PVCC Student Band Navigates Covid

Wednesday, September 23, 2020
PVCC Student Band Navigates Covid

Covid has definitely thrown a wrench in 2020, and as music students in a rock band, navigating this new normal has proven difficult but not impossible. The group - Necessary Space - finds creative ways to keep the juices flowing and hope to release their first album in Spring 2021; they just need to get back in the studio to finish recording.

Justin ‘Jos’ Moore and Chris Engle first met in 2019 in music theory at Paradise Valley Community College. After signing up for a rock band ensemble at PVCC, the two began ‘jamming’ and hit it off immediately. “We realized we had similar ideas we wanted to bring to life for original music,” Moore explained. The two, along with fellow student guitarist Anthony Merryman, decided to spend additional time outside of school to write original works, which they then shared with PVCC music instructor Alex Oliverio.

“This is when we really got to know each other and blossom a true friendship,” said Engle, a drummer. “We write original music pretty effortlessly as we all just really love music.”

“I was a big fan of these guys and encouraged them to keep writing new stuff that we could work on in class,” Oliverio said.

Before Covid kicked them out of the recording studio last spring, the band was able to record three tracks for their seven-song album Seven Day Soliloquy, each song representing one of the seven deadly sins and telling the story of a death row inmate’s walk to condemnation. Of the three recordings, the guys were able to salvage one track entitled Justified that was released in July. The goal is to get back into the recording studio this semester to finish the other six tracks.

“We're excited to get this record out, not only so that everyone can hear the awesome music we've put our heart and souls into, but also because we've already begun writing our first full length album,” said Moore.

“We do our best to stay positive during the pandemic but we are so eager to get out on a stage,” Engle added.

The band is now adhering to social distancing protocols and will begin to live stream concerts. Keep an eye out on our Instagram for details coming soon. For more information on Necessary Space, visit https://www.instagram.com/necessary_space/ where the band is most active or https://twitter.com/necessary_space.