Ax and The Hatchetmen

Southern California trio Rec Hall—John Barry [guitar, vocals], Lance Meliota [drums], and Ben Tyrrell [guitar, bass]—glide between indie, rock, and alternative on the crest of a catchy sun-soaked signature sound. Growing up in the South Bay neighborhood of Los Angeles, John and Lance initially met in pre-school at barely four-years-old. Building a friendship as they absorbed influence from “the 60’s to the 2000s,” John and Lance jammed for years and listened to the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Clash, The Shins, and Interpol. Cementing their lineup in high school, they finally linked up with Ben. The three-piece went on to win a series of “Battle of the Bands” competitions and performed local gigs at a relentless pace. They cooked up tunes throughout college, each member contributed to the writing process and rotated between instruments, giving the sound three distinct dimensions. Eventually, they linked up with producer Nicolas Zagorin and cut their debut single “She Doesn’t Get It.” It organically gained traction, gathering over 20 million Spotify streams and counting. During 2023, they caught the attention of Arista Records and inked a deal with the label. After building buzz, the musicians instantly transfixed with their debut EP, Localism. They are currently on their first tour with labelmate, Beach Weather. Since the tour started, the band’s socials increased by 30%. To kick off the second leg of their tour, the band is sharing track “How Long.”