My Last Name

What's in a band bio anyway? All of the stories are the same. This guy met that guy at some place and decided to start a band. Later, Joe Blow joined up when John Doe quit and Crappy Ass Band was formed! Yeah! And there was much rejoicing. Fortunately, the story of Everest is at least a bit different. Jamal R.S. McLaughlin (Guitar/Voc) and Justin McLaughlin (Drums) are brothers. Justin moved home from Texas in 2001 after Jamal sent him a promising demo. Fast forward a few years and a couple of bands later, add one Mike Pringle (Bass) formerly of Bionica fame in the early '90s, and you've got Everest. Everest hails from Edwardsville, Illinois, just up the bluffs from downtown St. Louis. When asked for two primary influences from each band member, the list looks like this: (Can you guess which member said which bands?) Sunny Day Real Estate, Rush, Elliot Smith, Beatles, the Minutemen, and Descendents. Everest just released their first full length album 'My Last Name'. It was recently described by Becky Beckwith of The Edge weekly as "densely thoughtful both lyrically and musically" and "... using a variety of familiar colors and shapes in their music that connects you in a warm way without using a repetitive radio hook."