Music Monday is ready to close their eyes and sway to the amazing rock rifts and smooth sounds of alternative indie rock band, The Phets!
Before The Phets were rocking audiences and charming the Treasure Valley, Hayden McCandless (bass) and Cameron Elgart (Drums) were in a garage band that only did covers. While they were very good at covering songs by The Black Keys, Foo Fighters, and Frank Ferdinand, the two bandmates had a thought one day of, “fuck, we need a singer.” So the search began for a vocalist with just the right sound to match their vibe and they found it where they least expected, the hallways of their high school. The band said, “a messiah from Florida appeared in the hallways of Timberline High School, serenading passerby’s with his beautiful song.” They had found Thomas Salazar (guitar/vocals) and once he agreed to join, The Phets was formed.
Thomas found his love for music back in middle school when he took a music appreciation class. After which he begged his parents for an electric guitar. When he moved to Boise he started pouring himself into learning music and learning to sing! He is influenced by the silky smooth control of @Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) but also finds inspiration in the rough vocals of Jim Morrison. Cameron started on the guitar but when The Phets were forming the band needed a drummer. Once Cameron sat down behind the set he was like a fish to water. Cameron finds his influence in the masterful techniques of Mitch Mitchell (the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and John Bonham (Led Zeppelin). Hayden took naturally to the bass guitar from the moment he picked it up. He brings the raw energy from bassists like Mike Kerr (Royal Blood). When you combine these guys together their stage presence, ability to own their platform, and their love of music all come alive for a great, high energy experience.
The Phets get their inspiration from bands like the Artic Monkeys and the Strokes. They especially like “their articulated guitar licks and their fast paced rock n roll. Queen, The Doors, and Primus for their stage presence. Nirvana and Jack White for their rawness and vulnerability.” The vulnerability of this band is apparent in their lyrics. The band said, “Many of the songs take an aspect of a relationship or an emotion and build a character or story based on that, meaning that most of the songs do come from quite specific experiences but it is more derivative as they often go on their own tangent and explore the topic further in the imagination and in things that hasn't been experienced firsthand.” When you get a chance to see this band you instantly feel the connection of each band member to their music and lyrics. Their breakdowns and pace create perfect concert moments.
As with many freshman bands The Phets have had their fair share of hardships. The band finds, at times, during the writing process it can be hard to come to an agreement on lyrics or the musical aspects of the song. Since their music is highly personal each decision is like taking a piece of one of the band members and placing it into a song. This band does not take their music lightly and they want every song to be perfect. With this perfection tensions can rise but they always come together in the end as a family saying “To be vulnerable to one another, to communicate issues maturely and without trying to be right. This is a constant learning process and a certainly beautiful one. We are always learning to handle conflict in a better manner.”
The band constantly pushes themselves to learn from the past and look forward to the future. They believe that rehearsing as a band is extremely important. Another aspect that is important to them is maintaining a healthy relationship with themselves.
The group is currently in the processing of releasing their EP “Dark Again” which the band is extremely excited to make available. Watch for this release to take place early this Summer! The band is also eager to expand their fan base to Portland and Seattle by playing shows throughout the Pacific Northwest in the near future!
These three artists are a picture-perfect match to each other. From the first note of Thomas to the amazing performance of Hayden and topped off with the jamming beats of Cameron, this is a band Music Monday fully believes can go the distance. My favorite part? Hayden bouncing off the walls and watching him duck walk around the stage like Angus Young himself! These guys pull out all the stops and the show plays out like a master class in classic rock energy. If you get a chance to see these guys live do not miss out, this is one group that leaves their heart and soul on stage and hold nothing back.
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