It’s been a big year for Harbour. And a good one.
It’s only going to get better.
 

You’d be forgiven for assuming they’re a band based directly out of Cincinnati, but this 4-piece indie/emo band hails from north of the city, more surrounded by fields and fast food restaurants than buildings and public transit. Once known as The Monument - and then, only a 3-piece - their new moniker Harbour signaled a slight change in direction, but has set the band further and faster along a trajectory that was already considerable in it’s arc.

Harbour is playing this Sunday at what is now Cincinnati’s premier launchpad for local acts looking to be involved in something that plays at a national scale, Bunbury Music Festival. Along with headlining acts like Fall Out Boy and Paramore - both acts who tiptoe in the genre wading pool in much the same way Harbour does - they’ll be set in front of a crowd that’s both considerable in size and makeup. Essentially, the perfect setting for a band looking to make an impression on those most impressionable, and even more importantly, eager to be impressed. 


Without getting too effusive - this is a band that I’ve watched progress over the last couple of year in ways most bands are unable to over the course of a decade - I’ll let Ryan Green, the band’s vocalist and lead guitarist, give you all the information you’ll need to get to know them. Thanks to Ryan for taking the time to answer my questions. 

You can catch Harbour at Bunbury Music Festival on Sunday at 5:45, playing the Amphitheater Stage.

Can you give us a little background on the band? Where are you from and when did you start?
We started as a 3-piece late in 2010 as The Monumebt and have progressed drastically since then. We then changed our name in February or March of this year, and added a 4th member upon doing so.

Is anyone in the band currently involved in any other projects? Were any of you involved in any before this?
None of us are currently involved in any side projects right now. With all the moves we're trying to make as a band, all of our time and energy is being put into what we're doing right now.

What’s been the best tour or show experience you’ve had so far?
We've had a few great experiences within the past year it's hard to pick just one. But getting on the road for the first time with our friends in a band from Chattanooga, TN called Rigoletto was definitely a great experience. Seeing how people respond to your music in other states around the country is a really cool thing. Winning The Underground's battle of the bands this year was also an amazing experience. That was really the first time we've seen that kind of support from our local fan base. Those are probably the two most memorable experiences we've had thus far. We're sure Bunbury is going to be up there as well.

Do you have any records or EP’s out? Can you talk a bit about recording and releasing them? Do you have any releases coming up?
We just released our debut full-length album this April which can be found at www.harbourtheband.com. The process for recording this album was different than anything we've done in the past. Rather than writing a whole album and then booking the studio time to record them, we recorded each song as we finished writing it and then developed them a little more in the studio. So we spent a good year recording this album.

Can you talk about the name change and what that symbolizes for the band? Do you see yourselves differently now, and want your fans to do the same?
It's not that we see ourselves differently now all of a sudden, but we have been changing for a while and we've needed a name more fitting for our style, and we needed something more marketable than the former name we picked in high school while we weren't taking things too seriously. When people thought of The Monument, they thought of the band we were in 2010 and not the band we are now.

You've added a 4th member recently. Can you talk about that and how it came about?
We've always enjoyed being a 3-piece, and loved the kind of uniqueness it gave us. But at the end of the day, we didn't want to limit ourselves and our sound and what we can do just for the sole purpose of "being unique". We've definitely improved our sound, and our live performance since adding Matt to the band. We feel ready to take things to the next level now.

After this show or tour, what are your plans for the rest of the summer? 
Anything else you’d like to add or mention?
We've got some great showcases coming up later towards the end of the summer/ fall that we can't wait to announce. But unfortunately we have to!