You probably know Zac Pitts from his day job, as a host of Living Dayton on WDTN. But when he’s not hosting the daytime show, he’s been working with his band and they are getting ready for their debut show in Dayton. Recently we had the opportunity to talk with him and find out a little more about him. And here’s what Zac shared with us, “A lot of people I grew up with know I have passion for making music. I was always the kid in class drumming on text books and playing air guitar! My dream growing up was to be a rockstar! I don’t think a lot of people who watch Living Dayton know that about me.”
We asked him how his band got the name Flee the Valley?
The meaning of the band name comes from a discussion I’ve had with several people since I’ve moved back home to Dayton. It seems like everyone tries to leave the area because they don’t think Dayton is “good enough” or “there’s nothing to do”. However, by some force of nature, Dayton always has a way of pulling you back to it, and you’re ok with it! You don’t realize how great it is or how much you appreciate it until you leave it for a few years.
How did the members of your band meet?
The drummer, Matt Harm and I have known each other since 2nd grade. We both attended St. Anthony Elementary School in Dayton. In high school we both played in a pop punk band called “Banknine”. There’s absolutely no significance for the name… (for some reason it just sounded really cool to us). He’s our X-factor when it comes to taking a song to the next level with intricate beats.
I met Mike Davis through Matt. We occasionally would jam in high school. He’s definitely the one that brings an extra edge to our band’s sound.
Meeting Steven Willis is perhaps the coolest story…Over the summer my girlfriend and I went to the Blink-182 concert in Cincinnati. We we’re lucky enough to get VIP tickets that allowed us into the venue early to see the band sound check. If that wasn’t already cool enough, the band invited three fans to come on stage and help them sound check by performing their song, “All the Small Things”. I was picked to play guitar and sing…the person picked to play bass was Steven. We didn’t know each other at the time, but weeks later he started following me on twitter. We discovered we both lived in the same area and it just so happened the band I was starting still needed a bassist. He was the perfect fit. If that’s not fate, I don’t know what is!
How long have you been together? Describe your bands style and inspiration.
The band started in June of this year. The band wasn’t a complete until Steven arrived in late August. Our genre is considered pop-punk. It’s a genre all of us grew up listening and ultimately makes us feel like a kid! Some people say the genre is dead, but we feel like it’s coming back! We all grew up listening to bands like Green Day, New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy, Alkaline Trio and of course Blink-182. While we have a strong connection to those influences, we’re constantly looking for ways to stand out and be original. A perfect song in our eyes involves catchy lyrics with punchy guitars and loud drums!
Here’s a link to the lyric video of their first single, “Lose it All” :
We’ve been recording music and hope to release our album EP by February.
Can you share with us each band members favorite song?
Zac Pitts– Lead vocals and Guitar Blink-182: “Dumpweed”
Mike Davis-Lead Guitar & Vocals– Issues: “Issues”
Matt Harm- Drums– Foo Fighter’s: “Ever Long”
Steven Willis – Bass – Alkaline Trio: “Radio”
The band’s first show is at Blind Bob’s on Friday, December 23rd at 9:30pm. They’ll be playing with two other local bands, Nightbeast and You vs. Yesterday. For more info on Flee The Valley, follow them on Facebook, twitter and Instagram.
