BAND: London Airspace
FUNDAMENTALS: Josh Leon (guitar/vocals), Brandon Peters (lead guitar), Sean Adams (bass), Jon Renner (drums)
HAILING FROM: Scottsdale, Ariz.
CURRENTLY VIBING ON: Lights! Camera! Reaction!
WHERE YOU KNOW THEM FROM: The indie/pop/rock band has quickly ascended the Arizona ranks, playing gigs all across the state, including the 2009 Tempe Music Festival.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Coldplay, Blink-182, Radiohead, Something Corporate, The Dream
WHY YOU’LL LIKE ‘EM: They have fast-paced beats, upbeat guitar riffs and addictive lyrics sure to get you singing right along with the band.
While some bands spend a whole lot of time going nowhere, London Airspace has a whole new direction of its own.
Formed in September 2008, London Airspace already touts a regular position at First Fridays, a sick gig at the 2009 Tempe Music Festival and, most importantly, a whole lot more to look forward to.
The band is fortunate enough to have the help of singer/guitarist Josh Leon’s father.
“My dad owns his own production company,” Leon, 19, said.
Even now, Leon’s father Vincent, president of HipCats Entertainment, supplies the stage, sound and lighting equipment for gigs like First Fridays.
“So far everything has been pretty good working with them,” lead guitarist Brandon Peters, 20, said.
First Fridays isn’t the only thing they have going for them.
“We play shows about twice a month average,” drummer Jon Renner, 19, said, adding, “This month we have three shows.”
The band has come a long way in under a year.
Grassroots
Before London Airspace was London Airspace, there was Runaway Radio, Leon, Peters and Renner’s first stab at a band.
“They were harder rock and less refined,” Peters said.
Created in 2006, the band struggled to gain ground, ultimately disbanding just a few years later.
“There were a lot of changes going on in the band with two members leaving and with the addition of Sean (Adams),” Peters said.
The four weren’t quite ready to give up on the dream though.
“We felt as if we were moving in a new direction,” Peters said. “We had little in common with Runaway Radio anymore.”
But the new direction still needed a name, something atypical.
“We thought The Airspace was kind of a cool name, but it was already taken” Peters said.
Despite the slight roadblock, the band was not ready to lay the idea to rest just yet.
“I was on Wikipedia.com and then I saw the word ‘London,’” Renner said.
It was the unusual combination they had been looking for.
“It’s mysterious,” the band joked.
All they needed was a little glue and the band was set.
Starting over
Armed with a fresh outlook and a sound the band could only describe as “A melodic adventure that will help you discover the meaning of life,” the band was ready to get back onstage.
“Our first performance was a year ago October,” Leon said.
The band was contacted by AZ Teen Magazine to play a show at Desert Ridge Marketplace. Not bad for their first gig off the blocks.
“We went on first,” Peters said. “We loved it.”
One concert was able to trump the rest.
“The Tempe Music Festival was probably my favorite,” Adams, 21, said.
London Airspace initially entered in the Salt River Project Garage Band Competition last spring. They worked their way up the ranks, competing against more than 100 other local bands. They were one of six bands chosen to perform at the Tempe Music Festival.
“We came in second,” Peters joked. “Or third, but we’ll call it second.”
Getting ahead of ourselves
So what is the hardest part in being in a band?
“Josh,” Adams says without hesitation. “Our biggest problem is getting together.”
With all four members juggling class schedules it is hard to get everyone to a recording studio.
The band released its first album “Lights! Camera! Reaction!” back in December 2008 but already has plans for a second.
“We just started pre-production on a couple of songs that we are looking to put on our next album,” Peters said. “We are actually going to record our single sometime in November.”
Got a band you want me to check out? Fill me in: ldisanti@asu.edu
