TO THE WAVES
"To The Waves"
Release Date: August 19th, 2008


To the Waves is a five-piece rock band that features ex-members of such Northwest post-punk notables as Polecat, Leuko, and Pipefitter. Evoking the likes of Drive like Jehu, Jawbox, the Jesus Lizard, Refused, and Fugazi, the band fuses melody, dynamics, and passion to create their distinctive and jagged sound.

Hailing from Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia, WA, the band formed in the winter of 2006 after drummer Geoff North (Pipefitter, Polecat) and guitarist Ryan Malley recorded a three-song demo to recruit a new singer. Longtime friend Jesse Fox (Polecat, Leuko, Seaweed, The Bangs) heard the demo and immediately decided to join the band. It was after only a few practices with Geoff and Ryan that Jesse called upon his friends and former band mates Cheryl Hooper (Polecat, Leuko, Black Betty, Doris) and Cornish-trained keyboardist Kelly Wyse (Leuko) to complete the lineup.

The band spent the summer of 2007 at Red Room Recording in Seattle , where they recorded their self-titled debut. The resulting 10-track album was recorded, mixed, and mastered with the able guidance of Chris Common (These Arms are Snakes). The album also features guest appearances by Chris and the vocal talent of the mighty Dave Verellen (Botch, Roy).

To the Waves has received consistent specialty show rotation on Seattle 's KNDD (107.7 FM "The End"), since their demo was leaked in September 2007. They also performed live on The End in December 2007 and recently played their first show to a sold-out crowd at Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma supporting Seaweed. Their debut self-titled album is due out in August of 2008.



+ Featuring members of Polecat, Leuko, Pipefitter, and Seaweed
+ Recorded at the Red Room (Seattle, WA) by Chris Common (These Arms are Snakes)
+ Featuring guest performances from Dave Verellen (Botch) and Chris Common (These Arms are Snakes)
+ Played first show ever opening for a Seaweed reunion show in Tacoma, WA
+ Specialty show rotation & airplay on 107.7 The End



"Jesse Fox has turned yet another project into gold. In the late-’90s, Fox was frontman for the urgent (and tragically underrated) local rock outfit Polecat. This decade he started Leuko, which was still on the heavy-guitar side of rock but with more memorable melodies and catchy choruses. As if he’s not busy enough working as a firefighter and sitting in as the new drummer for the recently reunited Seaweed, now he’s launched new band To the Waves. To the Waves’ dynamic songs combine bursts of intensity that recall Polecat’s turbulence with moments that melt into seas of dreamy, melancholy strings and piano."
- Megan Seling, The Stranger

"If this was truly a fair world, music journalists would stop using this tired cliche and To The Waves would be all over FM radio. The band's style of melodic rock is crafted perfectly for it, and that's no insult. Though it would probably gain them a few listeners to mention this is the new project from Jesse Fox (Polecat, Leuko, Seaweed), the band doesn't need it, as the music truly stands on its own... To The Waves showcase a talent for writing hauntingly catchy songs good enough that they don't need to reinvent the wheel." (4 stars)
- Seattle Sound

"The music is heavily influenced by Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox, and Polecat... Jesse fox formerly of Polecat is playing his heavy-guitar side signature sound...with more melodies and catchy choruses"
- Punk Globe

"...once you hear the band everything comes together. A natural next step in the evolution of post punk, To the Waves' jagged and urgent brand of rock is big enough to fill a room and sharp enough to draw blood. These are two very good qualities in a rock band."
- The Weekly Volcano

"While so much art and media have found ways to get dumber, uglier, and less interesting, bands like To the Waves sound just like bands like To the Waves sounded in 1999. So there's no point in shredding this album--and not only because it is a symbol of a genre's consistency. There is no point in shredding this album because, unlike some of the other albums of the genre that have crossed our desks, this one does what it sets out to do, and does it admirably. The album opens with the driving rock of "Koda," which sounds like Hot Water Music might have sounded if the dude from Jimmy Eat World was their singer… it's nice to hear a band with this much conviction and soul."
- 30 music

" I can pretty much guess that the members of TO THE WAVES have music in their collections from such bands as BY A THREAD, JAWBOX, and SEAWEED. With a throwback to the guitar-driven, moody post punk/post-hardcore melodic rock of the mid-to-late 90s, this self-titled release is both a pleasure, and peculiar. Despite the smooth lead vocals of Jesse Fox (former singer for POLECAT), the guitars and crisp drumming entirely dominate the band's music. Surging distorted guitars, and mesmerizing clean guitars tangle and light a fuse on songs like "Arrhythmia." and "Bishop," while the straight-forward bombast of opener "Koda," and standout, "Olympic Peaks," ice the listener with a serious, tempered demeanor. Fox's demoted position in the mix of the recording is frustrating, but not a deal-breaker. Notably, BOTCH's Dave Verellen makes a guest vocal appearance on "Rule of Nines," growling his throat blood red, and changing the direction of TO THE WAVES ever-so-slightly. "The Angel's Share," is another standout, doling out the crunch and finding a compelling groove between the rhythm section and Fox's stable of hooks. Dated, but true to its influences, TO THE WAVES get the job done."
- Paste Punk

"To the Waves is a band that is derivative of the music that catapulted indie rock and hardcore to mainstream success, yet the meticulous songwriting and musicianship brings an element of originality that makes them difficult to ignore."
- Redefine Magazine