Leonardtown, MD – Having formed in August 2013, Come Back Iris is a high energy band that comes out of Leonardtown.
As a band, they have become known for putting twists on many different songs. They are always adding new songs into their repertoire. If you have seen them once, they guarantee the audience a different show the second time around. They are influenced by many different genres, and due to that, they have many different ways to play the same song.
As a band, they have been featured at events such as Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar, Cowboy Coast Country Saloon, House of Rock, The Sea Breeze Tiki Bar, The Lounge at Bollywood and Vera’s Beach Club. They play all throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. After a very live performance at the Tiki Bar, The Bay Net sat down with lead singer John Vallandingham, and lead guitarist Trevor Barnes for an interview.
TBN: How long have you guys been a band?
John: We became a band in January of 2013, but didn’t perform until August of 2013 as a band.
TBN: What is your favorite memory performing?
John: Well, my favorite memory is when the crowd sings back to me. I love getting energy from the crowd.
Trevor: Probably, from the Tiki Bar opening. That is the biggest show I’ve ever played personally. I’ve been in a lot of bands myself, and at the Tiki Bar opening, there was no better feeling that singing a song and having ten thousand people sing it back to you. We are have the time of our lives on stage every show, and we just have fun with each other.
TBN: What is the origin of your name?
John: The name of the band started when my brother, who is an Aussie pure bred trainer, and I threw a house party. My brother brought a dog to the party named Iris.It was also the first time my drummer and I got together to play at my house. We were doing a little acoustic thing on the drums, and the first bang we made on the drums, the dog ran from the house and got hit by a car. So, we spent the next three hours walking through the woods with flashlights looking for the dog. My brother was very upset and emotional. So, after another hour had passed, we all went back to the house. His wife went back out to the car, and saw Iris crawling in the yard. She picked her up, and carried her inside. When Iris saw my brother, she jumped out of his wife’s hands, and ran and jumped into my brother’s. She was just grazed and ran off scared. A few stitches and she was back to normal. The next day I called my drummer and said we have to name the band something with Iris. My drummer said Come Back Iris, and the name has stuck.
TBN: When are your next local shows?
John: Our next local shows are on May 16x–we will be at Union Jacks in Annapolis. Then on May 29, we are at Seabreeze Tiki Bar in Mechanicsville. We will be playing the July 4 show at Holly wood Fire House, and there will be a surprise there for people who come to the show.
TBN: Who would you say your biggest musical inspiration was?
John: For me, as far as other bands, would be Godsmack. They really got me into the passion and love of music when I was young. And I’ve rode that train to where I am today.
Trevor: I have a lot. I grew up listening to pretty much everything. Led Zeppelin made me get into music, but I can find a beat in an Imagine Dragons song that really gets me going. Pop stuff, that I don’t really listen a lot, sometimes has some good stuff in it. But, the real inspiration is just the basic stuff, classic rock, and some metal.
You can hear Come Back Iris’ music on Youtube, and you can find their Facebook page here: Come Back Iris.
Contact Max Tayman at news@thebaynet.com
