BIOGRAPHY

Updated August, 2005

FACTS

Eyestrings is a four-piece band from Detroit, Michigan, USA. Ryan Parmenter is the primary composer, keyboardist and vocalist. Alan Rutter plays guitars and provides backup vocals. Mathew Kennedy plays bass. Bob Young plays drums and percussion.

Eyestrings's debut album, Burdened Hands was released in January 2004 by Split Difference Records. Their second album, Consumption, was released in October 2005 by Split Difference Records.

MUSIC

Sometimes dark, sometimes light, but always compelling, Eyestrings creates music that is as emotionally charged as it is complex. Live performances have earned everything from wild hoots to attentive quiet, in following with the dynamic range of the band's music. Burdened Hands is a fine representation of this range, with songs varying widely in mood, sound, theme, arrangement, and duration. Consumption is a document of the band's progression, demonstrating a more dramatic musicality and a polished sound, with multiple epic-style pieces showcasing their range.

HISTORY

2000: Mathew Kennedy had grown up with Ryan's uncle Matthew Parmenter, and the two musicians had played together for years in the band Discipline. With Discipline being on something of a hiatus, and Ryan just returning from college, Mathew Kennedy invited Ryan to join a couple other local musicians for some casual playing to keep in practice. Ryan quickly started bringing in some of the many songs he'd been composing, and before long he and Mathew sought to find musicians who could make a commitment to something more than casual.

2001: Ryan's old schoolmate, Alan Rutter, had just returned to Detroit from Los Angeles, where he had played as part of the progressive band RCA Project and recorded a live album during his year living there. The timing was right, and Alan was recruited to start learning some of Ryan's compositions. Ryan, Alan, and Mathew got together to work on a handful of pieces throughout the summer before finally getting drummer Bob Young on board. Bob and Mathew had played together previously, and were familiar with each other's styles, which helped the band to gel rhythmically.

2002: The band was performing occasionally and learning new material. Ryan was now very happy to be composing with a band in mind, and one of his first compositions for the band, "Recovery," would turn up as the opener on their debut album.

2003: They stopped performing almost entirely in order to devote time to recording an album. What was initially conceived as a project to produce quality demos blossomed into a months-long labor of love: a fully-produced ten-track album. With the exception of studio-recorded drums, the album was recorded and mixed entirely in Ryan's basement. A mantra of the band during the mixing process led to the naming of their independent label: Split Difference Records.

Prior to the recording, the band had been performing under a different, relatively generic name, which when "Googled" ultimately produced results for a couple other bands across the country. Wanting to avoid that pitfall of confusion, Ryan yanked the term "Eyestrings" directly from a volume of Shakespeare, an unnerving term which now serves as the band's moniker and "Googles" as desired.

2004: Eyestrings's debut album, Burdened Hands was released on the first of January 2004, and continues to attract critical acclaim and new listeners. The first major result of their new album was an invitation to perform in April, 2004 as part of the Baltimore Progressive Rock Showcase Series at Orion Sound Studios. Eyestrings performed along with the band Sonus Umbra, who were celebrating their first performance in the United States.

In the latter part of 2004, Eyestrings performed in the Motor City ProgShow series along with fellow Detroit-area bands Tiles and Space Nelson. In September 2004, Eyestrings were signed to ProgRock Records, based in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, who now maintain primary distribution of Burdened Hands.

2005: Eyestrings performed at the 2nd Annual Rites of Spring Festival, a.k.a. RoSfest, which took place in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA, on April 30th & May 1st, 2005. They received a very warm reception from the morning crowd, and made several new friends at the festival. From there, the band immediately went into the studio to record the primary tracks for their 2nd album.

Currently: Consumption was released in October 2005 to much critical praise, and is available for order through this web site and your favorite progressive music distributor.

"This is progress..."