They Promised Escape has officially spread it’s wings and reached a new level of band success with it’s feature in this month’s Alternative Press magazine and a CD on the way.
Pierce Aaron (guitar), Mason Edmonds (vocals), Mike Mazzoli (drums), Joe Fiedorczyk (guitar) and Shaun O’Neill (bass), said they have worked incredibly hard to be where they are today, despite each member having different schedules and priorities.
Aaron said that being featured in AP magazine is something he still can’t comprehend.
“I woke up one morning to a voicemail from one of the big-wigs asking if they could use a song to be a demo on the online version [of AP],” Aaron said. “I didn’t see this coming. We didn’t reach out to them. I’m not sure how it happened, but I love it. I don’t think any of us thought it could get to this point when we first started out.”
Mazzoli said the idea of starting a band came shortly after he moved to Boardman from New York in 2006.
“I lived a few streets down from Pierce, and we became fast friends,” Mazzoli said. “He knew I played drums, and from that he decided to pick up the guitar. We just kind of played by ourselves for a while, and then wanted to take it a little bit further.”
Edmonds said that becoming part of They Promised Escape wasn’t necessarily part of his plans, but he is grateful that things played out the way they did.
“I had never talked to Pierce before,” he said. “He just sat next to me in class once and asked if I could sing. I said, ‘Maybe, I guess I’ll try.’ Fast forward a few years later and look where we are. I never could have pictured it being this big.”
Aaron agrees that the formation of They Promised Escape was a little different than the traditional way bands usually meet.
“I don’t know why I got the vibe that Mason could sing, but I did,” he said, “A few years later, Joe and Shaun came along on their own will, and that was when the band we have now was formed.”
Since 2008, They Promised Escape has had an unexpected climb to the top of the local music scene.
O’Neill said that the success the band has had is an added perk.
“These guys are like my brothers, and we all love making music,” he said. “We got together because we have a passion for music. It’s an added bonus to go on tour and see people singing back the lyrics.”
Edmonds said that the fans just add to this fantastic experience.
“When we go on tour and see the same people come to multiple shows, or to see the fans singing back the words we wrote … that’s awesome,” Edmunds said. “It’s like, they feel what I feel when I sing. They know it. They sing it back. It’s unreal.”
The members agree, it’s difficult to keep the band going with different school and work schedules, but seeing the progress they have made as a group, they said it is well worth the effort.
“We love what we do. We all want to do this,” Edmunds said. “No matter how hard it is to find time, we will find time.”