Band: Overstand:
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Their formation story:
(Ben Barnes, vocals): "Overstand was formed during the 2020 shutdown, a time when the world—and especially the live music scene—came to a halt. All of us work in live event production or at music venues, so our day-to-day lives were completely paused.
"Fortunately, we had 24/7 access to our own studio, which gave us the space and time to write and record 23 songs. From those sessions, we released a self-titled 7-song EP in 2023. Ten more tracks from those demos will appear on our upcoming album, Take Control.
"Having that kind of time allowed us to really dig into the material—writing, rearranging, and refining until we had something we were proud of. Our bassist Roy took the lead on the recordings, producing several different versions of each track, which helped us narrow things down to the best versions of each song.
"All of us had previously played together in different bands before, so the chemistry was already there. That made the process both smooth and fun. We set out to create something fresh with a new musical direction—and Overstand is the result."
Their sound in their own words:
"Overstand is rooted in hardcore, with a strong punk rock foundation. We all grew up listening to bands like Bad Brains, Murphy’s Law, Madball, and Suicidal Tendencies—and you can hear those influences in our sound.
"Todd played in Warzone, and Roy has worked on several projects with Roger and Stigma from Agnostic Front. We bring an updated take on traditional hardcore, and one of the things that sets us apart is our use of triple vocals, which adds a unique intensity and energy."
Latest release info:
"We’ve got two new releases. The first is the single 'Short Fuse State' featuring Puerto Rican Myke (District 9, Skarhead),
which hit all streaming platforms on September 5th. It’ll also be available as a 7” vinyl, with a vinyl-only B-side: our cover of Agnostic Front’s 'Bomber Zee.'
"Our full-length album, Take Control, features 10 songs recorded in summer 2024 at Sound Signal Audio Studios in Mesa, Arizona, with Zach Rippy handling recording and Paul Miner (Buzzbomb Studios, Orange, California) on mastering. The album artwork is a collaboration between Mick Lambrou (Australia) and Steven Huie of Flyrite Tattoo in NYC.
"The record tackles themes like self-accountability, grief, societal pressure, and the importance of taking charge of your own life. Efrem Schulz (Death By Stereo) appears as a guest on the track 'Unhinged.'”
Future plans:
"Take Control drops October 3rd via Stomping Ground Records, with our record release show set for October 18th.
"We’re also playing Incendiary Device’s record release show in NYC this October, followed by Winter Weekender in Houston this November. We’ll close out the year opening for FEAR on November 22nd and with Madball on December 12th.
"Looking ahead to 2026, we’re planning a West Coast run in the spring and currently working on setting up some European dates for the summer."
What other bands from your region should we check out?
Arizona’s scene is stacked with incredible talent right now. Be sure to check out: Knife’s Edge, Hard Luck, Get a Grip, Skin Ticket, Bite the Hand, Two Guns, and Saintbreaker."
Overstand on social media: Instagram
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