 "Photo: Photo Courtesy of T13C")
Florida: beaches, swimsuits, Disney World, sunshine, cruises, Miami, and T13C!
Excuse me… What?
T13C!... a five-guy pop/indie/synth/rock band from sunny Florida. The five in the band are twin brothers Joe and Mike Loffredo, Chris Torres, Andy Meyer and Mike McCall. Joe and Mike L. are both 27 years old; Chris and Mike M. are both 23; and Andy is the youngest at 21.
I got into contact with Joe, and he told me about some funny nicknames they have for each person in the band. Joe's is Joe Lo, Mike L.'s is Mike Lo, Chris' is The Rat King, Andy's is Skippy, and Mike M. is Liver Lips. I'm not sure that I want to ask.
In the band, Joe sings the lead vocals and plays the rhythm guitar; Mike L. plays the synth, the trombone, and sings backup vocals; Chris also sings the vocals and plays the lead guitar; Andy plays the bass; and Mike M. is the drummer. They met pretty easily. "Mike and [I] grew up together - duh!" said Joe. "Chris and [I] met while working at Halloween Horror nights. Andy and Mike just joined the band three months ago. They were friends of friends."
T13C! has been around since 2001, but the current lineup of the band got together in August 2008. How did the name of T13C! come about? According to Joe, they were "formerly Ten 13 Concept. The band started in an apartment numbered 1013. So we named the band after the apartment where we met."
Originally, the guys are from all different places. Joe and Mike L. are from West Palm Beach, Fla.; Chris is from Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Andy is from Ohio; and Mike M. is from Clewiston, Fla. Though they all started in different areas, Joe and Mike L. now live in Gainesville, Fla., and Chris, Andy, and Mike M. all live in Orlando.
Currently, they have three EPs out: Thanks for the Night, which came out in 2006; T13C!, which came our in 2007; and We've Created a Monster, released this past year. Chris writes the lyrics for the band, and everyone else writes their respective parts. Recently, the guys have been on tour. "It's one of the hardest things a band can do, but it's also the most fun and rewarding. You don't get to shower daily, you don't eat right, you have no stability, and you sleep in the van with four other smelly dudes.
"But on the flip side, you are creating a foundation for your career by touring; you're meeting new fans everyday who believe in what you are doing, you meet other bands [by] doing what you are doing, and start building a sense of community, and bond with your bandmates like never before," said Joe.
Since they do a lot of shows, they've had great opportunities to play with many famous bands. Thet have played with bands Surgarcult, Cartel, Hellogoodbye, Mayday Parade, The Matches, There for Tomorrow, and many others. "Everything we listen to influences us in some way," said Joe. A few of their favorite bands are "Bayside, Anberlin, Saosin, Gin Blossoms, Story of the Year, [and] Alkaline Trio." With their creative music and fun (if not goofy) personalities, T13C! is definitely worth checking out. Go to their page at http://www.myspace.com/t13c, or check out their music on iTunes.
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