Rock needs reinvention. It only moves forward when a band pushes it to do so. Enter GEARS. Finding a sweet spot between metal, R&B, hip-hop, and alternative, the Miami, FL group—Jimmy Wooten [drums] and Trip Six [vocals]—zigs and zags past all expectations and burns down one convention after another in the process. Racking up hundreds of thousands of streams and views, collaborating with everyone from members of Living Colour to Sevendust, and receiving plugs from Metal Insider and more, they usher in a new era of rock with a series of singles and their forthcoming independent debut album.
“There’s something for everyone,” observes Jimmy. “It’s heavy. It’s soulful. It’s melodic. The band’s versatility is our strength. We’ll bring R&B and hip-hop into rock, but we’re doing it in our own tight and cohesive way.”
GEARS initially began to grind back in 2014. New York native Trip wound up in Florida and met fellow Northeast transplant, Jimmy. Bonding over shared influences such as Prince, Alice In Chains, Deftones, and more, they carefully carved out a singular style. After playing countless shows and dropping the Pride Comes Before the Fall EP in 2015, the band teamed up with Sevendust vocalist Lajon Witherspoon on “Tango Yankee.” Meanwhile, Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery contributed guitar to the latter as well as to the singles “Stronger Than Pain” and “King.” They also collaborated with the likes of Corey Lowery [Seether] and Troy McLawhorn [Evanescence] in addition to dueting with legendary Living Colour frontman Corey Glover on a cover of the classic “Cult of Personality.”
Along the way, they crossed paths with producer Chris Dawson [SAUL, Any Given Sin, Seasons After] and found the perfect production partner. Hitting the studio in 2020, they immediately uncovered undeniable creative chemistry.
“It just hit,” adds Trip. “It came together really quickly, and we clicked with Dawson on all fronts.”
With Dawson behind the board, they completed their 2021 single “Wasteland”. On the track, airy electronics give way to head-nodding drums and chugging guitars. Trip’s soulful cadence twists and turns through the beats before culminating in the catchy chorus, “Save me, locked in a cage, and I can’t get out.”
“It’s about being trapped in a mindset you don’t see any way out of,” the frontman states.
“It encompasses a lot of things,” Jimmy elaborates. “It’s easy to become trapped in continuous circles in life where you’re doing the same things over and over again. As a band, you have to reach outside of the box, work with someone new, try something different, and change the sound. Following the Pandemic, it’s like a rebirth for GEARS in a weird way, so we decided to push the envelope.”
They won’t stop pushing the envelope either. For as much as Gears urge rock to evolve, they also elicit a classic reaction.
“When you leave a concert, we want you to feel like it was worth it,” Trip leaves off. “We want you to bop, jump, yell, scream, and do it all. We try to give listeners this gratification.”
“We hit you with as many emotions as possible,” agrees Jimmy. “Maybe a song will affect you and connect on a deeper level—or you’ll be able to simply bounce to it. This is meant to spark a physical and emotional reaction.”
-Official bio
Watch our latest “Fastracks” video podcast to discover more new indie tracks.
