Bristol to Memory
Bristol to Memory (BTM), started by singer/front man Rory O’Connell and childhood friends, is establishing itself as one of the hardest working and most promising bands to emerge from Orange County. The band received some local attention after releasing their 2005 EP, The Killer is the Muse, but was eager to expand its reach.
Later that year the bands original drummer left the group as new drummer, Alex Buster, and new guitarist, Ken Aquino, were initiated into the band. Soon after their arrival, BTM recorded their first full- length record, For The Kings, in 2007. Upon its release, the band focused on developing their fan base locally by touring lightly throughout California.
Shortly before BTM began recording their second EP, Light Up The Fire, the band’s original bassist left the group to be replaced by Kealan O’Connell (brother of Rory). In the midst of the recording process, BTM won the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands and was able to perform at the Vans Warped Tour San Diego in 2009 along with a multitude of showcases in the LA/OC area. Looking to solidify and expand their West Coast fan base, the band set off on tour in support of Light Up The Fire in 2010 and rocked many venues from Southern California to Seattle.
In the fall of 2011, with a renewed focus, the group immersed itself into the studio and gave birth to their best recordings to date. Since the release of their fourth studio album Don’t Hold Your Breath in the spring of 2012, the band has seen ripples of success rising in the wake. With shows lined up from Angels Stadium to House of Blues, BTM has not made short of the opportunities presented to them in 2013. Along with their performances, the band fall back into the studio to create their fifth studio album, Animus, scheduled to be released winter of 2014.
Upon it’s release in January, Animus has received notable recognition amongst the ever growing fan base as well as music industry professionals across the globe. In the new year, the band plans on widening their scope even further with extended tours across the U.S. along with festival appearances in the spring and summer of 2014.
As a result of their hard work, originality and love of music, Bristol To Memory’s songs have been licensed and featured on several major television networks from MTV to Fox Sports West. Along with their success on the airwaves, the band has garnished interest from a number of independent labels and entertainment agencies. However, still waiting for that perfect fit, Bristol To Memory continues to work hard at being a self-sufficient and unsigned band.
Josh Snider said: I'm proud to hear that your hard work is paying off. Have you even been told that you're an encouragement to others? If so, how, and what was your response and feeling towards it?
Bristol to Memory said: Thank you! The past few years have been very productive for us. We have been told that a few times and it is always a great feeling. Knowing that the work we do is appreciated and inspiring to others is extremely rewarding and we view it as a mark of success. It was not too long ago that we were young, aspiring musicians looking up to our favorite bands, so it feels good to be on the other side of the spectrum now.
Josh Snider said: What has kept you going all this time? Where do you find inspiration?
Bristol to Memory said: We love what we do and are constantly striving for improvement and progress. We also find a lot of inspiration from our fans. When we can tell that people are truly engaged in what we're doing it makes it worth all the hard work.
Josh Snider said: What was your favorite band when you where 15 years old?
Bristol to Memory said: Some of our favorite bands when we were growing up were: Taking Back Sunday, Cursive, Thrice, Brand New, Park, Fenix TX, Blink 182, The Starting Line, New Found Glory and a ton of others...
Josh Snider said: What's it like being on tour? Is there any expectation that you had before you ever went that you were surprised to be wrong about?
Bristol to Memory said: Being on tour is a whole bunch of fun! It's also a whole lot of work.. But we like to enjoy ourselves as much as possible and really love meeting new people and seeing other parts of the country. As far as expectations go; it's often surprising that the best shows have almost always turned out to be in the places we had least expected. A lot of bands may think you need to play in popular venues or with popular bands to have successful tours, but some of our most successful/funnest shows have been at random house parties or backyards.
Jonny Havoc said: What is your favorite venue to play at?
Bristol to Memory said: Well we've played a lot of venues at this point. And our favorite has to be The House of Blues in Anaheim because it's in our hometown and we always have the best times with the coolest fans in the world!
Jonny Havoc said: Where are all you guys from?
Bristol to Memory said: We're from Orange County! Residing in the cities of Santa Ana and Anaheim.
Caitlyn Greenlee said: Would you guys be willing to be sketch pads for an aspiring tattoo artist?
Bristol to Memory said: Are you asking if we would allow you to tattoo us? Mmm perhaps... But Ken will let you tattoo his legs for sure.
kerry said: If you could choose any band or musician to tour with, who would it be and why?
Bristol to Memory said: Since there's 4 of us in the band, here are 4 answers... Weezer, Foo Fighters, Blink 182, Wu Tang Clan With Special Guest Andrew W.K. :]
Performing with any of those acts would be an honor!
