Reno alternative rock group 7-Out is the outcome of being in the right place at the right time.
When guitarist and vocalist Steven Sperber moved back to Reno five years ago, he ran into a friend who suggested he start a band with bassist Calib Advincula and vocalist Shaughn Richardson, whom he met in sixth grade GATE class.
“This is the third iteration of the band,” Richardson said.“The past few years, we’ve really locked in how we want to sound.”
7-Out combines rock and hip-hop and pulls from a variety of influences. Each member has their own perspective and sound. Playing together extensively helped them fit together.
“It was tough as first,” Sperber said. “We’re all very different people from different music backgrounds.”
There was a lot of trial and error to find the right blend in the garage.
They got it right and have since gigged around Reno extensively and released a full-length album called “American Spirit.”
When vocalist Orlando Oh joined the band, they already had a sound.
“They made a space for me,” Oh said. “I was trying to write about oppression and parts of society I’m critical of that people need to understand.”
The band is built around lyricism. Sperber described their sound as Rage Against The Machine with more groove and less aggression.
Oh writes about what life is like for indigenous people.
“There’s a lot of parallels between historical struggles and current struggles,” Oh said. “I think it’s important to use music to educate so we can finally move past it.”
Oh puts education at the forefront of his lyrics in hopes a lot of problems can be solved with education so history doesn’t repeat itself.
“We are still here as a people,” Oh said. “We don’t get a lot of shit for free. There are systemic problems that aren’t by accident.”
Richardson’s writing is a critique of society. He says sometimes they can be harsh, but it all comes from the heart.
“It’s authentic and whether or not you agree, you’ll feel it because it’s real,”Richardson said.
Check out 7-Out on Facebook to see what they’re up to, and where they might be playing when things open back up.
