An hour's drive from Detroit, in the
town of Ortonville, MI, something is happening - a return to the basics of
rock music. Ben Hornbeck (Vocals and Guitar), Joey V (Bass) and Ryan Darnell
(Drums) of Even the Odd are bringing it like your older sister's boyfriend.
You want to hate him because he's cooler than you, he doesn't give a shit
about you and if you step to him, he'll run over your BMX in his Firebird.
This is not a garage band, this is not an emo band, this is not a metal band;
this is a rock and roll band.
They are earnest, stand-up 22 year olds from the Middle of Nowhere, USA, who
have already been built up and churned out by the hype. Ben and Ryan started
their first band at the age of 14 with a few friends, signed to a now defunct
NYC indie which led to a huge major label bidding war and ended up on The
Deftones' label, Maverick Records. Half a million dollars (and some creative
differences) later the band left Maverick and spent the next two years coming
back to earth. Ryan bought a low-rider BMW (now part Oak tree) and Ben moved
into a trailer park, blowing all his cash on stuff we can't publish in this
bio.
Even the Odd was born out of this time of self-discovery and reflection. Being
emotionally and financially broken brought them back to reality. They started
sending their new material to some old friends in New York. Even the Odd quickly
signed to New York indie label Wrong Records who funded an album with producer
and co-label owner Daniel Wise (Secret Machines, Rival Schools).
Popular Among Van Owners is a throwback album recorded the old fashioned
way, through Marshall amps and tube mics onto analog tape. Bassist Joey V.
says, "The album blows my mind. It harkens back to the days of an 'album,'
killer from beginning to end. 100% bullshit proof. It's an absolute cathartic
experience… Pro Tools is the worst thing that ever happened to the recording
industry and we are proud our album is the real deal."
ETO's musical approach is all rapid fire. They pull no punches, take no shit
and bang out the jams with raucous energy. Their music is from the heart,
more substance than style. They don't read the NME, they don't wear white
belts and if your band name starts with a "The", chances are they've
never heard of you.
Live, they put their hearts and souls, their blood, sweat, tears and bodily
fluids into every second on stage. Ben aptly sums it up: "A lot of people
nowadays are used to going to see their favorite rock band live and watching
them stare at their shoes being bored and tired as if they have somewhere
else to be. Screw that. I don't want to be anywhere else but on that stage."
