Echosmith: Cool kids personified

The first things that come to mind are Filipino rock icon Joey “Pepe” Smith and the English pioneering new wave group Echo and the Bunnymen upon hearing the name of this young American alternative pop band. Video by INQUIRER.net’s Noy Morcoso, edited by Hotaru Niitsu

Echosmith

MANILA, Philippines—The first things that come to mind are Filipino rock icon Joey “Pepe” Smith and the English pioneering new wave group Echo and the Bunnymen upon hearing the name of this young American alternative pop band.

But Echosmith lives in the dictum: We are cool just by being ourselves.

The best thing to do is see them perform live on Sunday (August 31) in Manila on the second day of the “Bazooka Rocks III Indoor Music Festival”.

Sound of their generation

The Los Angeles-based band, composed of the Sierota siblings Noah on bass, Sydney on vocals, Jamie on guitars and Gramer on drums, is fast gaining a loyal fan base whose sound takes root from the catchy ‘80s new wave genre.

The siblings coined the name “Echosmith” with the intention of being able to shape sounds, similar to what a blacksmith does with his metals to craft weapons. Now, Echosmith is proving they are not only able to create good music but are also in to shape the sound of their generation.

Their first opus, “Cool Kids”, from their debut album “Talking Dreams”, has reached number 25 in the United States Billboard Chart. The song empowers teens to not succumb to the peer pressure of being a cool kid and instead, to be cool by staying true to who they really are.

Family affair

Growing up in a musical family, with a producer-songwriter father, the siblings formed the band in 2009 when they were barely in their teenage years. Sydney said they grew up listening to the music of Joy Division, U2, Fleetwood Mac and the Smiths, which later on translated to the kind of music being produced by the band.

Impressively, the teenage quartet (Jamie is 21 and the oldest; Noah is 18; Sydney is 17; and Gramer is the youngest at 15) has opened for Neon Trees, American Authors, Owl City, and Twenty One Pilots and has graced the Vans Warped Tour for two consecutive years.

Sydney said working with his brothers allows them to be completely honest with each other, especially when they explore ideas for their songs and be sensitive to each other’s feelings.

‘Surreal experience’

The band’s performance in Manila marks their debut in Asia and their first gig outside North America.

Sydney said playing for their Manila fans has been a “surreal experience” for her to the point that she almost cried onstage. She also thanked their fans for being their source of inspiration.

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