Short Bio

Michigan indie-soul collective The Erly take collaboration, friendship and good vibes to the absolute max with a riveting fusion of ‘60s and ‘70s rock, pop, funk and modern indie. With clean guitar work, layered vocals and rhythmic groove sensibility that energizes even their most solemn works, The Erly would fit right in at both Woodstock ‘69 and at indie nerve center that is SXSW.

Long Bio

Michigan indie-soul collective The Erly take collaboration, friendship and good vibes to the absolute max with a riveting fusion of ‘60s and ‘70s rock, pop, funk and modern indie. With clean guitarwork, layered vocals and rhythmic groove sensibility that energizes even their most solemn works, The Erly would fit right in at both Woodstock ‘69 and at indie nervecenter that is SXSW.

The band, who describe themselves as “your new best friends” formed in 2018 when bassist Collin Mattiford and drummer Fran Gleason decided to expand their musical project. “Our guitarist Trevor McDonald…literally shows up from this random Craigslist ad. He made a whole resume and everything and just absolutely blew everybody away,” explains keyboardist Alyssa Serviss. “I joined a couple years ago when I was running merch at my friend’s EP release show. The guys were her backing band, and I kind of threw out to Collin, rather nonchalantly, “Hey, if you ever need a keyboardist, let me know”. I didn’t expect him to be like, “Well, alright. Let’s try it.” I went to the first practice, and I thought it was just gonna be this quick little thing, but we jammed for like six hours, and we've been together ever since.”

A six-hour session is not uncommon for this quartet, who are known to swap instruments and share the mic during the writing process.

“I think with that initial practice we immediately realized the kind of connection the four of us have, especially in a writing sense. We were immediately starting to work on stuff,” explains Gleason.

McDonald adds, “Practice is never quite over. Although we have designated instruments in the band, we are not stuck to just that one. Collin is just as proficient on guitar as he is on bass. I, myself, am proficient on bass as well as piano. By knowing those instruments, we can also translate to each other how we want a part to sound.”

This sense of camaraderie, trust and musical skill continues into the band’s live shows, an immersive, energetic experience they hope bands walk away from feeling more positive than they did when they entered.

“We try to provide something different every time we play, and that’s not only to keep people interested and coming back for more, it also keeps us on our toes—keeps us tight. We focus on working as a collective. It’s that trust and that collaboration where you go all-in together and move as a unit,” explains Serviss. “If someone comes to see us, they need to expect something super fun and energetic. Our stuff is groovy, you can dance to it, you can sing along. It’s just really fun.”

“The Erly delivers a high energy show that gets people up on their feet and singing. Front man Collin Mattiford creates an immediate rapport with the audience. This act is fun fun fun!”

— Sandra Thompson, Acorn Theater

“The band creates a strong set of originals that blend a unique sound of rock, pop, alternative, and just a little bit of folk. Bringing high energy, combined with some very catchy hooks in their debut album “Shadows”

— Rock 107 WIRX