MEET THE BAND: Nick D'Andrea (vocals, keyboards), Kerry Henderson (guitar, vocals), Seth Bain (bass, vocals), Joseph Barker (keyboards, guitars), Cory Webb (drums)
AN EXPANDED LINEUP: The band started in 2013, after drummer Joseph Barker moved to Columbus from Minneapolis and worked with guitarist Kerry Henderson, a member of the Floorwalkers, on a music video he was producing for singer-keyboardist Nick D'Andrea. "I had a revelation at a Dr. Dog concert to start the band," says D'Andrea. "I got a beer with Joseph [Barker] and wanted to do it. Kerry [Henderson] is an awesome guitar player. He walked into a session and never left." Barker also plays in Bella Ruse, an indie rock duo that features his wife. The group recently expanded from a trio into a five-piece. "It's definitely been a scary thing," says Henderson, "but it's awesome to add a fuller sound. When the three of us were playing, we had so much fun. But we wanted the live show to resemble the record. As a three-piece, we were making a lot of noise, but it's better now that we're a five-piece. We have a blast playing everything. We always thought it could sound better when we were a three-piece." Barker has shifted to become the on-stage producer and music director and "tries to capture how the record sounds."
NATIONAL EXPOSURE: The Freeform (formerly ABC Family) television show Pretty Little Liars recently used one of the band's songs in an episode, giving the group some well-deserved national exposure. Shows such as Chasing Life and Benched have also featured the band's music. "We had a watch party for the first time it happened," says Henderson. "Our mom was with us. It played for a second and we barely caught it. Sometimes, it's so anticlimactic, but sometimes it's great. We were on Blood and Oil and it was unexpected. It wasn't just in the background. Sometimes, if it's a better placement, you high-five each other. That one played out a little longer."
WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: The band travelled to Los Angeles this past February to record a new EP due out in September. "We holed up in the studio for several days in a row," says D'Andrea. "Kerry lives out there and we got to detach ourselves from our day jobs and really concentrate on making the album. We got to bring in horns and throw everything at the tracks and get a bigger sonic sound than we've been able to get. We had 12- and 15-hour days but the tunes benefited from being so immersed." As a teaser, the band has released the EP's single "Crown" this spring and will tour Ohio cities this month to promote it. The band describes "Crown" as "a bit like a cross between MGMT and Foster the People." The breezy horns brighten the tune and it features a complex mix of piano and synthesizers. "We've had that song in the hopper for the last year or so and have just been adding things," says D'Andrea. "It's about a relationship that's ending. It's a metaphor, like taking away someone's happiness. It's that bitter breakup song."
WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: nickdandthebelievers.com
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Nick D and the Believers perform with Nonaphoenix, Melladramatics and the Rainbow Emergency at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at the Grog Shop.
