You may already know of Stephen Mariucci and his band, The Relay Company. The curly-haired bass player for the alternative rock band is a sophomore at USD, whose dreams for his band go beyond more than just the garage they spawned from.
Mariucci began playing music at a young age, after his older brother Adam showed him how to play the guitar, and eventually the two began to write music and perform locally. Moving back and forth between Northern California to Michigan, music became the natural constant in Mariucci's life. In the summer of 2006, the brothers added a drummer, another guitarist and a lead guitarist, and The Relay Company was formed.
Formerly known as "The Day," the band changed their name to The Relay Co, and they are in fast motion to work their way into airwaves. In the works currently is The Relay Company's new EP, which will be complete this month, once Mariucci makes the last trek to Nor Cal to add backup.
"We're recording, we plan on releasing in late spring. We're actually re-recording two songs which we already have released, 'I've Been Screaming,' and 'Literature of Loss.' they will be revised and very new sounding, so don't expect the same thing," Mariucci said. The EP will include a new song "Popstar Life," about the irony of a popstar having a not-so-desirable life. Currently, their music is available at myspace.com/therelaycompany; and in the future will be available through other forms of online distribution.
Having already played shows with bands like Quietdrive, the band is looking to book gigs such as the Warped Tour and South by Southwest, both popular concert festivals for rock fans. While plans are vague at the moment, the boys are hopeful about the dates. "It's just too early to say what our summer plans are, although we do hope to land a spot on Warped Tour. Who doesn't?"
The new album is one the boys are proud of. Produced alongside Tym Ellis, whose previous work includes hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean, The Relay Company is also collaborating with singer/songwriter/musician Greg Camp (formerly of Smashmouth). This level of recording goes above and beyond what you would typically expect from a student band, telling us that The Relay Company is in it for the long haul. When Mariucci jokingly refers to his band as "ghetto," it seems that they are anything but.
For more information on The Relay Company, go to their MySpace or the direct source, Mariucci himself. While he and his bandmates spend their days on campuses up and down California earning their degrees, its obvious that their first love is making music and rocking out.
