Photo courtesy of Grand Transit’s Twitter page
Story by Allison Borrell / Contributing Writer
The answer to the ever-looming question, “What do you want to do after college?” varies from student to student. Some want to get their hands dirty by jumping straight into the industry they studied. Some want to take time off to explore their options. Others, like former recording industry major Dylan Reed, want to focus on their band.
Reed, 22, formed his Nashville-based alternative rock band Grand Transit in 2016, but college has been his main focus until now. Since graduating in December, he has put all of his energy into revamping his band’s image by networking with writers for band bios and artists for logos.
2019 is the year of Grand Transit for Reed, and one of his goals is to get them on the map by upping their presence on social media.
“My focus is creating an online presence and a strong image for the band,” Reed said. “I’d like to see a strong rise in our social media following, at least more than double our current standings.”
Grand Transit will need more than just increased activity on social media for Reed to reach the goals he has laid out for the year. Currently, Grand Transit only has one six-track self-titled EP on Spotify that was released in 2017; but, they plan to take it down and revamp it to reflect the new direction they’re heading.
When Reed first started Grand Transit, the band’s roots were in blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Now he wants to see the band shift directions into new music genres.
“We’re trying to take a little more of a pop perspective on it to make fun but interesting music,” Reed said.
Reed and his bandmates describe their new sound as “Jack White meets Maroon 5,” incorporating the best elements of both artists to create their own blend. Their goal is to create something that is both “smooth and sexy,” while staying true to the “noise and grit” of their rock ‘n’ roll roots.
Grand Transit plans to hit the studio to work on upcoming projects soon, including three to four singles to be released over the course of the year and, most notably, their first full length record, which is set to be recorded and released in 2020.
In the meantime, Reed hopes to strengthen Grand Transit’s relationship with the area’s other bands, venues and promoters, while also trying to get one of their singles some radio play and out-of-state recognition. But above all, Reed and his bandmates agree that they want to make music for the listeners, and that is what is at the forefront of their new image.
“We (want to be) a band that you can move to and have fun to,” Reed said. “But also rock with.”
Follow Grand Transit on Instagram at @grandtransitband for updates on latest releases and upcoming shows.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Mamie Lomax, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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