unknown territory, but Afterpoint’s divergence comes
naturally. The group started
simply as a demo project between brothers in late spring
2013. Zach demoed songs
and and gave them to Zane,
a longtime drummer, who
promptly joined the band and
loaned out his living room as
a practice space. The pair soon
recruited Roberts through
mutual friends, who joined almost immediately after hearby Benjamin Nunnally
ing the demo material. The
trio gelled and songwriting
intensified.
here just aren’t that many pop-rock bands
in Calhoun County. Of those, few nod “Songs were just spitting out of my fingers on the
along to grunge in between Blink 182 guitar,” said Zach, who went on a grunge kick, lissongs. There damn sure aren’t any with the tening to Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana.
guts or sheer gall to sound more than a little Poppier tunes from early in the band’s life made
bit like the Toadies in a southern rock county. their way out of rotation in the practice room. The
Aside from Afterpoint.
band’s busy schedule, with two fathers, two full“I didn’t want to be in a grunge band or a pop rock time jobs and busy school and work schedule in
band,” said Zach Adams, guitarist and lead singer the mix, led to tighter writing.
of Afterpoint. “We really wanted our own sound.”
“It’s a blessing in disguise that we have a limited
The band, featuring Adams’ older sibling Zane Ad- amount of time,” said Roberts. “That we don’t have
ams on drums and Corey Roberts on bass, attains much is what makes us focus when we get togethits own kind of wide-ranging sound. “Shiny Things” er.”
fires off with a slick, radio-ready pop-rock report, Now the group looks to take their sound out of
with a chorus that croons coy, slightly crazy asides, the local bars they’ve played and into Birmingham
Zane’s drum fills machine-gunning throughout.
and Atlanta venues that expect bands to bring a
“Riddle” takes the band into a darker, late 90s alter- certain strangeness to the table.
native direction, with Zach’s voice bringing both “We’re just going to throw down everything we’ve
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan and Gordon got with the time we have,” said Zane. “We really
Gano of the Violent Femmes to mind. In a place have to give everybody a good show.”
where dark, subtle music doesn’t get standing ovaAfterpoint will be playing live in the coming
tions (or booking), it’s a brave, interesting choice.
months, starting with a show at Lawrenceville, Ga.’s
“We’re not dumb, we know that this isn’t the style BlastHouse on March 27. Then they’ll play Smith’s
of music people expect here,” said Zach.
Olde Bar in Atlanta on April 10 and Brother’s Bar in
There’s a certain subversiveness to striding into Jacksonville April 10. ✤
T
For more on Afterpoint, visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/afterpoint
or listen online at soundcloud.com/afterpoint.
56
March 2014
INSIGHT