Since starting in 2005, Birmingham, Alabama band, Within Reason has accomplished numerous, noteworthy accomplishments. Several months after forming, before their first release, they were chosen to be on an episode of One Tree Hill. They have had songs in movies, videogames, and in 2013, had the opportunity to attend the Grammy Awards events, which included playing a showcase, walking the red carpet, and being interviewed by countless media outlets. 2015 brought the band their first single on the Active Rock Radio Charts for their song Here Comes The Light. Currently, they are getting ready to record their album in 2016. So here is this week’s Indie Band of the Week, Within Reason!
Who are you and what is your role in the band?
My name is David Koonce and I am the bass player for Within Reason.
How did the band get started?
We formed in 2005 in Birmingham, Alabama. Our lead singer and I were college roommates at The University of Alabama and we were playing acoustic shows in all the bars down there. After college we moved back to Birmingham and a mutual friend introduced us to our drummer, Griffin. We saw Jordan playing guitar with his old band and I knew that was the guy we needed. Things fell apart with that band and it opened a window for us to ask him to play with us.
What does the name mean?
When the band started, we rehearsed in a house on the Southside of Birmingham. When it would get late the neighbors would called the police to complain about the noise. The same officer would always show up and knock on the door. He was really cool with us and would always tell us to take a break for about an hour (because his shift would end in about an hour) then we can start back up, but to keep the volume level “within reason.”
Who are your influences and how do they play a role in your sound?
We have influences that come from every direction for Linking Park and Rage Against the Machine to Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra. I think that is a factor in our sound. Everyone is open to listening to a lot of different types of music. You can hear that is our songs. On our last EP, After The Crawl, all of the songs kind of have their own sound to them. There is a lot of diversity in the songs we write and that comes from the diversity in the songs we listen to.
Has being from Alabama influenced your sound or the way you play?
I don’t think it has had that big of an effect on our sound directly. The south is a melting pot of a ton of musical styles. If anything it may have given us a chance to hear something that influenced us as individuals that we may not have heard before.
What has been your most meaningful experience being in this band so far?
We had the opportunity to walk the Red Carpet at the Grammys in 2013. That was a pretty cool experience. It allowed us to see what the highest echelon of the industry felt like for a day. This summer we broke into the Top 40 on the Active Rock charts with “Here Comes The Light”, the second single from After The Crawl. Having an official hit song was a pretty meaningful experience on a personal level.
Favorite memory from a show you’ve played or a place you’ve traveled?
Playing an arena for the first time is something that I will always remember. We were on tour with Godsmack and Seether when it happened. It was a moment you dream about as a young musician starting out. The strange part to me was I felt like when we got there, that is was the logical next step for the band. It was still pretty cool to walk around before doors opened and take it all in.
What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
Music is a powerful force. It is the way we express ourselves as artists. We deal with same ups and downs in life like everyone else. We are lucky enough to be able to put those feelings to music and send them out into the world. Hopefully someone will hear it and connect to it in their own way. Maybe someone will be going through a similar struggle and that music will let them know that they are not alone and there is hope. We write a lot about personal experiences. The music that comes out of us as a band are songs that we did not hold back or try to direct in any way. Whatever comes out, comes out.
Something about you that no one knows?
I have a love for culinary arts. Right before the band started I had an opportunity to try out for a sous chef position. I felt like it went really well but I didn’t hear back from the restaurant. After a few weeks, I decided that the path for me was to move in Birmingham and begin working on getting Within Reason started. So I packed my car, closed all my accounts in town and stopped to eat lunch at my favorite place one last time. In the middle of lunch, my phone rang and the caller informed my that he would like to offer me the sous chef position that I tried out for. I told him I would call him right back with my answer. My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, was sitting across from me and I asked her what I should do. She said to go with he first decision that pops into my head because that is where you heart is leaning. I called the guy back and told him thanks for the offer, paid the bill, drove to Birmingham and began my career with Within Reason that night.
What is next for the band?
We will be recording a new album at the first of the year. We hope to have it ready by spring in time to hit the road and tour for the rest of the year.
Anything else you want to add?
Being an independent band with no label support or management, we have to hand it to our fans for being a part of our story. They are great and we love getting to meet them every night at our shows. That is something we take to heart. We like to make sure we do what we can for them. Without our fans Within Reason doesn’t exist.
