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Big on being unassuming, the band’s YouTube studio updates and even the names they give out on the site (Chris, Jeff, etc.) give the band an air of informality and modesty. The members behind Return to Arms are Chris Hasting on vocals, Jeff Flager and Matt Young on guitar, James Matusheski on bass, and Ray Beck on drums. The band have recorded their debut album, and thus far are satisfied with the finished product. Says drummer Ray Beck, “Recording for this album took a lot of hard work and devotion, but I think that everything that the whole band has put in, along with the help of our producer, John Naclerio, has made it something that we are all very proud of.” Writing the album and recording it was also a learning experience for the band, and guitarist Matt Young adds, “We also learned a lot about who we are as a band and what we want to accomplish.”

The band formed with Flager and Hasting just jamming after an impromptu conversation about music and other subjects, and the line-up has had to resulted in the happy chemistry of the sometimes-opposing sides of ambition and playfulness. Flager adds, “We feel we’re now able to have fun while still taking everything seriously at the same time.”

And none of the band members have escaped without a brush with personal sacrifice and struggle. They had to sell a great deal of personal belongings to get their first record finished, and they’ve recently had to bid adieu to two former members and welcome a new rhythm section into the fold. However, change is not always as negative as it can seem at the time. Says guitarist Young about his new bandmates: “Ray and James both come from different backgrounds. With James being a very punk influenced bassist and Ray being a more mellow, ambient drummer, it has added a great deal to this band.”

While the band has had to weather the hardships of any up-and-coming act, for Return to Arms, the stakes may have been higher, and the negative reactions literally more painful. Matt mentions one unhappy show where “bottles [were] being thrown at us,” which recalls that scene from The Blues Brothers (though without the protective fence, one imagines). That, and the penury the band had to put themselves in to record their record are two situations the average person might not want to deal with just to make music. But being patient and keeping positive is what works for Return to Arms. “Just don’t give up and listen to people’s negativity. If it’s what you love to do, then you’ll make it,” is how Jeff puts it. And that’s a good a mantra as any.

Website for Return to Arms