South Jordan band earns international recognition
Is the South Jordan band, The Terks, single-handedly bringing back rock and roll? Lead singer Adam Reader would like to think so. And they have a much better chance of doing it now that they are the eWorld Music Award winners for best band - a title that earns them international recognition and studio time with award-winning music producer Drew Lane.
"Music is in kind of a funk right now. Last year, only one rock and roll song was in the top 100 hits of the year. The rest were all teen-pop or rap and R&B," Reader said. "Rock and roll is dying, and it's our goal to bring back that sound. If we get the opportunity to do that, the sky's the limit."
The process to best band was a long one. First, bands from all around the world submitted their music to eWorld Media. The only criteria were that the band could not be signed to a major label. The judges narrowed down thousands of submissions to the top six in each category (best band, best male vocal and best female vocal). When The Terks made it to that level, it was up to the fans to keep them in the competition.
"We found out we'd been nominated with five other bands from much bigger markets with much bigger fan bases," Reader said. "One band was even on tour with Bon Jovi at the time, so it was kind of a David and Goliath scenario."
The comparison proved to be accurate as The Terks beat three of the bigger bands and made it to the final round - which pitted them against two other bands that got the top percentage of fan votes.
"Making it to the finals meant we got to perform at a show in Hollywood, and that last round was based on 50 percent judges and 50 percent fan vote," Reader said.
The Terks ended up in the top spot - earning a Gibson guitar as their trophy, studio time with Lane, who was also one of the judges. One of their songs will also be featured on a soundtrack for a movie from the producer of the Twilight series. They'll also be scheduled for various shows throughout California and Las Vegas, Nev.
But the best prize? "Bragging rights," Reader said. "We get to say we're the 2011 Best Unsigned Band in the World."
Reader began forming the band two years ago, but they only recently started playing gigs and recording songs. So far, the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. "We've gotten really good reviews from critics," Reader said. "And during our sound check [at the Hollywood show], one of the main judges, [Grammy winning director] Tom Trbovich, came up and said we were one of the most amazing, best bands he'd seen in a long time."
The Terks' sound is influenced by artists like Billy Joel, The Birds, Tom Petty, The Beatles and REM. "Our sound mixes a lot of genres," Reader said. "It's equal parts folk rock and classic rock with alternative in there, too. I'd say it's got a 60s pop backbone with a 90s guitar influence."
Right now, Reader is not sure where the future will take the band. They're in talks with a New York manager who has represented the likes of Sting and Cheryl Crow. They're also working on setting up more shows, long with finding time to record more songs.
The Terks is made up of Reader on lead vocals; Patrick Coffin on rhythm guitar; Eric Hughes on lead guitar; Christian Williams on bass guitar and Josh "Stu" Eastman on drums.
To find out more about The Terks, you can become a fan on Facebook or visit www.reverbnation.com/theterks.
CAPTION: From left: Patrick Coffin, Adam Reader, Stu Eastman, Eric Hughes and Christian Williams make up The Terks. The band recently won the 2011 eWorld Music Award for Best Band.
