100 Bands in 100 Days Presented by Verity Credit Union — Day 35: Exapsos

Please check out Verity Credit Union, our great partner in the 100 Bands in 100 Days local music showcase.

Artwork by Seattle-area painter E.R. Saba

Music fans of the Pacific Northwest, get ready for our fifth annual year-end daily local music showcase, 100 Bands in 100 Days, where every day until December 31st, we’re showcasing a new band or artist you have to know about, once again presented by Verity Credit Union.

Make sure you are checking the #100Bands100Days hashtag on Twitter on a daily basis to stay on top of all the bands featured and be sure to follow Verity and NW_Music_Scene there. Some days the featured act could be an established and locally-adored northwest-based musician and other times they could be a band with a small following that just hasn’t had their deserved time in the spotlight yet. Either way, we’re fairly confident you can come away from this daily segment with plenty of new favorites. Today’s featured artist is is a talented young act that call themselves Exapsos.


About the band: 

Exapsos is an alternative rock band consisting of 19 year old Leah Raissis, her 12 year old brother Zane Raissis, and guitarist Nate Madera. The sibling duo formed in 2012 after moving from the East Coast. Their influences include Heart, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and the Stone Temple Pilots. Since moving to the Seattle Area, Exapsos has performed at venues and events such as The Triple Door, Mercer Island Summer Celebration, North Bend Block Party with Spike & The Impalers, New Castle Concerts in the Park opening for Alan White’s (drummer of supergroup YES) band White, SeaFair’s 4th of July Celebration at Gas Works Park, Taste of Edmonds, and various competitions, and community events. Leah’s powerful vocals and robust guitar playing to Zane’s precise drumming skills has gained them recognition in local newspapers such as the Mercer Island Reporter, multiple television appearances on King 5 New Day Northwest, airplay on Hot Jamz Seattle, and The Bridge, local radio stations, and have been reviewed by Northwest Music Scene. They have acquired thousands of views on their YouTube channel due to impart of their eclectic collection of originals and covers. Exapsos’s debut album Unknotted released on January 31, 2018.

Earlier this year we got the chance to interview Leah Raissis, the talented voice that powers Exapsos, discussing how she got started playing, her influences, favorite performers and much more.

 Leah’s songwriting shows a maturity older than her young age and the arrangements on the band’s new album, Unknotted, perfectly showcases her rock chops and vocal range. – Su Ring/Northwest Music Scene

Northwest Music Scene: What’s your earliest musical memory?

Leah Raissis: The day my parents gave me my first guitar. I was obsessed. I was playing it all day and my fingers were bleeding because my fingers were so weak. I remember running to the kitchen sink putting cold water on my hand and then going back to playing the guitar (or at least trying to haha)

NWMS: Do you come from a musical family? If not, where does your talent come from?

LR: I don’t come from a musical family. I’m not sure exactly where my talent comes from. I always just loved sounds and music. 

NWMS: What was the first musical instrument you picked up (or did you sing first)?

LR: I picked up the guitar first at the age of 6 and then singing came at 11 and then around 13 I started playing drums. 

NWMS: What made you stick with it?

LR: I loved music from a young age. My parents are very into the arts so they passed on their love of the arts to me.

Check out the full interview HERE and keep a watch out for this one. With talent like hers, the sky’s the limit!



Purchase their music:

Support the band by purchasing their music HERE.


Listen:


Find the band at:

Soundcloud

Facebook

Twitter

iTunes


Submissions for 100 Bands in 100 Days are still open to any Pacific Northwest band interested in submitting. If you would like to submit for a chance to be featured in this segment, consult this link for more information on how you can do so.


A huge shoutout to Verity Credit Union for doing so much for the music community and for being such a great partner. 

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