On a typical Wednesday afternoon, one can find five Cy Woods alumni behind a sealed Coles Crossing garage door.  There are constant complaints of aggressive vocals, distinct drum rhythms, impressive guitar riffs and pure skill emerging from this garage.  However, these kids won’t let it get in their way.  To each other they are referred to as “just a bunch of idiots,” but they are thought of as so much more by the thousands who follow their journey.  They are the local band Those Like Us.  Its members include lead vocalist Collin Marshall, lead guitarist Clay Melton, rhythm guitarist Kyle Tomchesson, drummer Alec Cabrera and bassist Zach Cox.  Those Like Us, also referred to as TLU, has defied the barriers of the term “small town band” this past summer through their breakout shows, professional recording sessions and even tours.

            Students believe that they have heard this band before.  However, Those Like Us has gone through a makeover since their days as Wildcats.  Due to internal conflict and audience feedback, TLU was not fully satisfied with its direction.

            “Our old music just wasn’t doing it for us,” Tomchesson said. “We weren’t getting the feedback we wanted.  I feel like we were trying too hard to just fit in with other bands that it just ruined it.  It was just a joke.  Besides, we just didn’t get along as well. We were very discontent.”

            The old Those Like Us dug deep to find who they really were as a band. TLU had to revive not only an audience but their gratification from the music this past summer. After a tour across Texas and the addition of 3 new members, today, they no longer consider themselves the same band.

            “We wanted to take a whole different approach at it this summer,”  Tomchesson said, “so we just kind of got tired, split up and found some new members. We started over with a new sound, a new start and a new band, pretty much.  We went from a metal band to an experimental band.  Then we went on tour.  We didn’t really find ourselves until the tour.  We built a bond, and we got really close to each other musically and personally. We all got connected, and it came together a lot better after tour.”

            After much of a transformation, TLU decided to drop everything and tour across Texas and even parts of Louisiana. 

            “We were pretty busy this past summer,” Melton said.  “We went on the summer Texas tour.  We played shows in Baytown, Port Arthur, Brenham, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Victoria and  Lake Charles, Louisiana.  We also began writing our new demo that’s out now. We also have an EP coming out in November with a lot more music.”

            Although TLU has changed drastically music-wise, they have also changed their overall perspective as well.

            “The Texas tour was honestly the best experience of my life,” Marshall said. “Getting to play for different people, different faces every night. After that tour, I know this will never be the same band.  I now know it’s all about the music. If you’re not happy with the music you’re making then there’s no point in doing it.”

            Not only has reinventing the band given the members a new attitude, but it has also awakened a new fan base. 

            “We’ve been getting a lot more feedback,” Tomchesson said, “and honestly, it’s not even about that; it’s that we’re happy about what we’re playing now.  Now we can be jamming and happy for the next week just because we wrote a cool song.  We didn’t have that before.”

            Now back and better than ever, TLU is bringing new tunes to the table, new shows and a new outlook. The band’s new EP and Demo can be found on their official bandcamp page.  In fact, all of TLU’s music can be downloaded free of charge. 

            “Whenever we release our stuff it’s all gonna be free,” Marshall said. “We believe all music should be free.  Mainly because a recording is just something to listen to, but we want [the audience] to take away an experience rather than a recording. So we try to make our live shows better than the recordings.  Besides, money is not a factor in this at all. We’re about making fans and making an impression on people. We want to open people’s eyes up to music in general.”

            Students can also find the band on their latest tour this winter break.  The band is hitting the road to tour the West Coast this winter to achieve every teenage rocker’s dream.

            “Basically we’re leaving a couple days after Christmas,” Tomchesson said, “starting in Austin, then going to Arizona, then off to San Diego and a few California shows, then Oregon and Washington.”

            With hopes of exceeding the summer tour’s success, TLU prepares for the winter tour night and day. With serious expectations, Those Like Us is prepared to face the unknown road ahead.

            “We’re all really pumped for the winter tour,” Melton said. “The Texas tour was amazing, so we’re hoping to top it.  We have 14 shows set as of now.  The only thing that isn’t really set-in-stone is where we’re staying.  Hopefully we’ll find people at the shows that are willing to lend a couple coaches.  Other than that, we’re stoked.  We’re hoping to grow as a band, have some memorable experiences and just make people happy.”