reaLation.

reaLation. Bio:

“It’s all about the written word.” says reaLation. co-founder, bassist, singer-songwriter Vincent Lane. “ The music is a very strong way to convey the message, but without a message; why even bother?” Indeed, the concept reaLation. is trying to achieve is a righteous one. Helping others through music is always a worthy endeavor. But isn’t that what everyone is trying to do?

“ Highly doubtful”, responds Lane, “ Some musicians don’t seem to understand that doing this for the right reason is the most important thing. You must realize that this is something that is much larger than you are. So that is where your individual message must come in.”

The concept seems easy enough. Auditory self-medication. Or is it self-help through the joy of music?

Whatever it is, it seems to be catching on. Go to a reaLation. show and receive a free psychological assessment when you walk in the door. Listen to the lyrics and discover problems you never knew you had. And after the events of last September, who doesn’t need a little check- up?

“ People seem to be responding well. More people are filling out the assessments and yelling up to me for the results. Their natural curiosity takes over. And their interest peaks for the music. I think they are searching for the mental health issue in each song.”

Formed in 1993, reaLation. was a work in progress for quite some time. Vincent met guitarist and co-founder David Evans working at a restaurant. The two found a common bond in music and quickly connected. As cooks, they spent evenings listening to songs and using the kitchen line microphone to sing. They smoked pot, drank free beer off the tap out at the bar, and laid the groundwork which would later be reaLation.

“ Those times really shaped our direction. We wrote a good portion of Sustain (their first release) and spent the next few years learning how to play our songs.”

One thing is for certain, realation. does not conform to any particular musical style. You can hear a plethora of influences in their sound.

“ This is partly why it took so long to get the songs down. We didn’t exactly have a blue print to work from.”

In 1995, David and Vincent convinced drummer Mike Esposito to come on board. Mike rounds out the sound and gives them the versatility to experiment with the different styles.

“ The songs developed a whole new life when Mike joined. We have a song called No Answers, which has a real punk flair. No other drummer could play it as tasteful as Mike. He allows us to not have to put a fence around our song writing.”

The trio began playing out shortly there after and has gone through numerous line-up changes in the past few years. Now more confident and secure than ever, the band seems very excited about the possibilities the future holds for them.

“ We can feel a definite positive change in local music scene. There is a lot of talent in this area and all these guys need are a break.”

Perhaps it is a band like reaLation, with their vision and perseverance, which can create such a break.