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Traveling North

By Julie Garisto
Published July 6, 2007

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The band: Collin Ryan, guitar; Bryan Baker, drums; Bryan Foutch, lead vocals and guitar; and Stefan Scheuermann, bass. Scheuermann answers questions by e-mail.

Homebase: Safety Harbor

New Album: For That World

Famous headliners: They've opened for North Mississippi All Stars, Chris Isaak and Col. Bruce Hampton.

Sonic blend: The band is a mix of Incubus, Red-Hot Chili Peppers and John Mayer, according Scheuermann's four roommates at Florida State. "They say that we have a hard edge and complicated music, but with a lot of soul and melody gelled into it, " he writes.

Influences: Foutch's bad behavior growing up in Kentucky led to some good songwriting. Bored from being grounded all the time, he would grab a guitar and try to play along with his dad's old blues albums. "Muddy Waters, Albert Collins, BB King, Eric Clapton, they were his teachers, " Scheuermann writes. "He has soul in his voice that is hard to find in a musician's."

As for Ryan, he grew up on the Grateful Dead, U2, Tom Petty, Bob Marley and the Wailers. Plus he's got music in his blood. His dad, Bob Ryan, plays with the Briar Hill Band, which was big in the '70s. His uncle is local music legend Steve Connelly of the Headlights, also the producer of their CD.

Drummer Baker listened to club mixes of techno and dance that he would get from his friends in high school.

And Scheuermann: "Since I can remember, my dad has been playing me the Beatles, Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Dylan, Blind Faith, you name it."

Early days: Foutch and Scheuermann met their freshman year at Clearwater Central Catholic High School. That was six years ago, when they were 14.

"I was playing a little beat-up guitar someone had left in an empty classroom before school started one morning, " Scheuermann writes.

He didn't realize Foutch had slipped in to listen. One thing led to another and they formed the band.

"I still remember playing at a bar in Palm Harbor as a 15-year-old on the night before my bio final. I remember thinking how cool it was to be playing Hendrix's Little Wing and having to be at school in six hours, " he writes.

They go way back: "Collin and I have known each other since birth. Our moms grew up together and our dads are best friends as well, " Scheuermann writes. "Collin would practice with us for fun and very quickly we asked him to join the band."

Baker on board: One night the band had a session at a pseudo studio at a church. The drummer didn't show, and Baker, who just happened to be working there that night, filled in. "We took him out for a midnight breakfast to thank him, " Scheuermann writes. "We immediately hit it off, and the rest is history."

Check 'em out: At 9:30 p.m. Saturday (7/7) at Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. $5. (727) 736-0606.

[Last modified July 5, 2007, 16:54:38]