you both are so excited to talk about something (the indie music industry) that you’re both stepping over each other’s words and apologizing and laughing about it, agreeing loudly and wholeheartedly in that verbal high-five way, and eventually realizing how freaking late it's gotten--how long were we talking?! I’m pretty sure I even forgot to buy a coffee (sorry SBX!) because after our introductions, we both just revved on and on.

I’m very glad to welcome There You Are into the MIC MVMT and go see them this Saturday at Indie Rock Fest! Who are they and where did they come from, you ask?


Where There You Are began...

Matt (drums) and Tom (vocals, guitar) began playing music together when they were 12 or 13, jamming to their favorite Led Zeppelin songs and writing riff-oriented songs for fun. Although the two starting jamming and writing at a young age, it wasn’t until 2013 when the two decided to actually get out and play shows. They were joined by another guitarist and bassist, and played local shows around Pittsburgh and released an EP. In late 2015, the band went back to being a duo, and since released a full length album (Fata Morgana), performed a “studio X takeover” for local alternative rock station, 1059 The X, and have traveled to Austin TX to play during SXSW (unofficially). The two are working on a new album and continue to play shows around the area at every opportunity.

Now let’s dive into what they had to say about what it’s like to be indie:

What do you love most about being an indie band?

The best part of being an indie band is the freedom. We have no limits when it comes to writing and being creative. There’s no one expecting a hit from us, and there’s no pressure for us to write a hit. We get to play our music the way we want to, and this allows us to keep it fun.


What are some of your struggles as an indie band?

I think the biggest struggle for us is marketing and promotion. We’ve promoted ourselves, we have a great group of friends and family who stand behind us, and even have our music regularly featured on The X’s “local listen” and “Edge of the X” programs, but we still can’t seem to pull more people to our shows.

Any advice for up-and-coming indie bands who admire and want to be like you?

That is flattering. But the best advice I believe is to not be like us, and simply be yourself. You'll have more fun that way. And then, whenever you don't get paid for playing a gig, and you will have a ton of non-paid gigs, you won't really care because you're doing music exactly the way you want to, for you. It's much more rewarding that way.

Favorite PGH spots?

We love(d) to play at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. Tom’s personal favorite bar is Hemingway’s.

Craziest concert stories?

We played RANT and our venue was a lingerie shop, so we wore lingerie dresses.

Also, we opened for Royal Blood at Altar Bar (RIP) in 2014.


Anything else you want to add?

As I said earlier, we are currently writing and recording a new album. We have a ton of material on the table right now and are very eager to finish it up and release it so we can start performing the new songs regularly. We have no set date for completion (another reason indie bands rule - no pressure from a major label to finish), but are hoping to have it done by the end of the year.

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Come to Indie Rock Fest at Cattivo this Saturday 7/22 -- MIC is hosting and you can see There You Are live, their set is around 10:45pm Saturday night!!

Here’s the Facebook event page with all the info. Go get your tickets here, $10 for 2 stages of 12 bands night long 5pm-2am! - Emily Plazek