The
story of Under Your Bed started out as “let’s see
what happens” which quickly evolved into “let’s
see how far we can push this thing”. From early on each
member of the band felt that what they were attempting to do
meant something, that it was important to see this thing through.
It’s a huge responsibility when you realize you have something
great and yet fragile on your hands. However making it blossom
correctly wasn’t hard once the band had settled on the
right cast.
From
the beginning this story was all about teamwork. Singer Elissa
Sapp and guitarist Jim Marchione began their partnership in
what would become Under Your Bed in September of 2005 when Jim
spotted Elissa at an open mic. “She was this tiny little
girl with an acoustic guitar that was bigger than she was, but
her voice was so huge and spot-on… I don’t know
when I’ve heard a better rock vocalist, I just knew we
had to work together” says Jim.
Vocals and guitar may be a great recipe for folk music but Jim
and Elissa realized that if they wanted to play Rock n’
Roll they needed to expand the line-up. However, finding the
right musicians among the multitudes of the uninspired proved
more difficult than originally thought. But they knew that finding
the right people could make this thing great.
That’s
exactly what happened in February of 2006 when noted local music
journalist and publisher Bryan Jennings joined the fold on bass.
His skill and stage presence made him all but impossible to
ignore by Jim and Elissa, not to mention by the fans that devotedly
come out to see their performances.
With the nucleus of the band set, Jim, Elissa and Bryan began
working diligently on material, making sure it was original
and refined. Staying away from the cookie-cutter style of songwriting
came pretty naturally for them. They approached this project
as if it was what they were born to do, and indeed they were.
After going through a rotating cast of drummers (four in six
months) the search became desperate. “It was important
that whoever occupied that throne was a team player. They had
to fit, they had to want it, and they had to know that this
was big,” Bryan recalls. In comes percussionist and guitarist
Zach Brown, and the pieces to the puzzle were set. He was exactly
who they were looking for and it seemed as if he was looking
for them as well.
Last to join the ranks is Jon Rossi filling out the sound on
rhythm guitar. Although he had the option to pursue an education
at the celebrated Music Department at Berkeley University, Jon
has no regrets about the choice he made. Only with Under Your
Bed for a short time, Jon has managed to become a key member
through his dedication and ability. In their brief time together
Under Your Bed has had the opportunity to open for two national
touring acts, The Birthday Massacre and The Shiny Toy Guns.
The band was also chosen by local radio giant 93.3 WMMR to include
the song “No Compromise on their compilation album Local
Shots vol.3 which was released in February of 2007.
Slated for a May 2007-release date, Under Your Bed’s debut
album “Unmanageable” (Slugfest Records) will add
to the success the band has realized in such a short period
of time. This band is proof that originality will trump conformity
any day of the week.
