Jared & The Mill have had their fair share of exposure. Since forming in the summer of 2011, the indiefolk six-piece group from Tempe has shared the stage with the likes of Bad Religion, The Shins, The Killers, Youngblood Hawke, Flogging Molly and The Roots.
Jared & The Mill will perform at the UA to kick off a tour that will include much of the Southwest and cities as far north as Seattle. The band is scheduled to play the Student Union Memorial Center’s North Plaza Stage tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. for the Wildcat Events Board’s Press Play Wednesday. The event is free for students.
The band’s first album, Western Expansion, dropped on Sept. 17. Since then, Jared & The Mill have been gearing up for their upcoming tour.
“We’re just mentally preparing for the next month of our lives,” said lead vocalist Jared Kolesar.
Considering the group’s Arizona roots and upcoming tour, Kolesar said, the new record’s title fit perfectly.
“Western Expansion was a fitting name for the album, because we’re starting to expand and become an entity within the West Coast music scene.” Kolesar said. “It all played together really nicely, but it wasn’t really planned that way. A lot of things have just fallen into place that we can’t really explain.”
The group formed after Kolesar asked childhood friend and banjo player Michael Carter if he would be interested in starting a band.
Kolesar said he then took a chance and called Larry Gast III, a respected local guitarist.
After playing a few songs with Carter, Gast and percussionist Josh Morin that same afternoon, Kolesar said the vibe was positive, and soon invited bass player Chuck Morriss to join them.
Jared & the Mill have recently been promoted as upcoming artists by mtvU and radio station My103.9 Phoenix.
The group’s home state of Arizona has been especially supportive of the band, Kolesar said, with radio stations around the state playing its music.
“We’re all deeply rooted in the state, so it’s really cool to see people from all over the state getting behind us,” Kolesar said. “It’s a really good confidence booster for what we’re about to do, because it’s always a little daunting when you find out how long you’re going to be away from home.”
Kolesar said the band is excited to expand its audience with Wednesday’s show.
“What we really want is to add ourselves to the culture of youth within Tucson,” he said. “We’re really excited to come out and meet people, so we really hope people are willing to come out and meet us and hang out.”
