UNDER THE BRIDGE was born in the summer of 2006 when five childhood companions accepted two gigs before having practiced or deciding who would play what instruments. None of the five had ever considered becoming a singer, and they had very limited experience playing music with others. An older teenaged friend helped them learn rudimentary skills and a few cover songs. Buddy Mars swallowed his shyness and stepped up to the middle mic with his guitar. Evan Martin and Peter Walker followed with guitars, Paw Jaul with his bass, and Ace Taylor on drums. The young teens, aged 14-16, were a hit, despite cheap instruments, faulty equipment and inexperience. Walker and Jaul left the band in the fall for family reasons. It hadn’t taken long for Mars’ vocal style and rhythm guitar, combined with Martin’s increasing guitar skills and Taylor’s simple, yet driving beat, to attract area youth as well as older generations. The gigs were plentiful. Over the next two years, and two bassists, Walker returned in the fall of 2008 to temporarily fill in the empty bassist spot in the line up, but the comfortable interplay he had with the others felt “right” to everyone involved and the permanent line up was “set in stone”. By 2010 UTB had come of age, and their current sound and live performances attest to that. They have developed a tightness and anticipation of each other's moves that comes only from years of living, playing and working together. Audiences are mesmerized by their stage antics and energy while being moved to exultation by the music electrifying the surrounding air. The celebratory atmosphere is what the band thrives on, going into a feeding frenzy on the crowd's enthusiasm. Their newest album, SQUIRT!, offers testament to their coming of age. They are now drawing from a significantly larger pool of inspiration on which to base their music since they have now experienced college, work, disappoint, love, heartbreak, hang-overs, brawls, poverty, and run-ins with the law, Their lyrics exemplify their concerns, successes, mishaps, senses of humor, and ambitions. The melodies are earworms, eating their way into your subconscious and tantalizing your dreams. Harmonies tickle your eardrums while lead solos transport you to an alternate reality. Already creating pieces for the next album, UTB will be regularly adding new material to their live performances. Their show schedule will be ramping up in 2012, with gigs from coast to coast.