Everything’s Found: On Finding Their Place
On at least a few occasions during four years at the University of Oregon, any given student is statistically likely to stumble upon some facet of Eugene, Oregon’s lively music culture. You might drunkenly stumble through the gates of an indie band’s house show just off campus; or you find comfort browsing through the shelves of one of the oldest record stores in the Pacific Northwest, House of Records; maybe you sway to a bluegrass set at the Beergarden; or you like to sit and watch the live shows as you eat street food every weekend at the Saturday Market. From screamo punk to singer-songwriter bedroom pop, music of almost every genre can be found in small corners of Eugene with a handful of dedicated listeners. Somewhere in the middle of all the multifaceted commotion that characterizes the Eugene music scene stands Everything’s Found: a powerful, evocative Midwest emo band that is quickly smashing down the walls of identity and genre in this chaotic college town. I sat down with band members Meyer Jackson, Niko Paroissien-Arce, Aydan Schiveley, and Nick Doshier to get the band’s perspective on what belonging really means within the city’s diverse live music culture.
The band’s history begins in their freshman year at the UO, despite the fact that many of the band members either didn’t meet each other or simply didn’t join the band until much later. Vocalists and guitarists Meyer and Nick both met bassist Aydan at freshman orientation, where they were shown the ropes of the house show scene. Later, Meyer and Nick became roommates, where they played music together often and learned each other’s musical languages. Eventually Everything’s Found was formed, going through multiple lineups until Niko joined the band last May and Aydan joined this past fall term. Having experienced so many different versions of both their own band and the Eugene scene, Meyer, Nick, Aydan and Niko had a lot to say about the corners they found themselves in throughout their time playing in Eugene and the bands that helped them pave their own way.
“There’s a lot of different pockets within the scene that we found,” says Nick. “A band called we’rethecurrency played a bunch of shows just in their house, and (there were) screamo, emo-punk bands that played there. And then we’d go to shows closer to campus and see indie rock bands…so, at this point now we’ve played with bands who fall into a ton of different categories. It’s really fun that we get to experience that variety of it without having to be honing down to one specific way.” The band goes on to state that bands like Stella and We’re the Currency taught them how to be confident playing by their own rules while still finding their footing in the Eugene rock scene. Meyer recalls that multiple bands in the scene still inspire Everything’s Found today, whether that means covering their songs during shows or helping them learn to navigate the ever-growing music culture in Eugene. “There’s bands…that we take a lot of both inspiration and ideas of how to operate in the Eugene scene from. Like playing whatever shows we can, but also not straying from what we want to do the most.”
With so many different musical niches spread throughout Eugene, there are a plethora of opportunities for up-and-coming bands to find their corner. The band praises the welcoming atmosphere of the scenes that they’ve found, from indie rock to punk. “People just love going to shows,” says Nick, “so I think no matter what type of music you play, there are going to be people who are going there to see you.” It’s true that Eugene is an underrated paradise for music lovers, with a constantly-growing collection of venues and house-show yards on every corner. However, the variety of directions for musicians in the city can also be overwhelming; where do you start trying to make your mark upon arriving, freshly eighteen, in your freshman dorm? How do you find like-minded people who know who to talk to and how to get started? “[Everything’s Found] definitely started in no scene,” explains Meyer. “We were just playing in the basement of Hamilton with this other band who we kind of raised up with PaperVue” In the Hamilton basement, genre didn’t matter; people showed up to play music and others showed up to hear it, in whatever form it was available. Now, after the demolition of Hamilton Hall, UO freshmen are sure to find a new spot to play and share their passion in the same way.
Throughout the next years at the UO, the members of Everything’s Found slowly found their way to the band, and the band found its way to Eugene’s emo music scene. As a Midwest emo group, the band initially worried that they would struggle to make a mark in the hardcore punk/emo crowd. “There’s not a whole lot of twinkly guitar in Eugene. What I’ve been kind of worried about is, we’re a little bit too abrasive for the indie rock scene in some of our songs, but then we might not be abrasive enough [for the punk scene].” says Aydan. “But I want to just keep making the stuff we do because it’s awesome.” Nick adds, “I think if we just keep doing what we’re doing, people are going to like that.” It’s true–Everything’s Found has had a huge surge in listeners and showgoers since this past fall. By playing a genre that not everyone knows or listens to, the band managed to create their own niche; just by being themselves and playing what feels most authentic to them. “We may not have as many people who come to our shows as the big indie bands do, but I love when someone comes up to me and they’re like, ‘Hey, that’s not a sound I hear all the time.’ That’s sick,” Nick states. In addition, the emo scene brings out not only a personal but also a more emotional side to playing and listening to music that the band cites as one of their favorite parts about playing in the area.
Emo music, and the Midwest emo style of Everything’s Found in particular, has always been an outlet for intense emotions for fans and musicians alike. “It’s definitely a very cathartic experience to be able to yell about your issues to a crowd of fifty people. And it’s something that you can’t really get anywhere else,” says Meyer. The vulnerability of screaming onstage about such complex realities of the human condition creates a connection between musician and audience in emo music that can’t be found in every genre. The ability to truly resonate with people in the crowd at local shows makes performing emo music in Eugene special and strengthens the connection between the community. In addition, as Aydan mentions, local organizations are able to make a real difference through punk and emo music. “R.A.D. Eugene does so much for the community, and at practically every show, someone’s speaking out about political or local issues that need more attention, or they’re helping organize stuff to help people in need. And I think it’s really cool how, the harder the music gets, the nicer the people are sometimes, you know? And I’ve been really inspired by R.A.D. Eugene and all of the stuff they do.” R.A.D. Eugene, which stands for Radical Alternative Development, is a local community building project and punk music collective that does social work throughout the city and provides mental health and addiction support. They are a shining example of the idea that music and art can be more than just a good time; it can truly change lives and make a difference in a community.
After an incredible time talking to Everything’s Found and picking their brains on all things music, I finally wanted to get their advice on finding your place as a new, up-and-coming artist in the Eugene area. After all, with spring coming around, bands will be graduating and new bands, venues, and showgoers will be here by the fall. “I think just, get out there and you’ll find it, you know? The more people you play with, the more you’re going to find just where you fit in,” says Nick. Niko chimes in with, “If you’re playing a show, hang out with the other bands. That’s the best way to become friends with people,” to which Meyer agrees, “Making connections in the scene is probably one of the most important things you can do.” Finally, Aydan suggests, “Be willing to advocate for yourself and honor yourself. There is a point where it’s like, play whatever gig you can, but if it’s a gig that you don’t want to play, don’t play it. Be willing to put your foot down on something you don’t necessarily want to do.” Joining a live music scene anywhere can be daunting, but there’s no college town that loves music more than Eugene. Get out there and have some fun, and your corner will find you!