AOTM- Send Request

The first ever "Artist of the Month" on "Underexposed", is a small Pop-Punk band from Northeast Pennsylvania. Their name? Send Request.

When I was trying to decide what artist I should showcase first, I wanted to make sure it was a band that truly is "Underexposed". A band that not only makes great music, but is also an underdog and deserves more recognition than they currently have. Send Request unfortunately fits this category.

I came across Send Request in sort of a weird way, most artists I find through suggestions on Spotify or YouTube but Send Request came to me through a Facebook post by a local music store. I was intrigued when the post said that they had a "local Pop Punk band" play in the shop. Me being the "Pop Punk" nerd that I am, I immediately decided to check out the band's Facebook. I had no clue that this would end up leading me on a roughly two hour journey that night exploring this band.

The first song that I listened to was called "Falling into Pieces", which is off their most recent record, "Perspectives". The intro starts off with a catchy guitar riff which is what drew me in to listen further. As the song progresses into the chorus, I honestly had no words. This is because for me, Send Request is a "local" band and I couldn't believe that there was a band out there so close to home making such a quality track. The song flows so well and you can tell the amount of effort that went in to making this song.

Thoroughly impressed by the first track I listened to, I went to the next video on Youtube that I listened to was titled "Anymore". From the moment the first guitar kicked in, I knew I was going to like these guys. This track, unlike "Falling into Pieces", is more "abrupt" and punk-ish in sound. My first thought was that the guitar riffs and chugging sounded something like A Day To Remember would come up with. The entire song from start to finish is an absolute headbanger, I couldn't help but bob my head and tap my foot to this song. Just like after the first track, I was craving more. This crave for more ended up leading me to listen to their entire collection that night.

Now you may be thinking, "you listened to all their music in one night?" Yes, yes I did. While this seem like quite the task, it really wasn't. As of right now, Send Request has only two records out and one standalone single, "Anymore".

The first "official record" that Send Request put out, "Make Your Move" was released in 2015. The opening track "Over and Over" is a typical catchy pop-punk song which is a very common theme throughout all eight tracks. While they may all have that typical pop punk sound, by no means is this a bad thing. I don't believe that there is one bad song off this album. My favorites though include "I Quit" and "Comeback Song". The lyrics have the typical pop-punk scene themes which is something I always appreciate. Anytime I can relate to a song, I automatically have a deep connection with it. With that being said though, every song has something different about it that makes it special and memorable.

Satisfied with what I had just heard for the past 27 minutes, I immediately decided to go to their second and most recent record, "Perspectives" which came out this year. The opening track to this record, "Dr. Dare Rides Again", is one of my top favorites that Send Request has put out to date. It is another complete sounding track that is like most of Send Request's catalog which requires you to get off your feet and bob your head! It is followed up by "Talk Alot" and then their best song to date in my opinion, "Falling into Pieces" which is one that I mentioned previously. Where I became surprised was the second half of this album. When I got to tracks like "When Everything Falls Apart" and "Trust". These tracks were nothing like what I had just heard for the past half hour. The second half of this album slows the pace down and actually brings in some acoustic guitar as well. This is where I saw the talent that Send Request brings to the table.

These guys aren't just another "pop punk band". They are more than that. Too often, the problem with Pop-Punk bands is that they are too afraid to change up their style and sound. This is where Send Request exceeded my expectations. These slower and acoustic tracks sounded amazing and were something I was not expecting at all from them. By throwing these tracks on their latest record, they are proving to fans, record labels and the music scene what they are capable of.

The other thing that I noticed while listening to Send Request was the maturity and progression from their first record to their second. The record "Perspectives" sounds more complete and more thought out. Which makes sense since there was a three year gap between records. This leaves me interested to see where the band goes in the upcoming years.

After going through all of their tracks, I walked away feeling two different emotions: excitement and shock. I was excited because it is such an inspirational feeling to see a local band out there doing what they love. At the same time though, I was shocked that they only had 35,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. I was and still am highly confused as to why more don't people know about them. It actually inspired me to send the lead singer Andrew Blank, a message on Facebook with words of encouragement. I feel very strong about this band and am confident that within a few years everything will fall into place for them. Send Request is definitely an "underexposed" band who deserves to be heard. With 2019 right around the corner, I am excited for them, and hope that it will be their breakout year.

You can listen to Send Request's top tracks here: