Someone Like You

Someone Like You, the newest Columbus OH-based rock band has a sound just as diverse as the college town they hail from. In mid-2008, Garry Bair, a guitarist/vocalist new to the local music scene, reached out to Tim Waters, singer/guitarist for the pop-punk band, Nothing Less, for an opportunity to collaborate on some songs. The two got together and soon began cranking out demos that showcased Bair's heavy riffage and Waters' pop-punk polish. As these home-recorded demos gained popularity online and by word of mouth, Waters and Bair decided it was time to take this project and turn it into a real band. The first person the duo approached was guitarist Chris Heidel (no longer with the band), a student at OSU and acoustic singer/songwriter. Heidel joined up and soon the band had expanded to five members with the addition of folk singer/songwriter and former drummer of the hardcore band All My Strength, Zach Frost, and local scene veteran, bassist Stephen Goldstein. The unusually eclectic line-up was finalized...now to see what it sounded like... The sound was much heavier than the previous demos but retained just enough pop-sensibility to keep it clean-cut. The band entertained the interesting, if not unconventional, idea of adding clean piano to the heavier sound, as both Heidel and Waters knew how to play. The two added piano riffs to the demo of "Don't Count On Me" and not long thereafter the band agreed they would make piano a permanent fixture in their music. Goldstein was able to secure a room on the top floor of an old warehouse in the industrial district of downtown Columbus for the band to practice in. From inside this old building, the band vowed to work hard and make a big name for themselves in the Columbus music scene. The open view of the city skyline serves as a daily reminder of what they set out to do and their uniquely heavy, piano-infused, pop punk jams often drift down several stories to the street below as practices carry late into the night. The otherwise stagnant, industrial atmosphere has been invigorated by the fresh, new sound of SLY and heads are beginning to turn. The five ambitious members of Someone Like You have set their goals high and plan on reaching them. These are five talented guys with high hopes and, more importantly, the work-ethic, and raw talent to actually pull it off.