What are your names?
Our names are Josh Sullivan, Phlecia Sullivan, and James Varner.   

What is the bands name?
Our band is called Year of October.  

How did you come up with the bands name?
When we first started the band back in 2010 it was Phlecia and I (Josh) playing as a duo. I was playing acoustic guitar and Phlecia was singing.  It was more folk music that rock at the time and we thought it was the kind of music you’d hear around a campfire in the fall.  Phlecia thought of the name because of that our music has certainly changed over the years but the name stuck.  

What is your genre of music?
We are definitely a rock band.  We like to describe our music as Fuzz, rock, soul.  Our music has a lot of different elements to it.  We just finished our fifth album that will be coming out this May.  Every album we’ve done the sound has certainly shifted and we can’t wait for everyone to hear this one.  

Give us a lil bio about you.
Year of October is a fuzzed out rock band from Nashville, TN. They travel the U.S. in a minivan to bring their dirty riffs and dark grooves to people everywhere. Made up of Phlecia Sullivan (vocals), Josh Sullivan (guitar), and James Varner (drums) their original music has been described as a Black Sabbath sound with Amy Winehouse in the lead. Their 2017 album “Trouble Comes” was named Best Rock Album at the Nashville Industry Music Awards, which has helped them become a staple in the Nashville rock scene and led to a more extensive tour schedule. They know how to put on a powerful rock show and pull people in with their dynamic and energetic performance. Their 2020 album “Wastelands” hits even harder and takes you to a fantasy world, while tackling concepts such as depression and anger. On May 5th of 2023 their new album “Keep on Fighting” will be released.

What made you go into music?
This is the guitarist Josh Sullivan.  I got into music when I was 11 years old.  I played trumpet in my school’s band and I got a bass guitar when I was about 12.  I started to jam with some friends and take bass lessons.  I started my first band when I was 13 with me and some friends. I don’t know what initially made me get into music.  I just fell more and more in love with it.  I remember getting out my dad’s records and wanting to just learn more about these bands, and I became obsessed with finding new bands are artists.  

Who are your influences?
Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, The Kinks, the Budos Band, anything Daptone Records out of NY puts out, Nick Drake, Otis Redding, All Them Witches, the National, Fiona Apple to name a few 

Are you a signed?
We run our own record label actually. It’s called Watch It Burn Records and our first release will be our new album “Keep on Fighting.”  We have more releases and announcements coming later this year as well.  

You released your new single ‘Black Widow’, tell us more about the single and the meaning behind the song.
Yeah ‘Black Widow’ was a lot of fun to work on.  We wrote that one actually with all three of us just jamming on it.  I had that riff for a long time and just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it.  We started jamming on it and when I heard what James was doing and Phlecia was doing it all clicked.

Describe the track in two words.
Powerful and groovy 

What was the writing and recording process like?
For our album “Wastelands”  we wrote almost all of it together with all three of us.  We would jam on an idea and see where it took us.  We tried to be as organic with this release as we could be and I think the songs reflect that. As for the recording process we did as much live as we could in our home studio. We would get the drums down and layer on guitars and vocals as needed.  There are some songs though where the vocals on the final mix are the original scratch vocals and same with some of the guitars.  We just tried to make it sound as natural as possible.  

Who did you work with on the single?
We did it all ourselves. I have a home studio and we recorded it here and I mixed it as well.  We worked with Mikey Allred of Dark Art Audio for the mastering of the album and that song.  

Will we see a music video for ‘Black Widow’ and if so what can we expect from the creative process?
Yeah we have a music video up for the song now.  Phlecia makes all of our videos and this one was really fun.  She uses old public domain footage and twists it in her own evil way.  

Will we see an EP or Album and if so, what can we expect from it?
Yeah “Wastelands” came out in 2020 and we have a new album “Keep on Fighting” That is up for preorder now through our bandcamp.  “Keep on Fighting” will be out on May 5th and the first single “Paid Back in Spades” is out now.  

Do you have any live shows coming up and if so where can we see you live?
Yeah we have quite a few shows coming up this winter and spring.  Our album release is on May 26th at the Cobra in Nashville.  

What else can we expect in early 2023?
Our new album is coming out May 5th, 2023.  Also we will be releasing a new single on March 3rd.  We will also be touring quite extensively throughout the spring and summer.  

Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Hopefully working on another album and touring as much as we can.  

What quote or saying do you always stick by?
It’s not a direct quote but my audio teacher always said:
Have an intention, try and achieve it, and then move on.  This always stuck with me and it’s definitely something that I try to keep top of mind when we are writing music or recording.  

When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Earplugs
My gear 
To drink lots of water
To have fun 
Not get too high or low.  It’s just one gig. 

Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yeah we do:
Instagram
Facebook
Bandcamp