Snarls, an up-and-coming alternative emo four-piece, have been leaving their mark on the Columbus music scene by being one of the busiest bands in town.
The band consists of guitarists Chlo White and Mick Martinez, as well as bassist Riley Hall and drummer Max Martinez.
“Oh my god, this year was crazy,” Mick Martinez said. “We’ve played 31 shows since March. I think my favorite show is still our first house show at The Dollhouse back in early April. We had no idea what to expect, it was literally our second show. To our surprise, probably around 50 people showed up and packed themselves into this tiny bedroom to hear us play. Everyone was dancing and jumping and already singing our stuff. It was insane.”
From left to right: Max Martinez, Riley Hall, Mick Martinez, Chlo White.
Photo taken by Chris Casella, provided courtesy of Mick Martinez
Martinez, a third-year music technology student at Capital, has been responsible for mixing, mastering, and recording the music Snarls has released. Although the previous releases the band has put out have been recorded in Capital’s Studio E, the band is currently working with producer and engineer Jon Fintel for their next album.
“Writing and recording our album has been a really wonderful experience,” Martinez said. “We have started recording already and we are already so excited about how things are sounding. It’s been so amazing to collaborate together as a band on this.”
In addition to consistent local shows, Snarls has found success on the road as well.
“As far as tours go, we’ve had great experiences,” Martinez said. “We just got off of our second one and it was really fun. It’s been so nice to meet so many new people in all these places we’ve never been. Everyone has been so kind to us, it’s really unbelievable.”
Martinez says that once they finish the album, she hopes the band will be able to commit even more time to tour.
“After we’re all graduated, we would really like to do some longer tours,” she said. “I think it’s definitely a near-future goal to be picked up by a bigger touring band and hit the road with them.”
Until that time comes, the band seems content sharpening their act in Columbus.
“I think the whole band loves the Columbus music scene,” Martinez said. “It’s really supportive right now and especially of the DIY scene. But, I think Capital’s music scene has room for growth. Especially within the conservatory, there is kind of a stigma against non-classical/jazz musicians. And those who are in the conservatory but are Bachelor of Arts degrees are basically treated like they aren’t musicians at all. I would love to see more inclusion of these people.”
In June, Snarls released a razor-sharp, punk-for-this-generation EP entitled simply “Snarls.” Their music can be found on any streaming platform, and the band can also be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @snarlsband.
Snarls will be playing at Ace of Cups Friday, Oct. 19. The show is for all ages and tickets are $5 and available at the door.
