Columbus’ own: The Turbos’ Columbus-inspired rock n’ roll

Emily Real
Thu, 16 Nov 2017 03:44:20 +0000
Arts & Life, Music, alternator, big room bar, cam reck, cd 102.5, cd 102.5 big room bar, columbus music, columbus' own, donatos, featured, jordan alaxander, lucas esterline, matt love, the turbos

While writing new music, local rock band, The Turbos, have been touring Columbus and the eastern U.S., and will continue to do so in the coming months. Credit: Courtesy of Dan Mitchell

If it wasn’t for the Columbus music scene, The Turbos likely would not have formed. The local rock band owes its birth to it.

Before its formation, the band’s members were all working on separate musical projects and attending shows around Columbus. That is, until one fateful day in the basement of a Donatos restaurant when the drummer of Jordan Alexander and Lucas Esterline’s band didn’t show up, and The Turbos played its first real gig.

“There was actually a lot of people there for the show,” vocalist and guitarist Esterline said. “So we called [drummer Matt Love and bassist Cam Reck] and they were there in like 30 minutes. It was pretty cool and people really enjoyed it.”

The band’s first EP, “Alternator,” was released in January of this year, and featured a mix of songs that were already in progress from the members’ previous projects.

Inspired by high-energy Columbus rock bands like Zoo Trippin’ and The Worn Flints, Alexander said the main thing The Turbos wanted to do with its debut album was to capture the most energetic sound that the members of the band had to offer in their own work, and translate that into a bombastic live performance.

“[These bands] push out this feeling and we give it back to them,” vocalist and guitarist Alexander said. “We wanted to embody that in our sound as well as just our presence [onstage]. I mean, we like being in those rooms; it’s exciting.”

The Turbos just finished a string of shows around the Columbus area, culminating with a performance at CD 102.5’s Big Room Bar.

Alexander said future plans for the band include writing some new material while it continues to tour Columbus and the eastern U.S. –– and, of course, continuing to go to shows and playing with bands all around the local area.

“There’s such a wealth of talent here in Columbus,” Alexander said. “It’s a disservice to not get out and see people … it’s hard to call yourself ‘the Columbus sound’ if you’re not involved, if you don’t know what that sound is. And the sound is everything.”