When J.J. Young and Riley Urbano first met back in 2011, they were put together for a teen band program. They never knew what great friends and musical partners they would become.
They both are very passionate about their music, and when they were paired together for the teen band program, where they take their music lessons, something clicked immediately. They enjoyed playing together so much that they decided to branch off and start a band on their own. Not long after, they brought in Giovanni (Jeb) Orsini to play bass. Along with Jeb on the bass, Riley Urbano plays guitar and splits the singing with J.J. Young who plays drums. The band tries to get together at least once a week to practice, at each others’ houses.
They have had many different gigs throughout Pittsburgh. J.J. Young shared, “By far my favorite gig we have had was last year at the Rex Theater in the South Side.” He really enjoyed the show because all of the people who came to the show that night and the incredible atmosphere.
The boys sometimes get side tracked during practice, but it’s all in good fun because they have become really close friends and are very humorous. They frequently spend time together outside of band activities. They often can be found picking on one another and goofing around. However, when they do get focused, they write their own music and work hard on covers as well.
They have covered a lot of songs from The Beatles to Kanye West and everything in between. One of the most prominent of their many musical influences is Ty Segall. They really are interested in the lo-fi California garage rock sound he has, so they have been trying to write their music recently with Ty Segall’s music in mind. They have written numerous songs including, “Love Scene” and “Leash,” among many others.
“My favorite song from the Incandescents has to be ‘Love Scene.’ It’s really catchy” Abby Zadrozny said.
They work hard to write each and every song, always thinking of lyrics outside of practice. Riley, J.J. and Jeb all work on their instruments outside of practice, as well, so they can work on becoming a better sounding band. The Incandescents are always looking for new gigs in and around Pittsburgh throughout the year. They love performing for new audiences and can’t wait to play for more this year!