Local band ‘Yells Fire’ prepares for latest album and fame in Japan

Partygoers flocked to a white-washed ranch house on the north side of Bloomington last fall to see three best friends play music together as Yells Fire in a Crowded Theater.\nThe popular local band has gained recognition beyond the Bloomington scene by traveling across the country playing shows and releasing a new EP in Japan through the Japanese label Bells On Records. The band is currently recording a new album and working on a deal to sell the CD at Hot Topic. \nThe band is ecstatic about the release and lead singer Patrick McGinley said they want to make it to Japan some day since they have already received great feedback from over there. \n“We want to go some place where people want to hear us,” he said.\nThe band often plays basement shows and shows around the U.S. when they can find time off from school to travel and when they have a permanent drummer. This particular basement show was among friends, but all the band members prefer playing for strangers instead.\n“I love my friends but it doesn’t provide the gratification a stranger can,” band member Roderick Deerr said. “Especially when you see some kid in the crowd singing along and you have never seen that person in your life, but they know your song.”\nMcGinley, Deerr and Brian Meredith, all 23 years old, have been creating music since their sophomore year of high school back in 2000.\nNot long ago, they went by the name McSmokerson, but Deerr explained that “after our drummer quit, and we started going in a different direction as a band and as people, it felt like it was time for a change.” \nMeredith said that their style of music is often coined as melodic-punk. While the band has been through a slew of drummers in the past seven years, that hasn’t stopped the creative process. Currently, a roommate, Zac Canale, is stepping in as the interim drummer. \nMcGinley is the primary songwriter for the band. \n“Half our songs are some kind of political or social commentary,” Meredith said, “We touch on things like religion, politics, love, social biases, statutory rape and Bill Gates.”\nTowards the end of their performance the guys struggled to keep the audience interested as some friends head upstairs. Canale abruptly left the drum kit in the middle of the set, so the guys were stranded up there without a back beat, but they managed fine as three. They always do. \n“We are three best friends and a drummer, and always will be,” Meredith said.