Sworn to None

Band:

Sworn to None

Members: Rob Kelley, vocals; Shane Sauble, guitar; Brian Bostic, bass; James Lookingbill, drums

Who we talked to: Sauble

How did you guys meet? We were just all friends. The bass player was playing in a rock-a-billy band. He did that for years. Our singer Rob, I knew him from my job. We started in 2001. Our drummer left, then came back. We started with six songs . . . and now we have about 16. We're looking to record our first full-length album, so we're weighing our options there.

Describe your sound and style. We're all original. It has a dynamic point. (We have) a lot of mellow stuff and some heavy stuff and some fast stuff. Lyrically, we just try to write about everyday stuff. We're heavy metal, but we're not into all that dark stuff. (Laughs)

When did you start playing music? I started playing when I was 13. (I've been in a lot of bands) just playing cover songs. I write most of the music, but I bring (the songs) back to the band and we work on them and put it all together.

Where do you guys play? (We played recently) at the WaterWay (Bar and Grill) . . . with our friends Stashound. We played a show at Tourist Inn. (There was) a really good turnout. Other than that, we have a couple of things we're lining up here around in York actually.

Is it easy to book gigs in the area? For the type of stuff we're playing, it's kind of tough. Baltimore and Philly . . . are both better for the heavier stuff. There aren't a lot of places around here where you can play original heavy metal. You have to play a lot of cover songs and party rock to get into clubs around York and Lancaster. (We) try to use the MySpace or the Internet any way we can.

Who are your influences? I'd have to say old Metallica, KISS, Pantera, you know, AC/DC (and) Van Halen. A lot of the thrash metal scene in the late '80s.

Do you think that today's metal can compare to that? There's a lot of new underground stuff that's coming out that's on the thrash side. A lot of the new stuff that they call metal today. . .there's not much technique and there's not many guitar solos. We're not really into that kind of stuff.

Are you into any other genres besides metal? Yeah, I've been on a Steely Dan kick recently. (Laughs) I love classic rock and even '80s stuff like '80s pop music. Jazz is good every once in a while, you know.

Do you get out to many shows in the area? Yeah, definitely. Every once in a while, I make the trek to Philadelphia to The Trocadero to see shows. That's where you get to see the real heavier stuff, you know. To be honest with you, I don't get out a whole lot. I work, like, 55 hours a week, and I've got a mortgage payment for my house and stuff. When I do get out . . . I like to see Pulled Under. I definitely got to get out and see Ninetail again since they're back off their tour. The last time I saw Overkill, they were really good.

Is it hard juggling full-time jobs and the band? Definitely, but we try to get together at least once a week, if not twice.

How did you guys come up with the name? Well, we kept kicking around names and none of us were really happy with any of them. My brother (the drummer for Stashound) actually came up with the name Sworn to None. We asked him for his blessing as far as that goes. (The name) is more like an attitude, you know.

What are your plans after you record the album? Well, we're not looking to be rock stars or anything. We're all well into our 30s. We just love doing it, so we just want to get something permanent on disc. We're not going to tour the world or anything. We're all pretty grounded. All four of us are like family here. We have band practice, and the wives and the kids come over on the weekends.

- ERIN McCRACKEN, FLIPSIDE STAFF

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