The Rising Sound was formed in 1999 by long-time friends Taylor Martyr (singer & songwriter), Kevin Holt (lead guitar) and Tom Benzian (bassist). Coming from the urban nightlife of San Francisco, through the vibrant house music scene of San Diego, to the rock & roll lifestyle of Los Angeles, this Alternative Rock band draws from a variety of influences to arrive at a sound all their own.Taylor, Kevin, and Tom first met in High School, and their friendship continued through college and to this day. From the beginning they had a diverse array of musical tastes. Taylor’s early influences were R&B and Soul artists, which then led into Rap and Hip Hop… Kevin dove deep into Metal and Rock, and Tom loved Metal as well as Rap and Hip-Hop. But inevitably, they all fell in love with Alternative Rock.One might think their musical journey ends with Alternative Rock…..However, when college hit, all three developed a love for electronica and got deep into the world of dance music. This world of music gave them new inspiration and moved them in ways they had never experienced before. Operating at the time under the band name IOS, Taylor, Kevin and Tom began fusing together alternative rock, electronica, and dance music with their other influences. They immediately garnered attention as a live band and played shows from San Francisco to Miami – including private parties for Playboy, and in front of a crowd of over 100,000 people at the San Francisco Love Parade!By 2006, the band’s sound and style had evolved and matured. After signing with Jaggo Records and starting work on their upcoming debut album, the band changed their name to The Rising Sound to reflect the unique new sound they had arrived at – Alternative Rock, with a love of electronica, R&B and the thumping beat of house music weaving through their recordings. You can’t really categorize their sound. Simply put – it’s The Rising Sound. And it’s just the beginning!
