A local Youngstown band, Sleeping Til Daybreak, will be competing at the Battle of the Bands competition at the Vortex Concert Club and Lounge in Akron on March 10.
Formally known as Far From Nothing and formed in March of 2011, Sleeping Til Daybreak underwent a new image, officially announcing their name change last December while opening for Saliva.
Youngstown State University student Cameron Seitz, drummer, joins lead vocalist Ben Rusinowski, lead guitarist and backup vocalist Josh Rea, and rhythm guitarist Jason Smith as the group spreads their fresh-sounding twist on post-hardcore music.
Seitz said when the band originally formed, they just wanted to have some fun and blow off some steam.
“Playing post-hardcore music is a great release for all of us,” Seitz said. “We love listening to it, so it just makes sense that playing it would be even better.”
Having graduated from McDonald High School, Rusinowski, Seitz and Rea already knew one another. Smith joined the band after meeting Seitz through work.
“I am friends with each member of STD, and even if the band were to disperse, it wouldn’t change that fact in the least,” Rusinowski said. “I’d like to thank fans, friends and family for all of the support.”
With the band quickly making a name for itself by opening for more widely known bands like Motionless in White and the Battle of the Bands approaching, the dream of booking a record deal may not be far off.
“It’s amazing to get the kind of recognition that other bands take years to build,” Rea said.
Rea is also the songwriter for the band and gets his inspiration through a blend of various genres, evident in two of the group’s songs “Doubt Kills Worry” and “From A to B.”
“I pull inspiration out of anything from A Day To Remember to Blink 182 to Atreyu. We try not to limit ourselves,” Rea said. “Cameron writes the drum parts, but when I sit down to write a song, I already have an idea of how I want it to sound all put together.”
Seitz said that their sound resembles a mix of the early work of A Day To Remember and Attack Attack!
In addition to the competition, Sleeping Til Daybreak has three upcoming shows this spring. The first is Feb. 9 at the Vortex in Akron with Sink The Ship and again on March 30 with The Paramedic.
On April 20, the band will play in a venue closer to home at Zekes in Girard. The band was invited to the Wicked Winter Fest on March 9, but decided not to participate in favor of the Battle of the Bands.
For more information and a list of tour dates, visit the band’s Facebook page.