Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Lindsey.
Hi Riley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Auburn started out as a solo project by our lead singer Austin Evans. After working on some songs, they asked me (Riley Lindsey) if I could help out with arrangements and midi drum parts. After a while and on a massive whim, my brother Collin picked up a bass and wrote a part. We loved it, so we asked him to be our bassist. He picked up bass incredibly fast and after working on music for a while, we decided to start playing shows as a three piece (me on drums, Collin on bass, and Austin on guitar and vocals). Eventually Collin stepped away to go off to college in Michigan so we asked our good friend and fellow musician Josh Wagner to take over on bass (he also now has a killer solo project, check it out). After some more power trio shows, we realized these songs needed the lead parts I had written, so we sent out a call for drummers. Josh Bigelow showed interest so we auditioned him and he was the perfect fit. We rocked as a 4 piece for a while, Collin came back for a summer, and then Josh Bigelow and Collin stepped away. Before Josh left, he made sure we had a great player to fill his shoes, thus Hayden Lynch joined the show! After Collin left, we asked Elizabeth Detrana (who we had known as the bassist for Fatal Affair, check them out) to fill in on bass. After a great feeling set, we asked her to be our full time bassist and that’s how we got to our current lineup! We love and appreciate everyone that has been through the Auburn ringer, and we couldn’t be more stoked for this current and hopefully long lasting lineup of phenomenal musicians.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the biggest challenge initially was balancing the pressure to release with the desire to take our time. Many discussions were had about making sure we were taking our time to produce the best work we could while also trying to ensure we didn’t wait forever to drop music. Another challenge was managing schedules. Shortly into our run as a band, Austin and I started college. While academic endeavors are awesome, balancing school work with personal passions can be difficult. As a result we took a few month-and-some-change long breaks from shows along the way. Currently scheduling continues to be a mild hill to climb with all of us working and trying to survive. But we make it work and are still finding the time make new music.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Auburn is an indie rock band that primarily plays shows in and around Nashville (though we’re working on expanding to a more regional stage). We specialize in indie rock, though we’ve certainly taken inspiration from a multitude of genres, the most influential being math rock, Midwest emo, folk, and more recently some shoegaze stuff. Ultimately we don’t particularly concern ourself with genre labels. We just want to write music that feels authentic to where we’re at and the sounds that inspire us. We’re known for our high energy live shows and captivating stage presence. We work hard to make sure the passion that goes into making these songs is echoed on stage. We’ve had a number of moments that we’ve taken a lot of pride in. To date, I think our biggest moments have been opening for Cardinal Bloom, opening for Cults, and playing our first out of state show at Aubfest in Auburn, Alabama. As mentioned previously, I think what sets us apart is the passion that we bring to our live shows. We have formed such a strong bond with each other and we use that to our advantage when it comes to how we present ourselves on stage.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
We view risk taking as a great exercise in seeing what could happen. We definitely went out on a limb when it came to asking if we could open for Cardinal Bloom and Cults. We never would have gotten those shows if we hadn’t been willing to cold DM the bands and organizers of those shows. Reaching out to the bands we admire and seeing if we can open for them is something we continue to do. In our eyes, the worst that can happen is they say no, and in that case that means nothing changes. So it’s either a step in the right direction or a continuation of the status quo. We also are currently taking a major risk in working on an album. In the current music market, it seems like singles and EP’s are the way to go when it comes to widening your audience. But we decided that an album would be a more rewarding endeavor so we’re doing it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://auburnisrealmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auburn.is.real/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@auburnisreal?si=niv8rO9iIpu_Fan0
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6yKfFz5U7er8kDOq1elgxD?si=evOWuLOwSDmWuMQw64dFHA
