CRUISR is an indie pop band that started almost five years ago in the Philadelphia apartment of Andy States. What began as a side project with his friend from Bucks County, Jon Van Dine, turned into a variety of two to three song EPs released in the past three years: All Over, Go For It, Throw Shade and most recently, Take That.
Today the band is made up of founder Andy States as lead singer, Jon Van Dine on drums, and Bruno Catrambone on guitar. I first heard CRUISR on my way to the shore during the summertime, which is very fitting considering the band draws inspiration from those carefree warm weather months when writing lyrics, and the upbeat accompanying music to go with them.
“It’s funny because we’re from Philadelphia and we write songs that sound like summer, which is a fleeting season here,” said States in a past interview with Vagrant. “I guess it’s just because Philly is where we feel happiest, and when we’re happy we write music.”
In early January my friend Ericka and I saw CRUISR live at The Fillmore, an eclectic and fun venue in Northern Liberties. CRUISR played almost all of their songs, including two of my favorites, “Kidnap Me” and “Take That.” States’ voice is unique and melodic; combined with the 80s pop vibe of Van Dine’s drumbeats and Catrambone’s guitar riffs CRUISR creates infectious tunes that you can’t help but sing along to. The entire audience was dancing along with the band.
After the show, we were lucky enough to meet the band members. States, Van Dine and Catrambone came from backstage to the bar area to hang out with fans and get photos. They were all incredibly laid-back and nice, happy to answer questions and meet the audience. Ericka and I congratulated all of them on a fantastic show and set. States and Van Dine were excited to share that the band has been working on a lot of new music that will be released soon.
CRUISR is going back on tour this February. Although they unfortunately won’t be playing another Philly hometown show, they will be in Pittsburgh at the Smiling Moose on February 21st. Philly and Montgomery County natives looking for an up-and-coming band and cool new music: grab some friends and take a road trip out to see these guys. You won’t regret it.
Check out CRUISR’s music, show schedule and performance photos at their website http://cruisrtheband.com/. Be sure to follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook too and be the first to know about brand new songs!
We Are Supported By:
