Aranda

Hailing from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA, the Alternative-Rock outfit Aranda was formed around the brothers Gabe Aranda on lead vocals and Dameon Aranda on guitar + bass. From the very beginning, music was an important part of the way the two related to each other. As little brothers often do, Gabe always wanted to be a part of what Dameon was doing and since Dameon was into music, naturally Gabe was too. They formed their first band when they were in middle school, eventually forming Aranda near the end of high school. They played out several times a week all around Oklahoma, while also holding down full time jobs. Years later, after constant practice honed them into a polished band and they had created a small army of fans in Oklahoma, their friend Sam Watters, formerly of the multi-platinum R&B group Color Me Badd, got them in front of Tommy Mottola of Sony, who signed them on the spot. After two years of work on the album, Sony went through personnel changes and canceled the deal. Though the process didn't end with a completed album, the brothers were thankful for the growth and further development they gained through the experience. Feeling like that was the end of their days as performing artists, Gabe went home to Oklahoma City and started a small business and Dameon was offered a publishing deal writing songs for other singers. It was in 2006 that Aranda were signed to Astonish Records. The band which also includes Arandas' cousin, bassist Chad Roper and drummer Mike Walker, again worked with Sam Watters to create an outstanding debut album, an eponymous CD, which was released in April 2008. The disc produced a radio hit with "Still In The Dark" which eventually reached the #31 position on The Hot Mainstream Rock chart.