On The Verge

Hello Echo

Santa Monica, Calif.
Post-Apollo Bliss
helloechoband.com

The genesis of Hello Echo took place in 2005 amid a spontaneous jam session at a small bar in Baja California. “A few years back on our way home from a surf trip in Baja, we stopped at a bar that had a drum set and an acoustic guitar lying around…that’s how it all started,” explains guitarist Sean Aylward. Two years later, when Aylward parted ways with his former band Apollo Sunshine and moved to California, three friends reconnected and picked up where they had left off. In addition to Aylward, bassist Mike Sarno and drummer Mike Silva who share roots tracing back to Boston fill out Hello Echo. The band recently released its debut album Hello, one that recalls Built to Spill at times, with hints of reverb-drenched indie undertones. Aylward’s fleet-fingered guitar lines drive the songs which blend alternative rock, acoustic folk and loud in-your-face ‘60s fuzz. As Aylward proclaims, “Hello Echo seems to be devoted to ignoring all the great reasons not to do stuff.”