The name Annie Jump Cannon might sound familiar, but don’t confuse this Tucson indie/emo band with the renowned astronomer. 

Annie Jump Cannon is a local band that likes to bend genre rules and write songs that are for everyone, according to founding members Logan Membrila, 23, and Rory Membrila, 21. 

“It’s a band who would write something that you’re bound to like,” Rory Membrila said. 

The siblings come from a musical background, where their father played guitar and they attended live rock shows from the ages of 10 and 11. 

The pair first played together in middle school when they created a band with two other friends to perform for their school talent show. 

They performed as Annie Jump Cannon for the first time three years later, in 2017, at their own house in the suburbs of Southeast Tucson. They cleared out the furniture and packed about 50 of their friends and friends of friends into their home for their debut show. 

At the time, the band only had two original songs, including Logan Membrila’s favorite, “Where Are My Sunglasses?” 

“It’s still the only song, to this day, that we play at every single Annie Jump Cannon show,” Logan Membrila said. The song is short and fast, with heavy guitar and a classic emo and punk vocal style. 

Annie Jump Cannon has come a long way from house shows. The band signed to No Sleep Records, an independent punk rock label based in California, and last March performed at Club Congress for the release of their debut LP, Flourishing Apart.

“It feels like it was a lifetime ago that we started playing those songs,” Logan Membrila said. 

Some of the songs on the album were written years before the album was released. 

“I almost felt like I sounded completely different,” Rory Membrila said. 

They got their first taste of touring last October when they traveled to Gainesville, Florida, to play at The Fest pop/punk music festival. Rory Membrila said they hope to get back on the road and tour more. 

Annie Jump Cannon kicked off this year with a UA area house show that had an unexpected turnout: Logan Membrila said about 150 people packed into the yard on Tyndall Avenue for the show, which also featured Jake Cowen on drums and Ian Starks on guitar. The band gave an energetic performance with Logan Membrila playing the bass guitar and Rory Membrila on vocals and guitar.

At one point, Rory Membrila donned an acoustic guitar and performed an unreleased song dedicated to their partner. 

Rory Membrila said that the band’s songs, although lyrically sad, are full of a happy energy that often leads to moshing, which is what happened at the Tyndall show. At one point, the audience split in half and the crowd of teenagers and young adults slammed into each other, looking like a swarm, pushing and pummeling each other in every direction. 

Annie Jump Cannon’s next show is Feb. 23 at Groundworks, a nonprofit community space at 2919 E. Grant Rd. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10 online at the TicketTailor website or at the door.

*El Inde Arizona is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

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