PUBLIC / usLights
PUBLIC
Image courtesy of the artists
usLights
Image courtesy of the artists
John Vaughn (lead vocals and guitar) and Ben Lapps (drums and vocals) began by writing songs in a basement before being joined by Matt Alvarado (bass, synthesizer, and vocals) to form PUBLIC.
Using its roots in classic rock and indie/pop, the band released its first EP, Red, in 2012, solidifying a strong fan base in its hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Soon after, the band was on the road, supporting acts such as Walk the Moon, Twenty One Pilots, and Young the Giant. PUBLIC also began playing at major festivals such as Forecastle, Bunbury, CMJ, and SXSW.
After the release of its second EP, Let's Make It, and its first national tour (supporting Walk the Moon), the band was invited to work with producer Eric Palmquist (Bad Suns, the Mars Volta) in Los Angeles. While on a national tour with Oh Honey in 2015, the band released the single "Heartbeating" to critical acclaim.
PUBLIC released its latest EP, Sweet Lemonade, in June.
Balanced at the intersection of the fearlessly avant and intimately familiar, usLights is a study in contrasts. Together, Matt Nastri and former HERRA TERRA members Gregg Kusumah-Atmadja and Shawn Pelkey craft dreamy, often cinematic music that fuses heady sonics to a firm foundation of pop songwriting.
Watch PUBLIC's live performance of "Sugarcane" from June 24 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio: