Some of the most fun emails for me to read are the ones involving a premiere or feature interview. And I don’t just mean for the chance to get new eyeballs to this growing site—I mean that because a band on the rise specifically thought of us to help us spread the word of what they’re doing. When we can get a palpable sense of excitement in the song, it pretty much sells itself.

Enter Provo, Utah’s Suit Up, Soldier—a band name that I love, for starters. Another thing I love about this band is the fact that one of their members goes by “Spartacus”—it doesn’t get more epic than that. But enough with the gimmicky platitudes—let’s get to the music. Specifically the song “Picture.”

I suppose you could consider this song synthpop, but it’s so much more than that. I hear a little bit of a lot in this song. There’s a lot going on in this song, which is often a phrase used in criticism, but it’s the reason I chose to feature it. The drums are bordering on frenzied—you can hear a sense of giddiness. The brass and synth complement each other so well it’s hard to hear where one stops and the other begins. Indeed, this is a summer anthem that would be a killer opening song to an outdoor set.

We don’t get to speak with a lot of bands from Utah, so I hope you’ll take the chance to get to know them better, like we did below—and stream the song while you listen:

Tuned Up: Describe the band’s sound in the form of a cocktail or favorite beverage

Suit Up, Soldier: We’d be a mystery cocktail, because we’re mostly undiscovered by the world right now. The song “Picture” particularly would be something fizzy, colorful, and extra sweet! 

Describe a musical moment that you would define as “paradigm altering” in your personal development.

When we opened for COIN in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,000 people and absolutely nailed our set, winning the audience over from the first note (their words, not ours). Afterwards, we went to a local Denny’s and a lot of people recognized us and asked for pictures, autographs, etc.—not realizing that we were a “local” band from the area at the time. It opened our eyes to think bigger and has helped drive us to pursue greater goals and higher ambitions.

What was the most transcendent experience you’ve had at a concert?

That same concert (mentioned above) was also a very transcendent one. The entire crowd sang and clapped along to a couple of our songs. There’s really nothing like it!

What’s an unexpected part of the music grind? What’s a rewarding part?

An unexpected part of the grind is the sheer amount of “business-to-business” interactions we need to have in the form of emails, calls, etc. in order to expand our reach and grow our fanbase. Whether to book a show, promote a new release, or complete anything else on our to-do list, they’re important measures we have to take in order to connect with more fans. The rewarding part of that is seeing those interactions pay off when a show gets booked successfully, new fans reach out randomly to let us know how our music has impacted them, or when we play a killer show and see how much people enjoyed it.

Do you have a favorite quote? What?

“I am the senate.” – Darth Sidious. Haha but on a more serious note: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky/Michael Scott 😉

What artists are on repeat for you right now?

The Band CAMINO, Nothing But Thieves, The Killers, Paramore, COIN, Imagine Dragons, Coheed and Cambria, MUSE, The Eagles, Van Halen, Panic! At The Disco. 

How are you staying grounded during 2020?

“My mom grounds me all the time so I’ve pretty much been in my room the whole year.” – Wesley. 😀 In all seriousness, we’ve stayed grounded as a band by keeping a razor-sharp focus on what we can do in the midst of coronavirus restrictions: accelerating the production of our debut full-length album. 

What can fans be looking forward to in the near future?

Fans can look forward to our upcoming LP in Fall 2020! Tour will follow as soon as possible.

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Suit Up, Soldier is: Wesley Monahan (lead vocals/bass), Spartacus (drums), Josh Cooper (keys), Ryan “Stingray” Rostrom (guitar), Dan “Dandalf” Ankenmann (guitar).

Follow the band on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.