Gardenia

Born in the backroom of a rundown studio in New York City, rock darlings Gardenia are a story of two friends who knew if they made enough noise, they could get everyone’s attention.

Meeting in college as co-workers at that very same studio, Ryan Zakin (vocals/bass) and Tamir Malik (drums) started to jam on breaks between shifts, learning their instruments by practicing their favorite songs by The Killers, Alice in Chains, and Deftones, until their strings and drumsticks broke. After just a few shows, the band quickly gained attention of new fans and followers in the city.

With unhinged and completely improvised live sets, usually featuring the band donning suits and bashing equipment, the bass/drum duo present songs that are written entirely about the daily lives of their friends, family, and even their fans. From start to finish you can tell that they take these stories personally.

This is best seen on their indie-released debut album, ‘Knowing You Know Nothing’, which dropped in late 2023. The album garnered praise from the likes of Ones To Watch, Loudwire, Hot Topic, WNYU, Stylecaster, and most importantly, their parents. Standout single ‘Believe Me (Or Don’t)’ is about being a cheater, and ‘Hall Pass’ is a take on the consequences of fame as told by their friends.

Looking ahead has never been Gardenia’s strong suit, as the present moment gets them every time, but whatever is next will be loud.