"Hey man, we should jam sometime."
That is how it all started. With beginnings as a basement band, the Killer Wails have quickly become an alternative rock icon in Eugene.
Guitarist and university senior Andrew Gunsul lived at Ducks Village his sophomore year, where he met guitarist Jarred Yacob and bassist Jason Fylan. Gunsul recalls meeting his future band mates by chance through mutual friends. "We met at parties just hanging out. It was one of those things where you meet people with your same interests and we ended up talking about music," Gunsul said. "I was just learning how to play and it was half-practice, half-fun. There was never any thinking ahead; it was always, let's just play."
Soon after the three started playing together, drummer Andrew Mast joined the crew and their most recent member, guitarist Tristan Gruener, joined this year. The Wails were soon best friends with a cohesive foundation of trust and honesty, which contributes to their positive energy on stage.
Their debut show was at a party in their friend's basement. The guys only got through three songs when the neighbors called the police for a noise violation. Despite the brief performance, their talent was evident and everyone wanted more. "People were diggin' it," Gunsul said.
And so the Killer Wails hype began.
The band has continued to play private parties, in addition to performing at local venues, such as Cozmic Pizza, Taboo, John Henry's, Diablo's Downtown Lounge, and Oakstreet Speakeasy. The Wails recently won first place in the Eugene Chosen contest with more than 2,600 votes and performed at the WOW Hall.
The Wails' unique style that blends alternative rock and reggae has attracted a diverse group of fans. The band attributes its recent successes to its fan base and so much local support during the last few years.
Gunsul recalls sitting down after shows with the other band members and talking about how important their fans are. "Our fans are our best friends, so we love 'em all," Gruener said. "We're just trying to put on the best show possible for all our fans so they can dance and have an awesome time."
"They are the only reason we have come this far, we honestly owe it all to them," Mast said.
By: Maria Baum | Features reporter | Eugene Daily Emerald
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