you, me, and everyone we know on purevolume™

Rock / Indie / Punk

Is this band unhinged? It's a fair question. The songs of You, Me and Everyone We Know seem to emerge from the shadows, alternating monologues of spite and discontent with rhapsodies of inordinate joy. But peer through the veil of havoc, and it's clear this band seeks a new, if unnerving, way to rock its way to the truth.

"A lot of the stuff is a mix of what sits in the back of your head," says singer/songwriter Ben Liebsch. "We're insistent on really weird wild things to put in the songs." What does Liebsch mean by weird and wild? For one, the band explores taboo subjects stealing a friend's girlfriend ("I'd Be More Interested If You Were Already Spoken For"), skipping out on all responsibilities ("The Rent is Due") with a minimum of judgment and a maximum of emotion. More often than not, Ryan Sherrill and Noel Milford construct an impenetrable wall of guitar while Liebsch spins out shockingly elegant lines, or just ropes in his bandmates for a shouted chorus. "Most of the songs," adds Liebsch, "are more cautionary tales then anything else. In the end we're trying to write exciting music that's catchy and throws you for a loop at the same time. "

While Liebsch cites influences as diverse as Joe Cocker, Andrew W.K. and Skylar Croom, he started out like any other ADD-addled middle schooler in Dundalk, MD, ("I just want to stare at girls and sleep"). Then he discovered the local club scene and began fawning over "lots of crappy bands I absolutely adored." Liebsch formed his own band on a dare after teaching himself every single Sublime tune on the guitar.

He also began writing songs, but not in any conventional style. Through his series of start-up bands, he met with the same vacant stares from colleagues who didn't get what he was trying to do. Then he met guitarist Ryan Sherrill, who had been in a well known D.C. band along with drummer Paul Martinez. They did get what Liebsch was trying to do, and by the end of 2006, with Noel Milford as second guitarist, a new band was born. While touring with the Chicago based band The Alpha Couple, they met bassist Mike O'Rourke, and keyboard player Rico Vigil who would round out the line-up.

So far, YM&EWK has spread itself far and wide, touring across the country from Chicago to Maine, on their own or sharing the bill with bands like I Am The Avalanche, Piebald, Phantom Planet, Paper Rival, Four Year Strong, The Color Fred, and the Plane and Pilot. "Basically, we like to create a bit of a party," says Liebsch of the band's live performances. "We prefer to break down the self-consciousness of people, let loose and try to encourage everyone else to. We probably come off a little crazy."

Which reignites the question: could You, Me and Everyone We Know be unhinged? Maybe, but that's a good way to knock down doors. As Ben Liebsch says, "We want to do everything we can to get your attention.".