Today we’d like to introduce you to Baltimore-based alt-rock band, Tionesta: Steve Williams, Bryant Roesch, Kevin Flinn, Taylor Gomolisky, and Nicholas Looft. The group shared their story with us below
The band got started playing together at the University of Maryland. Steve Williams, the band’s frontman began writing music for the group at this time with the band’s former drummer Steven Sexton. Soon after graduating, Tionesta, initially a four-piece, moved to Baltimore and started to perform professionally.
During the move to Baltimore, Bryant Roesch, the band’s bassist was brought along having been a longtime friend of Williams’ and a former bandmate. Tionesta debuted their first EP to a sold-out crowd at Baltimore’s Metro Gallery and saw some of the songs in rotation on WTMD. With growing momentum, the band released a full-length self-titled album in 2021. While performing in Baltimore and across the DMV the group met and shared stages with numerous Baltimore artists, some of whom would later become new members of the band.
Drummer, Kevin Flynn joined Tionesta in 2022 having first played with the group in 2019 at CoopStock, a small local festival with various musicians and artists.
More recently, pianist Taylor Gomolisky and guitarist, Nick Looft, joined Tionesta having played alongside the group numerous times as members of the local act Brothers Clair. Late last year, the band recorded live versions of select songs across their discography and has begun to release each song as a single.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
From our very first show in Baltimore, we have felt so welcomed and supported in our music and performances.
Baltimore has been beyond kind to us and we are so happy to have gotten the music started here. The largest obstacle we’ve faced thus far has most certainly been the covid pandemic and the massive impact it had on live music.
Covid started at a time when we had large prospects ahead of us and having to put those goals on hold was a very hard task for us to overcome. Just recently, we’ve finished putting together a new performance we will be playing for the next few months and we can’t wait to get back into the full swing of the music process again.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As incredible as the reception has been since debuting our music in Baltimore, we’ve always felt as though our music differs a lot from acts in the city and it’s something we’re proud of. Williams draws a lot of inspiration from New York garage rock along with elements of psychedelic rock and roots music.
We’re always working on honing our sound and we love the complements we’ve received thus far. We’re hoping to build on our previous work and we’re actively being very selective in how we craft our sound and tone going into these future singles.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Our favorite thing about Baltimore is easily how much energy the city devotes to live music.
Between the numerous venues across the city and the amazing shows we get from WTMD and alike there’s no denying that Baltimore offers some great music experiences. First Thursdays in Canton, for example, is a treasure and we should protect that at all costs.
It’s hard to identify anything we dislike about Baltimore. Baltimore has only been good to us as residents and musicians. One thing that would be nice to see is a bit more consideration put into development along the harbor.
So much of the property along the harbor has been made to serve tourists as opposed to Baltimore locals which is unfortunate. For one thing, more live music on the water is never bad.
Contact Info:
- Website: tionestamusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tionestamusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tionestamusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbkfLy2DNcsJVWxh4Zhj7xQ
