Toni Rachal
EVENT: Palm Trees & Power Lines at Rock on the River 6
DATE: Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day)
VENUE: The Jacksonville Landing
TICKETS: FREE
CONTACT: www.jacksonvillelanding.com, www.x1029.com
Florida’s wink of a spring is almost gone, and that means it’s finally time to make a break for the beach and find a perfect summer playlist. We’ve got you covered with on-the-rise Palm Trees & Power Lines, who are currently killing it with high-profile gigs like One Spark, TPC Sawgrass and Rock on the River 6.
The band, which started playing together in 2012, is comprised of Jacksonville natives Josh Cravey, Shafer Tasso, Kyle Bailey and Casey Johnson. They debuted their High Hopes EP back in November 2013, and are now gearing up for a busy month, starting with their single and video release, ‘Listen,’ on May 8.
The quartet’s name is a direct reference to Jacksonville’s geography–the duality of a city and a coast. Building on the momentum of a strong local start, they have their eye on the national, or even global stage. “Every time we play [with local bands] it’s an awesome show, but we’re definitely trying to take it to a national level,” says vocalist Josh. They began to expand their playing field last year when their notably substantial fanbase voted for them to play Vans Warped Tour’s Orlando date. They described it as their best concert experience to date, affording them the opportunity to play on the same stage as some of their idols. They’re ready to be voted into the tour again this summer for Jacksonville’s date in July at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium.
PTPL’s sound is an obvious love letter to any Blink-182 beach/skate anthem, but the guys believe they have found a niche. “We have a positive vibe,” says Josh. Lead guitarist Shafer agrees: “A lot of bands of the genre can be negative…we write about negative things in a positive way. When you get out of a breakup, you don’t want to think, ‘this is the end of my life, of everything,’ you want to get up and move on.”
The light, upbeat feel of High Hopes will be enhanced in this month’s Animalistic EP, out May 22. “I’m really excited about this EP,” Shafer says. “It’s probably the best thing we’ve ever done. Anybody who liked our old music, you’re going to love our new stuff.” They also cite New Found Glory, Yellowcard and All Time Low among their influences.
The PTPL recipe for a catchy hook is largely experimental. With all four members skilled at a variety of instruments, the result is usually an organized chaos. “It’s all of us getting together, and messing around until we find something we like,” says Josh. “It’s a beautiful, positive mesh.”
Palm Trees & Power Lines will be playing Rock on the River 6 on Memorial Day at the Jacksonville Landing with rock powerhouses Panic! at the Disco, AWOLNATION, and others. You can vote for them to play Warped Tour in Jacksonville this summer by going to warped.battleofthebands.com and searching for Palm Trees & Power Lines. Their website is www.palmtreesandpowerlines.com.
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