Bestial barnets, bell-bottomed denim, and an authentic rebellious spirit reminiscent of the early days of rock ‘n’ roll when the genre was considered dangerous, subversive, and un-American—The Band Feel may just be musical messiahs incarnate, ascended from the Gateway to the West.
Garrett Barcus (vocals), Tyler Armstrong (guitar), Kadin Rea (bass), and T.J. Steinwart (drums) are on a mission of mercy to liberate Generation Z from stale, sterile, and sanitized pop music, offering salvation to Lourdes’ digital natives of the 21st century, leaving in their wake an analog audio stigmata.
“B.C.” – Mission of mercy to liberate Gen-Z
While some artists craft nostalgic-laden love letters to eras, The Band Feel channels its crush’s groovy, far-out vibes with stalker-worthy ardour. Compositions created by the quartet are a pastiche of 1970s’ cool, celebrating a glorious era in which pop, rock, and country all coexisted harmoniously on the dials of AM radio stations across the nation. Each lyric is carefully considered, lovingly weighed, and then reframed methodically. They craft literary processes reminiscent of ransom notes, in which words culled from magazines are menacingly twisted and repurposed by the author. The Band Feel testifies to the gospel of rock ‘n’ roll with every ear-piercing, drenched-in-sweat live show, and the group has gained converts to its flock with two EPs, THE BAND FEEL (2024) and Into The Sun (2025).
Moving from clandestine status to a more fitting and well-deserved ubiquitous presence, The Band Feel has successfully navigated the two-lane blacktop of perdition in the music business and is well on its way to cementing its status as major players in the industry. There’s even been a celebrity endorsement in the form of actor John Stamos (Uncle Jesse on the classic ABC sitcom Full House). Like prodigal sons, they are returning to the studio in the new year to record fresh material to satisfy the insatiable appetite of fans.
“Fly Birdy, Fly” – Why the 1970s intoxicates Tyler Armstrong
Charismatic fretboard-shredding band member Tyler Armstrong recently sat down with Trill for a deep-dive conversation to explore why the 1970s intoxicates him, what it’s like working with 5-time Grammy-nominated producer Paul Moak, and the trials and tribulations associated with being a live rock ‘n’ roll band on the road.
Although Armstrong didn’t experience the funky 1970s in real time as it was unfolding, he channels the era vicariously, bringing it to young people who may not have context for it. Armstrong reflects on the allure of the ’70s as being the most authentic and influential on today’s bands, as his shock of hair, a trademark of so many rock stars of the era, nostalgically kisses his vintage CREEM t-shirt. CREEM magazine was the antithesis of Rolling Stone—regarded as an outlaw by the literary elite. Lester Bangs, writer and editor for CREEM, was portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the 2000 Cameron Crowe feature film Almost Famous. The T-shirt is a perfect fashion choice, proudly and defiantly proclaiming Armstrong’s love for the rebellious epoch.
It’s the music of the ‘70s that Armstrong tends to love the most. He cites the song “Ventura Highway” by America, an example of gold spun on AM radio, when airplay on radio could make and/or break a band. Hailing from the Midwest, Armstrong is down-to-earth, rejecting any pretentious display. While older fans may invoke the holy grails of 1970s rock (think: Led-Zeppelin, Peter Frampton, and Bad Company) to describe The Band Feel’s sound, Armstrong sees himself as a keyholder, unlocking nostalgia for an older generation and creating it for a younger one.
“Brother” – Working with 5-time Grammy-nominated producer Paul Moak
The Band Feel’s sophomore EP release, Into The Sun, was produced by 5-time Grammy-nominated producer Paul Moak. Some producers, like Rick Rubin, take a hands-off approach to producing artists, while others, such as 1970s kings like Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Kiss, Pink Floyd) and 1980s giant Mutt Lange (ACDC, Def Leppard), take a more active role in writing and shaping the songs. Armstrong delineates Moak’s style and how the band chooses a producer who will capture its sound without diluting it, in favor of too much polish, sparkle, and shine for commercial appeal.
Holy Smoakstack – Quintessential elements of a good music producer
Reflecting on the working relationship, Armstrong shares that he and Moak aren’t just colleagues, they’re friends, “Paul is my super, super good buddy.” Armstrong wakes up every morning with what he describes as crazy Instagram videos from the producer. Offering his insight, Armstrong believes a good producer can be almost like a chameleon. “Like my dad always said with relationships,” he elaborated, “you can be the same radio, but you have to tune your frequencies differently.” Expanding on the metaphor, he adds, “A good producer has to be able to adapt to other people, which is how Paul Moak goes about producing.”
Moak trusts the band and wants to be able to get the best takes out of them. The band met with a couple of other well-known producers before working with Moak, but when Moak entered the storyline, he offered an organic approach by simply being able to capture what the band was doing, and providing the necessary ingredients, whatever the recipe calls for. In January of 2026, the band is scheduled to record its first full-length album.
“A Song For Sam” – The creative process of writing and recording material
Pulling back the curtain on the creative process of writing and recording material, Armstrong emphasizes that The Band Feel is still new, “We’ve only been touring since September of 2024. We’re really new in the eyes of the world.” For their first EP, they entered the studio with songs they already had rather than engaging in writing sessions dedicated specifically to their self-titled THE BAND FEEL (2024). For the 2025 follow-up, Into The Sun, they brought in a couple of new songs, but also used some older ones.
The first full-length album will be all new songs, in the sense that they’ve been in existence and known to the band for probably three years, but for the most part, tracks on the album will be new ideas. Armstrong connects the dots. “We don’t have the recording experience yet to be able to say if we have recorded, taken songs from other sessions, from previous records or whatever. Maybe in the future, but we’re in a really interesting period right now,” he says.
“Hands In My Pocket” – Opening slot VS. headlining act
Being in an opening slot for a tour often translates to serving as support for a headlining act. The inclusion of another artist or band dips into multiple fountains of fanbases, making a live entertainment package more appealing to both promoters and concertgoers. The Band Feel is currently on their own headlining tour, so they’re the reason audiences are showing up at the venues now. However, they are also intimately acquainted with the other side of the equation: the baptism-by-fire artists endure when occupying the opening slot of the bill, coming face to face with an audience not yet familiar with their material.
Reminiscing about different kinds of crowds Armstrong has encountered as a member of an opening band, he references different genres and how The Band Feel, which has been touring since September of 2024, appeals to and connects with diverse demographics, including classic rock, country, and southern rock. He deconstructs the strategy by explaining, “Rock fans don’t like country, but country fans love rock, so that we can play with the southern rock bands easily. We’ve opened up for country artists. Those go a little bit differently, but still really well most of the time. Opening up for a classic rock band can be very weird.”
“Find A Love” – Winning the crowd’s heart
Recounting how the tide can turn for an opening act, Armstrong shares The Band Feel’s experience opening for ZZ Top. After 40 minutes of the set, Armstrong didn’t believe the audience was feeling the vibe, because he saw a sea of people all sitting down, their arms crossed, and no one getting into it. However, much like the calm before a storm, Armstrong was surprised with 3,000 people giving their stamp of approval in the form of a standing ovation. While most of the performance was an uphill battle that totally sucked for the band, their persistence paid off in the form of a bona fide blessing.
“Twice as Hard” – The Black Crowes “Hard to Handle” on ZZ Top tour
Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA, in August of 2025 saw The Band Feel in the opening slot for The Black Crowes. Armstrong’s presence on the stage that night was like that of a man possessed by a Wendigo—the music itself was using him as a messenger. Armstrong characterizes some of The Crowe shows, which were hour-long opening slots, as insane from top to bottom. Usually, opening acts are given approximately half an hour, but The Black Crowes showed their ultimate coolness by providing The Band Feel with an opportunity for a longer set. Armstrong confesses, “I’ve never really honestly listened to much of The Black Crowes. They’re rock stars, but they don’t act like it when they’re talking to you. It’s very, very cool. Chris and Rich are awesome!”
Back in 1991, The Black Crowes were just breaking into the mainstream. On the heels of their debut studio album, Shake Your Money Maker, the year prior and music videos for singles from the release in heavy rotation on MTV, The Black Crowes found themselves in the opening slot for ZZ Top’s Recycler Tour but were fired after two weeks on the road. Miller Lite supposedly did not like Chris Robinson’s onstage comments about corporate sponsorship of live music. This piece of the Robinson brother’s history lends weight to Armstrong’s assessment.
“Icarus” – With opening slots, you got something to prove
The Band Feel’s first tour ever was last fall with Dirty Honey. Armstrong describes the audience as wild the whole time, because that was The Band Feel’s rock crowd. Framing the context, he explains, “With opening slots, you got something to prove, you’re there to warm them up. We’re there to adopt your fans and cater to them, and hopefully, they can cater to us in a couple different ways. The great thing about opening up is that on a personal level, you have nothing to worry about as far as how did this show sell.”
Headlining sets is the other side of the concert coin for artists. Armstrong equates it to being able to grab bigger opportunities but cautions it doesn’t happen overnight. After all, it is predicated upon ticket sales history; a huge component in the music business. Discerning between opening slots and headlining opportunities, Armstrong sharpens his focus. “Being a headliner is really stressful,” he says. “Super fun, though, because you get to express yourself for 90 to 100 minutes of whatever you want to do. It’s awesome!”
“In The Garden” – A short film-esque sort of thing
The Band Feel’s music videos are a little bit more than your typical rock music video. Armstrong says, “We wanted to make [our music videos] like a short film-esque sort of thing.” Music videos for “Shoal Creek” and “In The Garden” appear to be an homage to 1970s cinema with the camera angles, color palette, and production style. The music video for the track “Shoal Creek” creates a claustrophobic effect where the viewer is in the video with the band. There is an undeniable level of delicious menace bubbling underneath that’s about to spew forth. Armstrong credits Cameron Ahlvers as the visual visionary when it comes to taking the ball and running with it.
The song “Shoal Creek” conjures up a vision of Robert Johnson walking to the Crossroads, carrying a guitar. It was a throwaway song when Armstrong first did a demo of it before The Band Feel even existed. He recorded it in his parents’ downstairs bathroom that is all tile so it sounded like an old blues recording, and the subsequent imagery of Robert Johnson is a natural side-effect of the recording style.
“The Warmth Of The Sun” – Celebrity endorsement from John Stamos
The Band Feel received a celebrity endorsement from actor John Stamos when he was on the podcast Lipps Service with Scott Lipps. Stamos brought a whole new generation to The Beach Boys and Elvis Presley. Armstrong’s response to the acknowledgement from Uncle Jesse of Full House encapsulated the importance of the moment. “It was super weird when he first followed us,” he says. “I freaked because I watched Full House growing up. That was just wild. It’s awesome when people do that. I mean, anyone endorsing you is cool; he’s a funny one because everyone knows John Stamos is cool. Most people don’t see him as a musician. I mean, obviously he played with the Beach Boys. He’s a Beach Boy, which is wild, but I’m more of a Jesse and the Rippers fan.”
Elaborating on the surrealism of celebrities digging what The Band Feel is about, Armstrong accentuates the point with Paul Stanley of KISS reaching out. “He’s a star child, you know, so that one still gets me,” he explains. “Then, when you hear about other well-known people, or people I’ve looked up to, being fans of the band—those are crazy moments. It’s very humbling; it’s an extreme blessing. I love the continued encouragement.”
“Call It What You Will” – Choosing a band name
A band’s name is sometimes chosen before anything else and is crucial to convey things like genre. The Band Feel provides explanation with “Band” and suggests touch with a tactile word: “Feel.” There is also a suggestion of double meaning. Armstrong doesn’t tell anybody the exact origin of the name. He thinks it’s fun for people to guess and doubts anyone’s ever going to figure it out, but it is related to music… that’s all he’ll say.
“… and now, we fly into The Sun” – Social media & upcoming tour dates
Armstrong and The Band Feel, represent the coolest non-conformists since Barry Newman’s Kowalski in Vanishing Point. Like the R/T 440 Magnum mechanical behemoth Dodge Challenger in that 1971 flick, they’re gaining momentum, barrelling down the highway of life, the elusive American rock ‘n’ roll dream emerging sharply in focus as a reality on their horizon.
Rebellion, raucous behavior, and rock ‘n’ roll belong forever to the ephemera of youth. The Band Feel are faithful disciples of rock ‘n’ roll, delivering from redemption another generation who refuse to go quietly into the night of pre-packaged, homogenized, soulless music. Choosing instead to curse the darkness with power chords, while legions of new converts enthusiastically hitch a ride…
Old-school 1970s’ style word of mouth and 21st-century social media have been massive for The Band Feel, connecting them with new fans. Armstrong puts things into perspective when he says, “Spotify is the new radio and Instagram is the new MTV.”
The Band Feel can be followed on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
