Miami based hard/heavy rock act GEARS isn’t your average start-up garage band. Despite being confronted with a near disastrous setback at the cusp of their debut, headlining tour, jarring line-up changes, and financial challenges, the band has persevered and rebuilt.
Founded in February 2014, Trip 6 (Urban Rebel), Eli Parker (Endo), Tommy Herres (SCARLET CARSON) and Jimmy Wooten (SKINMASK) were all looking for new projects as their old ones had run their course.
We all wanted to do something more modern, but still rang true to our influences. Something that we could aggressively market and tour on. So, we all met up in Miami after months of talking about doing something together and what came out was the first EP, "Set in Motion."
They released Set in Motion in May 2014, immediately launching into their first headline run with support from I-Exist. Just three days into the tour, their equipment trailer disconnected, resulting in a massive, horrific accident; not only did they lose their gear, but the tour van was totaled and the band members sustained serious injury. In spite of this tremendous blow, the group endured and continued the tour without missing a beat.
Later it developed that two of the founding members were unable to continue, leaving the band reeling and having to replace them with skilled, compatible substitutes:
I was talking with a mutual friend, Joe Taback (12 Gauge Embrace) about needing a guitar player for GEARS because we let go of Eli and he suggested Bobby Thomas. I called him and showed him the songs and he was ready to go. As far as bass, I knew Chris from when Needlemouth was a thing out in Cali and I always liked his playing and he was super laid back & cool. I knew both of these dudes were definite upgrades at their instruments and were a better fit personality wise than what we had to deal with previously.
In June 2015, Wooten and Six teamed with Corey Lowery (Saint Asonia, Stuck Mojo, Stereomud, Dark New Day) and Troy Mclawhorn(Evanescence, Seether, Dark New Day) on their new EP Pride Comes Before the Fall, and announced the addition of new members Bobby Thomas and Chris Dorame.
They hit the road for their Riser Tour, once again with I-Exist, in July, wrapping up the run in September, but kept the momentum going with the digital release and lyric video for their debut single off of P_ride Comes Before the Fall_, “Face Down”. The band rounded out the year with the release of their much anticipated sophomore EP on November 10th, with a tour in January 2016.
Before spending most of 2017 touring with the likes of The Bunny The Bear, Seasons After and Bridge to Grace, Trip and Jimmy went back into the studio with Corey Lowery to begin working on new music. "KING" is the first single released to come out of those sessions and also features Clint Lowery on guitar.
We're still moving forward and, despite everything that has been an obstacle in the short time we've been a band, everything still keeps growing and getting better.
