Buffalo provides no shortage of good local bands for Western New York. However, ARIA has something to offer that few other groups can provide: a strong female lead. With members from two neighboring countries, experience under their belts and big plans for the year to come, ARIA is ready to broaden their horizons. This October the rock/alternative band sets out to take on the whole country.
ARIA, a unique rock/alternative band with three Canadian and two American members, adds hardcore and pop elements to their music that set them apart from many other artists in their genre. If their mixed musical style isn’t enough to catch your eye, or ear, their female vocalist will be. Bianca Dyrland is, in many respects, the heart and soul of ARIA. She is certainly their biggest selling point for a variety of reasons. Not only is she extremely talented but she makes them distinct among the competition. ARIA is hoping that this distinction will be the key to their success.
“The music industry is so thirsty for good girl-fronted bands. When you think about some of the big ones, you don’t end up with many,” says ARIA drummer John Runkle. “Labels are practically begging for rock bands with potential that are led by women.” ARIA feels that bands with female leads are more accessible. While they realize that having a girl front their band loses them some of their macho male audience, they are confident that it will pull in more listeners than it will deter.
Judging by the extensive tour they have managed to line up for the rest of this year, they seem to be right. Their tour kicks off in Williamsville, NY, on Oct. 19, continuing along the East Coast with 21 more shows. This is ARIA’s first US tour as well as their first headlining tour. Joining them are Anchor Me Down and And By Love. The group is hopeful that the exposure the tour provides will lead to further opportunities down the road. Their chances appear to be good, as they will have the opportunity to play in front of tour managers, producers and other influential players in the music industry over the course of the next few months. While this tour will only take them as far west as New Orleans, plans are already in the works for a January tour that would take them all the way to California.
Luckily, the five members of ARIA are no strangers to travel. Three of their members are from Canada,and many of their gigs and practices require them to cross the American/Canadian border. Lead vocalist Bianca Dyrland actually moved out to the Niagara Falls and St. Catherine’s area of Canada when she was recruited for ARIA shortly after graduating from high school in Saskatchewan. She had been discovered by the band’s founder, primary songwriter and lead guitarist Anthony Todrov. Todrov, who has previously played with a number of other hardcore Buffalo bands, found Dyrland via her video cover songs on YouTube.
ARIA’s rhythm guitarist Damian Birdsey and bassist Keegan Beach are also Canadian natives. Damian played mandolin in folk bands around St. Catherine’s for a number of years before joining ARIA at the mere age of 16. He has made the transition from mandolin to rhythm guitar excellently and his folk background adds yet another layer to ARIA’s complex sound. Keegan used to play guitar for a popular pop/punk band in St. Catherine’s but found a new home with ARIA when his former band mates left for college.
John Runkle is the band’s drummer and he is Anthony’s only fellow American. He has been a traveling musician since he was 16, missing stretches of high school to tour with It Dies Today. He had almost decided to give up the life of a traveling musician and start college when ARIA sought him out to complete their band. I don’t think he has ever regretted the path he chose.
ARIA’s sound is influenced by a variety of different bands from varying genres. Each member brings their own preferences and style to the table, resulting in a conglomeration of everyone’s favorites. As Runkle said, “We pull a piece from every band we listen to and try to stick it in a blender and see what comes out.” However, they can all agree that they draw inspiration from bands such as Paramore, Circa Survive, Explosions in the Sky and Yellowcard. The overriding influence of each track varies, but each song carries a strong message of love, life and self-worth.
To date, ARIA has released two EPs, a full length album, two music videos and a number of live YouTube videos. Their latest music video and the single off their newest album won the NMA’s Music Video of the Year. Their success hasn’t come easily, though. Getting work visas for the Canadian members has been a huge hassle and they have a long list of horror stories about dealing with border patrol. Their drive to succeed has brought them through it all, though, and they have big hopes for the year to come. They plan to jam pack this year with as many concerts and events as possible, living at a bare minimum so they can focus on getting their music heard. ARIA will be writing their next album while on the road, hopefully making stops along the way to record and make music videos. Their goal is to earn themselves a spot for all of Warped Tour in the summer of 2013.
When I was approached about reviewing ARIA, I had no idea what to expect. What I found was a pleasant surprise that completely exceeded my expectations. Certain songs brought to mind the Dresden Dolls, Fight Like Apes or Panic at the Disco but with a female lead. A few of their songs are backed with classical string instruments, which adds depth to their music that many rock/alternative bands lack. Other songs add in electronic effects that provide an equally pleasant but entirely different appeal. Bianca’s vocals are clear and rich with musicality, a quality that is rare in bands of ARIA’s genre. The real shocker to me was their song “Lasting Love,” which is a beautiful ballad where audiences really get to see the purity of Bianca’s vocals shine.
ARIA has overcome many challenges to be where they are today and are driven and dedicated to taking their music as far as it can go. I have no doubt that their upcoming tours will gain them widespread recognition and help fuel their success. While they pride themselves in being a female-fronted band, that is far from the only thing that sets them apart from their competition. Hopefully their upcoming tour will prove that to the music world.