Hoban Band The Waves Continue to Make a Splash After Graduation

Hoban-born band The Waves did not wave goodbye to music when they waved goodbye to Hoban. In fact, they continue to make a splash after graduation, recently playing gigs at Blossom Music Center and Cleveland’s House of Blues.

Rumors of the band’s origin have ranged from them being long lost brothers to meeting on an Alaskan ice fishing trip, when truthfully, no one knows how they actually came together.

With each of their inspiration coming from different artists and genres, their creative collaboration led to the release of two EPs and a single.

“Different life experiences, lessons, and feelings are put into our songs through the lyrics,” drummer Jack Conrad said. “The instrumentation almost makes the EPs feel like stories with how they flow.”

Conrad began drumming in eighth grade and has been fortunate enough to meet three of his biggest inspirations–Chris Turner, Luke Holland and Dani Abasi. He enjoys genres like Hardcore and Metalcore. After graduating in 2016, Conrad joined the National Guard and now studies Emergency Medical Services at the University of Akron.

Famous for his wavy flow, lead vocalist and synthesizer Michael English draws his inspiration from a wide range of artists including Logic, Cage the Elephant and Twenty One Pilots. Graduating in 2017, he now attends the University of Dayton and continues to pursue his music alongside his band mates.

Guitarist Dominic Merlitti began playing guitar when he was just 9 years old. Artists Led Zeppelin, Rage Against the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers inspire his guitar playing and songwriting. Merlitti, who now attends the University of Akron, studies business.

Known for jumping off of his amp and wearing his favorite Bob Marley shirt on stage, bassist Dylan Radik began playing the drums in fourth grade and progressed his musical talents in eighth grade, learning guitar and bass. He draws his inspiration from Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse and Nirvana, enjoying reggae, grunge and British Metal. Rooming with Merlitti at Akron, he also studies business.

“When I first started music, I was in a dark place, so I distracted myself with music,” Radik said. “I hope our music is something that anyone can relate to, that my music can save someone like it did me.”

With the wide majority of different inspirations, The Waves have come together to produce a sound they describe as “no genre.”

“With different influences of music from each person in the band, our music is extremely diverse,” English said on behalf of the band. “But it’s still us.”

In January of 2017, The Waves competed in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame’s High School Rock Off. With Conrad having graduated and joining the National Guard, drummer Jake Mally stepped in to take his place. They competed with 50 bands from a dozen different states over four different performances. Advancing to the finals, they performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ultimately winning the battle of the bands.

As a prize for winning, the band performed at Blossom Music Center in the Vans Warped Tour in July of 2017. They played original music alongside top ranking artists such as CKY, I Will Prevail and The Plain White T’s.

Cleveland’s House of Blues was lucky enough to host The Waves this past November as they opened for Welshly Arms, a Cleveland-based rock band.

“Walking into House of Blues, seeing a green room with our name on it, having all the professional crews around us, and seeing the hallway with all the bands’ signatures that have ever played there… It just made me step back in awe at how far these kids from Akron have come,” Conrad said.

The band recorded and produced an EP of six songs in June 2016, revealing their creative diversity. Since its release, they have produced “Questions,” their number one single, and “Restless,” their newest EP.

A music video for a cover of the beloved Christmas classic “All I Want for Christmas is You” was uploaded to their YouTube channel in December 2016, drawing many fans to their comical nature. Similarly, they produced a video for their original song “Bütter” in July of 2017, featuring each of the band members as different movie characters.

So, what’s next for The Waves?

The Waves will be opening for Window Dogs on Friday, Dec. 15 at Mahalls in Lakewood. They plan to produce more videos over Christmas break as well as a tour around Ohio next summer. Be on the lookout for secret messages on their social media pages @_wearethewaves_ on Instagram and Twitter. Check out “The High Tide” and “Restless” EPs on Spotify, iTunes and Bandcamp.

Regardless of your preferred style of music, you can have a good time at a Waves show no matter how many times you’ve seen them play. Their music reaches a diverse crowd because of their diverse artistic capabilities.