It’s not every day that you hear a band that captivates you in the first few seconds of a song. Not every day that you listen to lyrics and feel immediately connected to a song, and it’s not every day that the people behind the music are so incredibly kind.
Today however, is your lucky day.
Pipe Dream is a 3 man band out of Cleveland, Ohio and they’ve definitely got what it takes to make music that not only gets stuck in your head for a day, but leaves a lasting impression on you entirely.
With lyrics like
Whispers to me I can’t stay anymore
But I just found the key now I can’t find the door
I took it all in but I’m breaking down
I’ve got to get home let me out somehow
from their song Boston, it’s easy to see that their passion and drive mixed with their incredible talent is a deadly combination that’s sure to take them far.
I sat at my computer on my back porch drinking an iced coffee when I gave myself the first real listen to their songs in full. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I was relaxed, the weather was great, and the music served as the perfect soundtrack for the day.
Their tracks are mellow and chill; their lyrics telling stories that have a bit of love and a bit of hope mixed in with a little loss, and the way they’ve arranged it all together with guitar, bass, piano, and drums highlighting their narrative is gorgeous.
I was lucky enough to get to ask the guys from Pipe Dream a few questions and their replies are well thought out, fun, and show a bit of a personal side to who they all are!
Who are each of you and what you bring to the band? (let’s also include an interesting fact!)
Jack Ellis – Lead Vocals / Bass – Jack brings his voice to the band, he is very good at breathing emotion into the song. Interesting Fact- Colorblind
Spencer Hendricks – Guitar / Piano / Drums – Spencer brings a true passion and organic creativity and expresses that through creating the groundwork of most of our songs. Interesting Fact- Allergic to watermelon
Gavin Sterkel – Lead Guitar / Harmony Vocals – Gavin brings a very positive energy to the band and is an incredible guitar player. Interesting Fact- Only enjoys cranberry Red Bull, he can’t stand the original flavor.
Why was it music over anything else for you, were there any other passions you considered chasing?
Being a musician is such an incredible profession, once we got a true taste of it, none of us could ever see ourselves chasing another passion.
Music is already such an amazing concept. The way it can recall memories or change your mood in seconds is unlike anything else. Having the opportunity to write our own music and perform in front of people who connect with it is such a magical experience. Music is addicting and inspiring, we can’t see ourselves doing anything else. (This was my favorite response to a question, that kind of passion behind your work is what takes you places!)
What inspires you to write, sing, or play? (certain memories, places you go to feel inspired, etc)
Spencer Hendricks–
“Our songs have many inlets of inspiration, but by far the most predominant are…people. Whether it be friends, fans or just strangers, it is fun to get in their head and write about what they are going through or how they might feel. Once I make a connection, I relate their emotions to an experience that I have had. That event and how it made me feel is often what I end up writing about. I think people can relate to songs much easier when they are written this way.”
Has there been an ah-ha moment for you yet? One where you know you’ve definitely made progress from where you started out?
We played our first headlining show this past June at a venue in Cleveland called the Grog Shop. We had heavily promoted the show and we were so excited. But we honestly didn’t know if anyone was going to show up. When we walked on stage there was a huge crowd and the cheering was so loud. It was so much to take in and it caught us a little off guard. We looked at each other with huge smiles and we played by far our favorite show to date.
Who are your favorite musicians? Anyone you’d love to get with to write/play?
Jack Ellis – Matt Healy of The 1975
Spencer Hendricks – Mark Foster of Foster the People
Gavin Sterkel – Sting of The Police
It would be an honor to write/play with all of these musicians. They’re songwriting abilities are unmatched.
Favorite song off of your CD/which one meant most to you?
Jack Ellis – ‘Boston’
Spencer Hendricks – ‘Carry Me Back Home’
Gavin Sterkel – ‘The Oak’
Are you writing new music? When do you see yourselves coming out with a new song or maybe even a new CD?
Yes, we have never written such a bulk collections of songs in our entire lives. The new songs are a much more fun and mature version of Pipe Dream. We hope to get into the studio within the next few months. We cannot wait to show everyone these songs and to play them in a live setting!
If you’re ready to meet the boys behind the music that’s sure to be part of the soundtrack to the rest of your year; add them on twitter at @pipedreamoff and check out their website. You can also purchase their EP on iTunes.
This won’t be the last CelebMix shares of these guys. Hopefully we’ll be highlighting them through their journey through a long, successful career!
Here’s my personal favorite, their song ‘Horizon’. Give it, and the rest of their songs, a listen and tell us at CelebMix and the boys at Pipe Dream what’s sure to be your new favorite tune!
I feel my mind is soaring
But your eyes got in the way
Pick me up ‘cause I ain’t dying
Let the sun waste away