Every once in a while, a lyric can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. That’s exactly what happened in the case of Cleveland rock band Welshly Arms.

On the breakout single “Legendary,” lead singer and guitarist Sam Getz belts, “Cuz we’re gonna be legends, gonna get their attention.” Breathing life into those words, this anthem captured the globe’s “attention” in 2017. Initially igniting Germany after its independent release, the song quietly spread like wildfire across countless influential Spotify playlists, cracking 34 million streams and 1.25 million Shazam’s in under six months. Earning their first watershed moment, “Legendary” resulted from years of tireless work by the six-piece—Getz, Brett Lindemann [keyboard, vocals], Jimmy Weaver [bass, vocals], Mikey Gould [drums], Bri Bryant [vocals], and Jon Bryant [vocals].

“It’s about how there’s a payoff to all of that effort,” admits Getz. “In the beginning, it was inspired by Lebron James. He’s from the Cleveland area, and he ended up on our team. He always goes hard. That idea extends to music. The six of us leave everything on the court. We ignore the doubters, naysayers, and obstacles and just keep fighting.”

That fighting spirit came to life at a Sunday barbecue back in 2013. The frontman had taken a break from the road and invited his future bandmates over for some beers and burgers. Sooner rather than later, they found themselves jamming in the basement. A regular Sunday jam morphed into a band whose sound blends Soul, Blues, Rock, and Gospel. They recorded the Welcome EP in 2013 followed by the Covers EP a year later and 2015’s full-length Welshly Arms. Their music would soundtrack commercials and trailers for Miller Lite, Indian Motorcycles, The Hateful Eight, and NETFLIX’s Sense8 in addition to a campaign for some other hometown heroes: the Cleveland Indians.

Along the way, they scorched stages at SXSW, Austin City Limits, Laurel Live, Red Rocks, and Summerfest and toured with the likes of NEEDTOBREATHE. Simultaneously, Welshly Arms honed a signature style by writing and producing every note themselves in their hometown HQ. 

“We always try to keep a gritty soul edge with everything we do,” adds Getz. “The vocals stick out, and the music is deep and raw. We take pride in producing all of the recordings ourselves. It’s important to the sound.”

Now, that sound comes to life on their Legendary EP [Republic Records]. A mosaic of influences, it translates Welshly Arms on stage energy into a collection of rousing, raucous, and real rock anthems.

“I hope people notice what we put into this,” Getz leaves off. “With every gig, we want to put on a show and have fun with the audience. On the records, I hope you can hear our enjoyment in making music. I want everybody to share that when they hear it.” 

The band is well on its way to being legends…