At this year’s KNDS Block Party I had the good fortune to sit down with alternative/hard rock band Revelsound to talk about the band’s formation, local ties, and most importantly, music.

Formed in Grand Forks in 2015 and composed of University of North Dakota alumni Hunter Meyer on drums, brother Dylan Meyer playing the Bass Guitar, Cody Montgomery on electric guitar and backup vocals and NDSU alumus Nick “Timbucky Jones” Thompson singing lead vocals and playing electric guitar, Revelsound was originally performed under the moniker of Thin Ice. However, that was until they discovered the band name wasn’t as original as they once thought.

Hunter explained it wasn’t until they played one of their first real shows that they were made aware of the issue. “It was at the New Direction in Fargo (rest in peace) and this dude shows up in a Thin Ice shirt. We were like ‘Oh my god’ just freaking out and thinking this is too much; we don’t even know this guy. He obviously looked at our page and listened to our music and became such a fan he made his own Thin Ice shirt.”

After their set, however, their excitement quickly turned to disappointment. Hunter continued, “He came up to us after our set and was like, ‘You guys are not the Thin Ice I thought you were.'” Apparently the fan came to the show hoping to catch the Texas hardcore band of the same moniker.

Once they looked further, the bandmates found a hefty list of bands from a vast array of genres with the same name. Dylan had his own humorous finding, when searching the name on Spotify, “There was like an indie, reggae, surfer band that I found on Spotify named Thin Ice.”

How did they settle on Revelsound? Hunter explains he liked the word revel because of it meaning “to have a good time and drink, and from that I came up with Revellion.” After Nick made a Star Wars joke about it however, it was clear it was back to the drawing board. “I don’t know why it took us an hour to think of ending it with sound when we are a band,” Dylan laughed.

Whatever the process involved in creating a new name, Revelsound stuck and the band is still performing successfully under the title today.

Laura Ellen Brandjord (LEB): You’ve formed fairly recently as far as bands go. How did you get together?

Dylan Meyer (DM): I was talking to a buddy of mine in Pelican Rapids (Minnesota) and I was like, “Hey if you know anyone who sings and plays guitar you know we’re always looking for someone a little more talented. Let me know.” And he was like, “Nope don’t know anyone.” So I was like, “Sounds good, buddy.” And then, like three weeks later we were just b********ing and I asked him again, and he said, “I actually know this Nick guy,” and then never gave me a last name. Ever. So I creeped through his facebook and found Nick. It was his only friend named Nick, and his profile picture was him and like six guitars …

Timbucky Jones* (TJ): Seven.

DM: Seven guitars, and I was like this is probably the guy, and I randomly Facebook messaged him and said, “Hey want to be in a band?” And he messaged back, “Sure.”

Hunter Meyer (HM): From what I heard, it was before you had even set your phone down from sending that message.

TJ: Yeah, it was pretty instantaneous. The band I was in had just broken up, so I needed that rebound band …

DM: It turned into something a little more serious, though.

TJ: It sure did; it really took off. The worst part is that his coworker is a family friend of mine. We’ve known each other forever, and I don’t know why he didn’t just know who I was. “I don’t know his last name.” Crazy.

LEB: In your bio you say you “blend classic and modern rock sensibilities.” What were your influences from both classic rock and more modern alternative rock?

HM: I think that the only major influences that we all actually share would be, like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Other than that, it’s like we all have our own specialties.

TJ: We all have our own styles. We all listen to different things. I mean, there’s other bands besides than Led Zeppelin that we will all jam to but …

DM: We all overlap somewhere, but I also hate some of all their music.

HM: We are all influenced by different music, and inspired by different artists. Like Nick (TJ) is a big hair metal guy and I’m a grunge kid so, like, that can clash sometimes.

DM: I’m into pop punk.

Cody Montgomery (CM): And I’m more of the Blues guitar guy, like Jimmy Page.

LEB: Your Bandcamp mentions new music hopefully out this summer. What can you tell us what to expect?

HM: Basically the songs you just heard, but recorded.

DM: We have a couple we are working on that fall more towards a little more rock pop.

TJ: We are starting to write together too, and I think you can hear that in some of our new songs.

LEB: What is one piece of gear you think every musician of your particular instrument should own?

TJ: A tuner.

DM: (laughter) That is very fair. I would say an acoustic bass guitar, so you can practice and not piss off your neighbors.

HM: A pair of Shira Kashi oak drumsticks because they never break.

CM: A wah pedal, for the sole fact that you will have so much fun with one. You know, just playing around with it. It doesn’t have to sound good right away, it’s just fun as you play it more and more.

LEB: Who is one musician you would bring back if you could?

TJ: Randy Rhoads. Man, I wanted to take lessons from that guy.

CM: I’m going to say David Bowie because I think he would have a heyday. He released that album right before he died, and I liked it, and he could just go on writing forever. He can just do whatever he wants when he wants, and with modern music there is so much room to expand and grow and throw it all together on a track and if anyone could do it, Bowie could.

HM: I would say John Lennon just to see Paul and Ringo’s reaction. Like, “S***, he’s back.”

 

*By request Nick is referred to as “Timbucky Jones” in the transcript