It all started in a basement. Now, they’re getting ready to embark on their first tour.
Sebastian Driver, Dylan Goode, Brandon Pors, and Alex Sciortino are proud to call themselves a band that no one’s ever heard of. And yet, they’ve taken the Tucson music scene by storm. From the basement to the spotlight, The Basements have captivated audiences with their “genrefluid” sound and do-it-yourself mentality.
They pack 191 Toole with over 400 people. They won the Battle of the Bands at Dusk while playing their third-ever concert. They’re getting ready to release their first EP.
Before that, they had a 10x10 basement and a dream.
Their journey began in 2021. Driver and Goode were members of a fraternity at the University of Arizona, where Pors was pledging. After Driver made him prove that he could play the guitar, they had regular jam sessions in Goode's basement.
Taking influence ranging from Grateful Dead to punk rock, they said that finding their sound has been an ongoing process.
“At first, it was a horrible blend! But we could tell there was something there,” Driver, the band’s singer and rhythm guitarist, said.
There was just one concern: their bassist couldn’t play the bass. Goode, who had briefly played the guitar, committed himself to learning the instrument and fell in love with it. He said that although it was challenging to start an instrument, his bandmates were there to help him out.
“It’s kinda lit because we have built the perfect bassist,” Sciortino said.
The band geared up for their first ever performance at UA Unplugged, a showcase of student musicians. They called up Sciortino to play the drums and rocked out on the mall.
The Basements had an audience.
Although they were used to playing for their friends, a large crowd was an entirely different experience.
“We were like, ‘Oh, people like us! This is neat,’” Sciortino said.
Fast-forward to now, and The Basements have become an established facet of the local music scene. What sets them apart is their drive to DIY everything – from producing their own concerts to recording all of their music in-house. They said that doing it themselves allows them to preserve their vision, and artists they’ve connected with are there to offer advice when needed.
These connections, Sciortino said, have made them really grateful for the Tucson community. One of their greatest successes as a band has been their friendships with other musicians, whose diverse sounds keep them inspired.
“I am really really proud of some of the new music we’ve got in the works,” Sciortino said.
Their EP, Broken Escalators are Stairs, is set to launch the same time as their first tour, kicking off in Tucson on March 2. Featuring new songs like Doctor Dirty and No Fly Zone, it also comes with a promise from Goode that their music will “take you on a journey.”
The Basements can be found on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify and Deezer.
The bandmates agree that Goode’s basement has changed their lives completely. It’s safe to say that The Basements are no longer just University of Arizona students.
“It’s changed every aspect of my life. I think about music all the time at this point,” Goode said.
Although many people leave their college town after they graduate, The Basements have decided to stay in the community that welcomed them. They hope to release an album following their EP and have their sights set on a future cross-country tour.
In the meantime, you can find them in the basement.
