A love for rock ‘n’ roll spurred the formation of Mojave Nomads. After attending a concert, lead singer Tyler Harris and guitarist Colter Hill thought, “Why can’t we do that? We love rock ‘n’ roll too!”
Drummer Cole Eisenhour had jammed with Colter back in high school and a call out on Twitter for a bassist brought in Bryton Bell. The summer of 2014 saw them writing songs together. Eventually they added Colter’s younger brother, Mason Hill, as synth player to complete their sound.
Last Halloween marked their first live show as a full band. In early June they released their first EP, “Black Sheep,” at Mojo’s in Ogden to a packed hometown crowd.
“We recorded pretty early in our music career,” says Cole. The songs are catchy, yet have their own unique electronic alternative rock vibe. Their sound favorably compares to bands such as The Doors, Neighborhood, Cage the Elephant and Rage Against the Machine, yet they still retain their own personal sound. “We let our influences shine through,” says Tyler.
Not ones to take a break, Mojave Nomads are heading straight back into the studio. They’ve been writing songs, yet admit they’re not quite sure what they’ll record. Cole explains, “We’ve been cooking four songs right now and have a couple more on the back burner that aren’t really hot yet.” A little more work will have them ready.
Persistence and hard work are quickly becoming their trademarks, gaining recognition as the cats from Ogden breaking into the booming local music scene. Their EP title is a nod to how they’ve felt about this experience. “I feel like we’re still fighting,” says Cole. Mojave Nomads has earned their place and embraced their differences by making them strengths.
What inspires them to keep making music? Colter dreams of being able to “Play music and not do anything else.” Tyler agrees and wants to wake up to writing music every day. A self -proclaimed expert at Guitar Hero, Bryton says he started playing music because, “Girls like it.”
Yet Mason, the youngest at 15, apparently gets the most attention from girls.
Mojave Nomads is gaining attention from more than just young girls. Awarded the X96 Live & Local spotlight for March and recently playing at the Ogden Arts Festival, In the Venue, The Stereo Room, the Velour Battle of the Bands, Made in Utah Festival, X96 Battle for the BASH and more, they are certainly answering the question, “Why can’t we do that?” Their name, taken from words that “sounded good together in the dictionary” is one to watch for!
Mojave Nomads will be performing at the Real Salt Lake Game August 22nd. www.mojavenomads.com
