Troy student rock band Speak Easy releases first EP 'Hearsay'

Contributed photo

Speak Easy plays at a venue.

Local band Speak Easy broke new ground by releasing their very first collection of original songs last Tuesday.

Speak Easy is the name of a rock band comprised of four Troy University students. Last week, the four musicians hit a landmark by releasing an original EP, or Extended Play, titled “Hearsay.”

A title without much hidden meaning aside from simply rolling off the tongue, “Hearsay” stands as the first official release from Speak Easy. The EP holds a 22-minute run time with five tracks, all of which feature influences and slight nods to various rock subgenres.

Since its release, the four bandmates have been very outwardly appreciative to those who have chosen to tune in.

“The immediate reception to the music was awesome, and it just makes me want to keep doing more,” said Cole Brown, a senior social work major and Speak Easy bandmate from Chelsea, Alabama. “I think a whole album would be so fun to make and to play for people to enjoy.

“At a baseline, it’s nice to know that at least one person likes our music, and someone wants to hear us play.”

Aside from external support, both energy and appreciation are high within the band as well.

“I feel like I could ride this high forever,” said Tate MacNicol, a senior social science education major and Speak Easy bandmate from Chelsea, Alabama. “It’s such a feeling of pride that we put something out there that not only we think is good but also has something that makes people want to listen to it.”

According to the band’s lead singer Jack Anderson, a strategic communications graduate student from Dothan, Alabama, the EP was a long process that took a lot to write and record.

“What people don’t really think about is that very rarely do you write something good your first time,” Anderson said. “The best analogy I’ve ever heard is that it’s kind of like a running faucet, so, you turn on that hose that hasn’t been on, and it comes out kind of gross, rusty, and then you let it flow, and eventually, it’s going to flow something clear, and I feel like that’s what we did toward the end of this, and that’s what the EP is.”

Since the release of “Hearsay,” Speak Easy has gained over 300 monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

The band doesn’t plan to stop there, though. Currently, they are looking to keep the ball rolling by booking shows throughout the summer, working on merchandise and working on a full-length album.

“People should tune in to hear something fresh,” Brown said. “We attract a diverse crowd of listeners – metal heads, pop fans, rap fans – and we are happy to welcome anyone who likes music to hear us.

“You can listen damn near anywhere. YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Roblox, Auburn, Troy, Dothan, Birmingham, maybe even a couple stadiums if we play our cards right.

Bring your friends, we’ve got some shows that they’ve got to be at.

It’ll be a great time.”