Local Band Spotlight: Scorched Waves

Scorched Waves, a local indie rock band based in Stevens Point, WI, played at The Encore at UWSP on November 2. The show marked the first performance the band has played at the venue since January of 2020.

They also performed at a variety of other venues across the Midwest since October, including High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI, Val’s Halla Records in Oak Park, IL, and The Washroom in Milwaukee, WI.

Members of the band include lead vocalist Tiernan Brinkman, lead guitarist Tyler Armstrong, bassist Al Vuorinen, percussionist and keyboardist Jaren Wojcik, and drummer Damian Kessler. Scorched Waves’ music is largely inspired by Greenday, the Arctic Monkeys, and the Killers, though its members bring an array of backgrounds and interests into their music.

“We all individually have our different things…Damian’s into a lot of metal, Tiernan’s into more chill indie stuff, and I’m just kind of all over the place. Our bassist plays mandolin in a bluegrass band,” said Armstrong.

Scorched Waves has traveled considerably in 2023. This summer while on tour, they played in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Nashville, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison.

“The tour was really interesting. A lot of people were like ‘Oh that’s going to suck. You’re going to be on the road with four other guys, stuck together in a van for weeks.’ It’s not actually that bad. That’s the test of whether you can be a band. These guys are like brothers. It’s insane fun, [and] it was awesome seeing all the different states and cities,” said Brinkman.

The band has no intention to halt live performances since the conclusion of their tour in August.

“We haven’t really slowed down since then…. It’s exciting to be back. It’s nice to be on some familiar ground. The Encore is a really cool venue,” said Armstrong.

The band’s set list at The Encore included songs from their 2022 album, “Televised Paradise.” They also played covers for the Beatles, the Killers, and the Arctic Monkeys. Each of their performances concludes with a cover of “Kilby Girl” by the Backseat Lovers.

Scorched Waves encourages people to get close to the stage during performances. Fans danced, and there was interplay between the band and the crowd during their show at The Encore. Scorched Waves’ members asked the audience questions about songs, and Armstrong stepped down from the stage during a guitar solo.

“The more hype the crowd is, the more hype we are. It is our job to bring a majority of that energy. Once you get them invested, that’s when the fun begins,” said Kessler.

The band traveled to Oak Park, Illinois, after playing in Stevens Point. On November 4, they performed at the Bitter Jester Music Festival, the largest professional competition for up-and-coming musicians in the Midwest.

“It’s a music festival we play at every year, kind of like a battle of the bands and music festival hybrid. They record a live album every year now, and we’ve got a song on it, and they’re releasing it digitally,” said Armstrong.

Scorched Waves ranked number one in the lineup and were named “Grand Champions” for this year’s Bitter Jester Music Festival. Damian Kessler additionally won the Drummer of the Year Award, and Jaren Wojcik received the “Michael Brook Outstanding Instrumentalist Award” for Keyboardist of the Year.

The band then traveled to Madison on November 6 to open for Post Sex Nachos and Divine Sweater at The Washroom. Both Armstrong and Brinkman say the Madison venue is their favorite location they have played at thus far.

“It’s actually a pretty famous venue. A lot of bands who are now household names played there on their come up, which I think is really cool. The Black Keys played there back in the day. The White Stripes played there too,” said Armstrong.

Brinkman added, “It’s a small venue that makes you feel really big, and it’s always got a great turnout too. The Madison crowd is crazy.”

The band credits much of their success to their families as well as a few friends that come to support them during each of their shows.

“Damian’s family has supported us with a lot of our equipment. It’s a lot of money, and funds were hard to come by in the beginning. Overall a huge support system,” said Brinkman.

Abigail Cherek

News Reporter

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