Belmont-raised band Staying For the Weekend might make you stick around just a little bit longer.
Since being formed roughly two years ago, childhood friends Mac Gibbons, drums, Carson Mays, guitar, Kurt Krafft, guitar, and Wade Luplow, drums, the band has seen exponential growth. From playing Bonnaroo 2013 to headlining shows, Staying For the Weekend has grown in more ways than they could imagine.
The band added singer Mitch Davis, who recalls the process of him joining Staying For the Weekend being a combination of miscommunications.
“I had met Carson during summer orientation before coming to Belmont, I had just gotten back from Bonnaroo and I was at this orientation meeting when I saw Carson, our guitarist, wearing the same Bonnaroo bracelet,” said Davis. “We bonded over our time at the festival. He later mentioned he was in a band, and they were looking for a singer. Being an experienced vocalist, I told him that I would love to help them out, but he thought I meant help them look for a singer, not be one.”
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last time it would happen.
“The same situation happened again towards the beginning of our freshman year. It wasn’t until we were in the dorm jamming along to some well-known songs that I started to sing along. At that point, everyone just kind of stopped and stared in awe, then asking why I didn’t tell them sooner. I told them that I had mentioned it multiple times. Then it finally hit them that I had wanted to sing for them all along,” said Davis.
From that point on, Staying For The Weekend’s lineup was set.
With a sound similar to The Strokes and Cage the Elephant, the band has bonded over a common sound, mixing raw vocals and guitars while fitting groovy riffs into the woodwork.
“We all have different influences when it comes to playing,” said Davis. “I personally look towards the styles of Jack White and Cage the Elephant. Our band as a whole also really loves the band The Whigs.”
Staying For The Weekend has seen some major accomplishments, and plans to do more this summer and fall.
“Playing Bonnaroo last summer was definitely the biggest highlight as a band, but we’re ready to do so much more,” Davis said. “In February, we recorded six tracks and have been releasing them every few weeks with music videos attached. We’re also in the process of booking more shows.“
The band also recently recorded with The Beatles’ former engineer Ken Scott in New York City, which will be released in the near future.
When asked about the future of Staying For The Weekend, Davis seemed focused and optimistic.
“We would really like to get on tour this summer, and we’ve been focusing on that. We’re also playing a show at the University School of Nashville next week. Other then that, we just want to make sure we play in front of as many people as possible. We want to explore our sound and grow as a band,” said Davis.