Together In Exile

"If there were no laws, who would you kill?" So asks the chorus of "Rated R", the first track off of Together In Exile's debut album "Destroy Something Beautiful". While some of the general public might find such musings to be somewhat morbid, this area of half-serious exploration of the dark realms of your moral fabric (and just how deep it goes) is exactly where Together In Exile likes to reside. Deviants, outcasts, the exiled…..the band and it's fans are truly connected in exploring areas of the mind that might make the normals uncomfortable. Comprised of 5 musicians who've spent the last half-decade touring the southeastern U.S., they came together out of the ashes of their older projects. Vocalist Thomas Crane has spent the early 2010's fronting Jacksonville-based Marion Crane. Meanwhile, Matty Fantastic (guitars), Ilyn Nathaniel (bass) and Danny Cayocca (drums) were cutting teeth in Tampa-favorite Soulidium. After the band called it quits, the four decided to stick together and form a new project. Upon finding Crane, it didn't take long to realize that the chemistry was there and Together In Exile was born. "It all happened pretty fast. I talked to Matty over the phone, then went over and met them the next day. We jammed once and I was in the band that night. Three weeks later we were playing shows," says Crane. ***** It was 7:52PM and bassist Ilyn Nathaniel looked down at his phone to read an incoming text message. It was from Thomas: "If we're going to track this song tonight, then we need to go get a bottle of whiskey" The setting was Cleveland, Ohio. August of 2015. Holed up at Closed Studios still working on the album, the text message was the end result of a challenge thrown down just 24 hours sooner between Crane and guitarist Matty Fantastic. As their time had progressed, songs had started being written in the studio and they were starting to find their groove. "We were standing outside talking and Matty said he liked how Thomas could just write, right on the spot," says Nathaniel. "He said everytime I do it, it just keeps getting better and better. Maybe I should just write something new right now and record it for tomorrow and Thomas' response was 'don't threaten me with a good time." Matty immediately went to work with his 8-string guitar, on a mission to have the music written and recorded by the next day so Crane could lay vocals down on it. Upon being handed the music the next day, the lyrics and vocal melodies from Crane soon followed and the vocal tracking commenced as scheduled that night, albeit, not before a bottle of Jim Beam had been acquired. It was required drinking material for the vocal sessions that ran into the next morning. "This is a song about drinking whiskey and doing bad things. In the spirit of artistic integrity, I have to keep this shit real, " joked Crane. The result of the song challenge was a tune called "Deviant". ****** Whether you call it hard rock or metal or djent…..one thing is for certain, Together In Exile is a band that is going to grab and maintain your attention. Between the intricacies and melodies found in the music, the textured grit and variety of the vocals, and the lyrical edge - coupled with a high energy stage show and you have something that'll grab you by the throat. The debut album "Destroy Something Beautiful" will be released on December 5th and the band is celebrating with a large CD release party in their hometown of Tampa. They released a music video for the first single off the album, called "Almost Human". Filmed and edited by Crane, the video showcased the full spectrum of personalities that make Together In Exile a unique and interesting force. It was all there - the self-deprecation, various deviant behaviors, bass player jokes, honest vulnerability and self doubt, a dance with the dark side, and showing you the art of making mistakes. TOGETHER IN EXILE is: Thomas Crane- Vocals Matty- Guitar Brad Balsama -Guitar Danny Cayocca- Drums Ilyn Nathaniel- Bass