Today we’d like to introduce you to Sincerely, Always.
Hi Sincerely,, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It started when all four of us connected outside of a show in Grand Rapids. All of us were going through major life changes at that time, and we all just so happened to be looking for bandmates as well. We got together to start playing music for the first time about a month later. We quickly realized how well we all clicked creatively after just the first few times we played together, and we knew that this was going to become something special for all of us.
Not long after we started writing together, a friend of ours offered us a spot playing a DIY show in his basement. We said yes before we’d even finished writing anything truly concrete. Five months later we played our first official show together, and were immediately offered a recording session by a friend of a friend who had seen us play; he wanted to see our music get released.
We’ve been working hard to get our first EP out there, which is set to be released soon. We have a few shows currently coming up around Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas alongside other great local acts, with many more to come in the future!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
At first, we were rehearsing in a basement that Raene’s dad let us use for the time being, and it was tough not having the equipment we really needed at the time. Trying to write songs without the proper speakers was pretty rough at first, we were borrowing whatever we were able to at the time. When we did finally start renting a space to rehearse, we suddenly had none of that available to us anymore.
We also had a deadline ahead of us, we had about four months before our first show. But every week we had new ideas, and despite the lack of equipment, we were writing and rehearsing songs that we’re all very proud of now, and by the time the show came around, we’d managed to write enough songs to make the set time.
That first show was a huge success. We had so many people asking us when we’d be playing next and where to find our music, so that brought us to a new goal- we’ve gotta get our music out there. That same night, we met Gabe, who loved what he’d heard, and wanted to help us record our EP.
Scheduling constraints gave us just one weekend to get down to Gabe’s place in Indiana to record all of the instrumentals. So, we packed up, drove down, and started the second we got there. We only took a few breaks to eat, and we hardly slept. But by the time we left on Sunday, we had done it- 48 hours of nearly nonstop recording, sleeping on couches, and drinking copious amounts of energy drinks. It was completely exhausting, but we enjoyed every moment of it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Sincerely, Always is a post-hardcore/alternative rock band from Grand Rapids, MI.
Something that we’re all very proud of is putting as much time and effort as we have into writing our music ourselves, booking shows on our own, and finding other local artists to collaborate with. We spend hours every week writing together. We’re a fully independent band, so we don’t have the kind of money or management help that larger artists do.
We’re also super proud to all be a part of the local music scene too, it’s a great community. We’re playing the shows we’ve always loved going to, and there’s something really special about that.
(Michael: Vocals/Guitar) (Matt: Guitar) (Jacob: Drums) (Raene: Bass)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sincerelyalwaysgr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincerely_always_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
