Run From Cover

"“Sometimes you have to run from cover and take a chance at life,” says Zac Mason. He and bandmates Stephen Donley, Andrew Luttrell, Mike Bjur and Phillip Sanchez took their own advice and created Run From Cover, an Alternative Rock group that takes the genre to the next level..."
-Caleb Ingersoll, Red Room - www.redroomcoffeeandconcerthouse.com

Run From Cover takes alt-rock to a new level
By Bethany Lee, Herald staff writer

They're not the new kids on the block, but they are looking to spice up these streets with a different sound.

Pasco band Run From Cover formed a year ago when lead singer Zac Mason and guitarist Stephen Donley decided to get some friends together for a band.

"The cool thing about our band is everybody listens to a different kind of music," Donley said. "We get all the different flavors of different bands, so you couldn't really pinpoint one band and say we sound like them. We obviously have to lay down our differences and compromise in places to make us all work; otherwise it'd just all be chaos."

The band is having a CD release show for their self-titled EP at 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at The Red Room in Kennewick. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 at the door and the EP is regularly $8, but will be sold for $6 at the show.

The guys are stoked to reunite with The Red Room because it's where they had their first show last summer.

"The Red Room has really grown and evolved into a first- class concert venue," Mason said. "Everybody's got to start somewhere and we need the support and the help of people who listen to us."

Donley, along with Rhythm guitarist Phillip Sanchez and drummer Mike Bjur, were previously in the alternative rock group Mantle. Sanchez and Bjur were also in the progressive rock band Violent Blue with the late Chris Culver, who was the lead singer in both bands.

Bjur and Sanchez stayed in Violent Blue until several members joined powerpop group Brazen Layver. Bjur and Sanchez followed Stephen into Run From Cover and the band recruited friend and Bassist Andrew Luttrell.

"It's really hard for us to get exposure outside of the Tri-Cities," Mason said. "We can't do it on our own; we can't afford a manager, we can't afford an agent. None of that. I think we appreciate every single opportunity that we've been given because we work so hard to get it."

The guys are scheduling shows in Spokane and are excited for people to hear their music.

"We finally got our EP done, which is a huge help, because this is probably the first time we've had money coming into the band as opposed to going out," Donley said.

Mason added there were times during the summer "where Steven would overdraft his bank account and I would go a week with no food just so we could get our recording back from the studio because we wanted the music so bad."

Dedication toward creating something different is what drives this five-man band, who are out to prove they can move beyond their local band status.

"I know me, personally, when I play music it's always emotional," Bjur said. "I end up pouring everything I have into it. We've really put more into practicing and advertising in all of this stuff for this show than we have for anything else. ... It's sort of our 'here we are, this is what we have to offer.' "

-- On the Net: www.myspace.com/runfromcover

* Bethany Lee: 582-1465; blee@tricityherald.com
- Tri City Herald

"“Sometimes you have to run from cover and take a chance at life,” says Zac Mason. He and bandmates Stephen Donley, Andrew Luttrell, Mike Bjur and Phillip Sanchez took their own advice and created Run From Cover, an Alternative Rock group that takes the genre to the next level..."
-Caleb Ingersoll, Red Room - www.redroomcoffeeandconcerthouse.com

Two friends fronting two alternative rock bands are putting on a collaborative concert before going their separate ways this fall.

Lead singers Zac Mason of Run From Cover and Chase Thompson of Chase and The Reach will perform at 9 p.m. Aug. 29 at The Red Room in Kennewick. Joining them will be The Color Turning, an experimental rock group from California.

"Zac told us he was going to do a show at The Red Room and asked if we wanted to play and we jumped at the chance," Thompson said. "We've been friends for a long time and we figured it'd be a fun show. We'd be able to bring both of our different sounds and put on just an awesome show for the Tri-Cities."

The friends began singing together in 2003, when Thompson transferred from Kennewick High School to Pasco High his junior year. They formed a quartet called The Crew and sang Beach Boys covers. Since then Mason has sung in several bands and Thompson formed his own group in 2007.

The two remain close and have even shared band members in the past.

"We were the only two crazy enough to pursue this as a career and figure we could do this for the rest of our lives," Thompson said.

Chase and The Reach have been busy on tour after releasing their debut album in May. Fans can hear their first single Battlegrounds get regular airplay on Power 99.1 FM.

"It's cool to have those little experiences where you know people are listening to the music and they connect with it," Thompson said.

Run From Cover recently worked out a deal with MTV to have its music played during shows in late September and October. The group is also expecting radio play on Power 99.1 later this fall.

"I think it's really important for local bands to support each other," Thompson said. "With the internet, you get inundated with music, and when there's really good bands like Run From Cover I think it's just so important to go out there and show them the support they deserve."

Thompson's support for his friend doesn't go unreturned.

"I would definitely say that Chase and his band are the standout kind of band in terms of bands that come out in Tri-Cities," Mason said. "It's kind of a fun night, not only for us but for anybody who has known us. It's one of the last concerts we're going to do in town for a while. The rest of the fall we're pretty much out of town doing stuff."

Run From Cover will be filming its show to make a concert DVD to sell.

"This will be our first actual full-on show together," Mason said. "I think it's going to be a pretty good turnout. We've done music for a long time and a lot of people are interested in seeing both of us."

Tickets are available at The Red Room, 711 Vineyard Drive, Kennewick. Prices are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.
- atomic town

Two friends fronting two alternative rock bands are putting on a collaborative concert before going their separate ways this fall.

Lead singers Zac Mason of Run From Cover and Chase Thompson of Chase and The Reach will perform at 9 p.m. Aug. 29 at The Red Room in Kennewick. Joining them will be The Color Turning, an experimental rock group from California.

"Zac told us he was going to do a show at The Red Room and asked if we wanted to play and we jumped at the chance," Thompson said. "We've been friends for a long time and we figured it'd be a fun show. We'd be able to bring both of our different sounds and put on just an awesome show for the Tri-Cities."

The friends began singing together in 2003, when Thompson transferred from Kennewick High School to Pasco High his junior year. They formed a quartet called The Crew and sang Beach Boys covers. Since then Mason has sung in several bands and Thompson formed his own group in 2007.

The two remain close and have even shared band members in the past.

"We were the only two crazy enough to pursue this as a career and figure we could do this for the rest of our lives," Thompson said.

Chase and The Reach have been busy on tour after releasing their debut album in May. Fans can hear their first single Battlegrounds get regular airplay on Power 99.1 FM.

"It's cool to have those little experiences where you know people are listening to the music and they connect with it," Thompson said.

Run From Cover recently worked out a deal with MTV to have its music played during shows in late September and October. The group is also expecting radio play on Power 99.1 later this fall.

"I think it's really important for local bands to support each other," Thompson said. "With the internet, you get inundated with music, and when there's really good bands like Run From Cover I think it's just so important to go out there and show them the support they deserve."

Thompson's support for his friend doesn't go unreturned.

"I would definitely say that Chase and his band are the standout kind of band in terms of bands that come out in Tri-Cities," Mason said. "It's kind of a fun night, not only for us but for anybody who has known us. It's one of the last concerts we're going to do in town for a while. The rest of the fall we're pretty much out of town doing stuff."

Run From Cover will be filming its show to make a concert DVD to sell.

"This will be our first actual full-on show together," Mason said. "I think it's going to be a pretty good turnout. We've done music for a long time and a lot of people are interested in seeing both of us."

Tickets are available at The Red Room, 711 Vineyard Drive, Kennewick. Prices are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.
- atomic town