benches

benches is a Southern California band consisting of Anson Kelley (vocals/guitar), Ethan Bowers (drums), Evan Ojeda (lead guitar), and Charlie Baird (bass). The band took on many forms in the past, but officially solidified its lineup as of January 2022. Following the success of their 2020 single, “Monodrama”, benches set out to work on a new and evolved sound with Grammy-nominated producer, Martin Cooke. With the release of “Violent” in June, benches have begun to put their own modern twist on the noisy guitar-driven nostalgia of the 2000’s. The band has an obsession with defining the sound of bittersweet; a blend of happy and sad, wrapped up into infectiously catchy indie rock. benches is a band born of naivete, the excitement and worries that come with being young. Anson Kelley has a habit of writing lyrical themes rooted in the ignorance of youth. The band’s most recent release, “LA Friends” lyrically explores thoughts and frustrations on the commonality of nepotism within the music industry, accompanied by electrifying guitar melodies and Killers-esque synth tracks imbued with benches own brand of faux-nostalgia. The band have played with notable acts such as Foster The People, Dave Keuning (The Killers) and Louis XIV, and previously toured the US with Ultra Q, I Don’t Know How But They Found Me and The Red Pears.