Local band 'Get Stoked' signs record deal
Local band Get Stoked announced last week they have been signed to Imminence Records in North Carolina.
“It feels like it hasn’t really set in yet,” said Zach Smith, Westphalia junior and band guitarist.Get Stoked is comprised of Belleville juniors Jacob Cardona on the drums and lead singer Cameron Wheeler, Flint senior Benjamin Jensen on bass and guitarists Ryan Turek and Smith.
Although their tenure has only been 11 months long, Get Stoked has made the most of its time. From being pulled into a mosh pit during their first show, to having a fan offer to become their personal sandwich maker, the band has been enjoying every step of the ride.
Paying their dues
“We’ve had so many empty and awkward shows, we’ve paid our dues to get here and I’m so happy that there are people out there that like us,” Turek said.
Gaining large popularity in North Carolina and internationally in Kuwait and Indonesia, their music knows no boundaries.
They describe themselves as a genre-bending pop-punk band with melodic rhythm, layered guitars and vocals with varying beats.
Their diverse style of music is influenced from old school punk like the Sex Pistols to early 2000s alternative bands, Smith said.
“The Wonder Years, (and) The Story So Far,” Cardona said. “We take a lot of twist from modern pop punk bands and put our own spin on it.”
The band’s sudden rise in popularity hasn’t been without hard work. Its members typically practice three and half to fours hours twice a week, and don’t play a song live until they’ve practiced it 30 to 40 times.
They’re not going lightly on networking either, trying to spread the word via social media, utilizing Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. It seems to be working as of late, gaining more than a 1,000 social media followers within a week.
In what has been a fast and wild ride, it was only fitting their record deal followed suite. The deal was signed one day after the band received an early morning Facebook message from an interested label owner in North Carolina.
“Apparently, he was rifling through a few contest pages we had entered in and then he listened to one of our songs and offered to sign us the next day,” Cardona said.
Tireless dedication
Between music, school and full-time jobs, the band stays committed to music and each other. Its members rely on each other for both creativity and support, staying focused on music and classes during the school year, and touring during the summers.
“Our manager has always said that school comes first and he’ll work around our schedules,” Wheeler said.
Although their roots span across Michigan, Get Stoked considers Mount Pleasant and CMU their home.
“What we want is the support of CMU; CMU is our home. Throughout our songs we reference Mount Pleasant,” Cardona said.
Their upcoming EP is titled "Washington St.," which touts CMU’s Washington and Bellows streets' stop sign on the cover.
Throughout their sudden rise of popularity, the band has remained humble.
“We’re just very grateful to have the experiences we’ve had so far, and all the opportunities we're getting, we’re really thankful. It’s really cool to us,” Turek said.
Get Stoked performs Friday at Mac’s Bar in Lansing, opening for Major League, Have Mercy, Seaway and Better Off. Tickets are $12 at the door.
Tickets to their up coming shows, more information about the band and links to their social media sites can be found on their Facebook page, Facebook.com/GetStokedMI.
