Beta State Bio | Beta State Career (original) (raw)

Ex-members of Strata parted ways to form new projects. Singer Eric Victorino formed The Limousines (Danger Bird Records) and guitarist Ryan Hernandez and drummer Adrian Robison ventured off to form Beta State with friend and bassist Justin Kastner.

Beta State spent about a year auditioning vocalists until they found the very talented Matt McDonald. Once their lineup was complete, they finished writing and recording their debut album "Stars".

"Stars" put Beta State on the map, giving them opening slots for big acts such as Linkin Park, The Strokes, Neon Trees, Airborne Toxic Event, Cage The Elephant, Bad Religion, Foster The People, Manchester Orchestra, Awolnation, Innerpartysystem, and The Limousines. Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park liked Beta State so much that he Tweeted and blogged about them, causing their video and friend count numbers to soar. They released three music videos for "Stars" and got national airplay for a month straight for the video of "I'm Still Alive".

Soon after the release of "Stars", they released a new EP titled #FRIENDSHIP. Since Beta State's newest #FRIENDSHIP release, they have been fortunate enough to have their songs played on The Kardashians, Real World/Road Rules, and San Francisco's Live 105. #FRIENDSHIP opened even more doors allowing them to open for yet another slew of mega acts such as Green Day, Mumford and Sons, Florence + The Machine, Bush, Young The Giant, and Dredg. Currently Beta State is working on an extended edition of #FRIENDSHIP, to be released with new music videos and new songs in the first quarter of 2013. Beta State has also released a music video of them covering Bjork's Unravel. It has drawn much praise on YouTube and shows the musical diversity of the band.

Some have called Beta State's style of music "Spaghetti Rock", due to the fast, frantic strumming of the guitar. When mixed with delay and reverb, that fast strumming of the guitar sounds like an ambient choir in the vain of "Explosions In The Sky". Basically, Beta State's guitar player is playing so fast to get that ambient string/choir sound that his hands look like spaghetti noodles.

The ambient influence of U2 and Coldplay is apparent on a first listen, as guitarist Ryan Hernandez sets the mood with lush delays and reverb, reminiscent of underground art-rock kings Dredg. Once drummer Adrian Robison and bassist Justin Kastner kick in, the rock sound comes full circle, bringing influences such as 30 Seconds To Mars, Angels and Airwaves, and Jimmy Eat World to the table. Singer Matt McDonald’s vocals soar and lend a positive message of hope, love, and self discovery. McDonald's vocal power is apparent in every song, and the finished material has a sound all it's own, with heartfelt lyrics and explosive songwriting that resonate beyond genres and trends with people of all ages.