Lovin’ on the Locals: About-Face

I absolutely love a good alternative band. During the early 90’s I was super influenced by alt-rock and grunge bands, so it’s no wonder that this genre became one of my bigger soft spots. When I connected with the Omaha alt-rock/indie band About-Face, I was more than stoked to take a listen. Their nods to the genre and melodies caught me right away. If you’re craving something catchy from this genre, give these guys a listen.

Who They Are

About-Face is a newer band having formed in 2017 with Carson Wirges on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Zach Brobst on lead guitar, Josh Brobst on drums and Jon Golden on bass. They’re a band that seems (to me) to be about spreading the love. If you follow them on social or get a chance to talk to them, they’re quick to praise others around them and talk about how much they look up to other bands in the area. Even within the band themselves, they’re no strangers to supporting each other’s strengths which shows their level of teamwork and appreciation of each other. It’s not a frontman and his band scenario here. They’re all in it together and make sure that the spotlight shines in all directions — allowing each member to bring their individuality into the mix.

Their Sound

They’re influenced by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, and Kings of Leon and you can hear remnants of this throughout, especially in their songs “Caroline” and “Still Pretending”. This group is no stranger to developing melody at the foundation of their songs while letting the rest of the music support its foundation. While they may live in an alternative world musically, it certainly isn’t a vacuum. They understand and really get the importance of listening to all genres as good music and musicians live in a variety of sounds. Just take the video of their first performance below for instance where they play a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone”. You may not expect that from them, but I think it goes back to who they are and speaks to their level of appreciation for the musicians that came before them. They use their backgrounds as well as their knowledge to enhance every rhythm and riff. They currently have four songs out on Spotify and are writing their first album. I’m excited to see how they refine their sound in the process.

Why You Should Listen

I appreciate that they are rooted in alt-rock melody that has an air of emotional nostalgia— which you hear the most in their song “Still Pretending”. In this song, they back up the instrumental emotions with lyrics that explore a past relationship— navigating the space for why it ended and how it looks years later. It’s probably their catchiest song and showcases the best of who they are. It has the hallmarks of a good alt song.

“So I guess we’re all pretending, in the end, it turned out fine

Just trying to ignore we’re all strangers, give it time

…the past it happened, but it never does let go.”

“Slipped Away” is another song that immediately begins with something you can hold on to melodically. I think this is the song you hear their teamwork the best. Zach’s riffs and features on lead guitar seem to echo Josh’s relentless rhythm on drums. They shine on this track all while led by Carson’s voice and held together by the structure of Jon’s bass skills and Carson’s rhythm guitar. It’s a solid piece of their work. They’re currently in the process of writing a full-length album, but they currently have four songs out on Spotify that you can check out below. Follow them on social and make it to their next show May 25 at Reverb Lounge!