ARMSBENDBACK is: Andrew Kegerise (drums), Brad Sloan (bass / vocals), Mike Coasey (vocals / lyrics) & Carson Slovak (guitar / vocals)
So where the hell did ArmsBendBack come from? Basically, it goes like this. Carson and Mike were living in Philly the summer of 2001. They both worked full time at a coffee shop that was attached to the lobby of a fancy hotel. In addition to the rigors of the at times depressingly monotonous job, people would treat them like shit and not give it a second thought. Word to the wise, the next time you order some coffee, be real nice about it…Working at a coffee shop can be like being a postman, if you know what I mean. Anyway, in between the job and being a film student at Temple, Carson invested in a cheap Pro-Tools set up and a drum machine. He knew he wanted to write his own songs but he didn’t know anything about the guitar really. So he started from scratch. He borrowed a guitar from a friend and figured it out his own way, fueling himself with the knowledge that the less he knew about an instrument, the more sincere his expression with it would be since he’d be taking a fresh, unadulterated approach. So eventually a bunch of demos were made and Mike started to put melody to them. Mike, having written lyrics basically all his life, embraced the music and honed his skills in a way that ultimately eclipsed everything he had done prior. The lyrics were honest and sincere. The melodies were instant hooks. The song “Lucia’s Neck” marked the birth of the songwriting duo. The name ArmsBendBack (a product of the boys’ mutual nerdy infatuation with the seminal early 90’s TV show, Twin Peaks) was chosen late one night after working on a song together in Carson’s bedroom. And from there it all came together. The two turned into a song-writing machine, walking to work everyday with headphones on, repeatedly blasting the previous night’s rough mixes. Finally, when the songs got good enough, Mike and Carson decided to play them for Carson’s long time friend and former neighbor, Chad. Chad, having spent his career in a huge and influential rock band, was able to offer all kinds of useful insight and advice. He liked the music so much that he decided to produce a polished demo for ArmsBendBack and help them get on their feet. Within months, the group had a five song EP under their belts and had gotten together with other people to fill the open positions in the band so they could play live. After months of playing live as a five piece, the line up was changed slightly and the present core of the band was in place. A long time friend of Carson’s and a veteran of several death metal bands, Brad Sloan joined the group to play bass. Andrew Kegerise was a mutual friend of Brad and Carson’s and moved down to Philly from NYC to take up drum duties. Carson put school on hold and the four threw themselves into the band 100%. They played anywhere they could get in. They played shows even if there were only 15 kids in the crowd. The band’s talent and dedication grew with every disaster, every embarrassment and every small failure that occurred. The more they tried, the harder it got. And the harder it got, the harder they got. ArmsBendBack is a machine fueled by emotion, and in beginning, the significantly strong emotions that are anger and frustration ran rampant in the ABB camp. It only made shit easier. Soon enough, the group caught the attention of Trustkill Records and signed a deal. Their first full-length album is entitled “The Waiting Room” and is due out early October 2003.
Source: http://www.armsbendback.com/#