The end of February 2008 was the first time that Stevie (vocals), Floyd (bass/backing vox), and Charles (guitar) first got together in a small, dirty room at Francisco Studios that once served as a storage closet. That first meeting would produce a song, and would set the tone for the band as these three would comprise the core of the band that was to become Burn the Boats.
Both Stevie and Floyd were veterans of the local Houston scene, having played in several bands most notably, and respectively, The Scourge, and Morgue City. Stevie and Floyd had met up a couple of times prior to Charles joining, but admittedly, not much progress had been made in those early meetings. Once the three were together, the song ideas came rather easily, with Stevie sitting in on drums until a permanent drummer could be added.
Word of mouth led a friend of a friend named Derek to try out for the open slot in June of 2008, and he nailed all 4 tunes that had been written up to that point. Derek was a multi-instrumentalist that played in several bands, including an AC/DC tribute band named Brian’s Johnson. During Derek’s time in the band, Burn the Boats shared the stage with such national acts as Devil Driver, In this Moment, Opeth, High on Fire, and Baroness. However, as a result of Derek’s obligations to the other bands, his time in the Boats was limited and he left in early April 2010.
The drum throne wasn’t empty for long as Brandon came in at the end of April 2010, and put his stamp on all the songs in that first practice. With Brandon in tow, the Boats set about to play shows that helped to showcase their blend of new and old school influences infused with a dose of melody. As Burn the Boats played more shows, the consensus was that their sound was unlike the majority of bands playing out regularly. With the emphasis being more on songwriting than just a bunch of complex riffs together, the songs have more of a natural flow that will keep the listener engaged.
The New Year found the Boats opening for The Sword, and winning over a slew of new fans. However that momentum was short lived as the curse of Spinal Tap reared it’s ugly head, and yet another drummer change was to come. Brandon returned to school full time and no longer had the time to devote to playing in a band. A temporary drummer was found to fulfill a previously scheduled obligation in early April of 2011, however, the search continues for a fourth permanent oarsman.
In the meantime, Burn the Boats is garnering Internet radio airplay with the songs Release the Kraken, and Lost at Sea. Both songs are getting rave reviews from listeners, stateside and across Europe. Once a drummer is in tow, the Boatmen hope to ride the waves of momentum that the airplay is stirring by releasing a full length album.
