Room 213, a rock band that brings real meaning to the genre name “garage rock,” is composed of Lachlan Tankersley on guitar and vocals, Matthew Tankersley on drums and Georgia State student Isaac Camden on bass and production. The band formed around two years ago when both Tankersley brothers were in search of a bassist.
Garage rock is a genre of amateur, experimental rock ’n’ roll, and that is exactly what Room 213 is. The genre started in the 60s by teens inspired by British Invasion bands, such as The Beatles, Kinks and Rolling Stones.. Garage rock is the “DIY” of music production and has generated heaps of influential rock bands throughout the years.
Because of the impact garage rock has had on the music industry, it was nearly inevitable for Room 213 to start making music. Not only do they consider themselves a garage/psychedelic rock band and are influenced by the genre as a whole, but they also practice and produce their songs in the Tankersley’s family garage.
The band is influenced by many classic rock, heavy metal and jazz musicians, including Oh Sees, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, The Meters and Vulfpeck.
When asked how they would describe their own sound, “it’s a trifecta of whatever we bring to the table. I like to think of it as [Matthew Tankersly being the] jazz guy, [Isaac Camden is] a little more metal, and I’m more blues-oriented, yet we find common ground in garage rock and psychedelic rock,” Lachlan Tankersly said.
Camden, a Georgia State biology major, has learned to balance his music with his school work.
“For me, it’s definitely a challenge. I have to commute back and forth every day to record with them,” Camden said. “As far as it actually conflicting with school work, it’s not that bad. If I have school stuff, I just don’t do the music stuff.”
Their newest album was recently released on Oct. 31. The record was self-recorded and produced. They play at multiple open-mics and venues around Atlanta, including The Vinyl at Center Stage.
“The new album is more indicative of the sound that we want to produce,” Camden said. “The album is raw and energetic, like most garage rock bands.”
