Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Teodecki.
Hi Christian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
“I was b=playing bass for Half Past Late. I really loved it and it got me into making music. I was with HPL for a couple years… all good things come to an end. I was heavily depressed for 6-8 months afterwards. Not being in a band or playing music bummed me out. I was going through a very rough time in my life because of an ex. I was in a really bad spot. I knew I needed music to get me going again. I needed to find more friends.
I hit Lewis and Brandon up because they were always at my Half Past Late shows. They were playing for Olivia and The Bells at the time. and then another band Forced Happiness. I knew Lewis and Brandon weren’t playing the music they wanted to play so hit them up. Lewis and Brandon were very excited as they wanted to hit me up first.
I pulled up to The Lab (our practice spot). We didn’t have any idea of what we wanted to do for awhile… so we decided to invite Jude because we needed another guitar player. I’ve been friends with Jude for awhile. He sent us a pretty funny audition video. I’m so glad we picked him as our first guitarist. He carried the guitar work for the first half of this band. So that was [REDACTED] for awhile… a 4-piece who played around Akron. We released a demo, Lab Tapes, that had Method Acting and ¡La Cocaína! on it.
We decided after the first summer playing out that we needed to get a second guitarist. I didn’t want to play guitar anymore. I wanted to be able to move around stage with the microphone. Lewis wanted to invite his best friend Jack. We call him Spicy Jack. He came around November while were recording GOOMH! and Funny Guy in the studio at The Rialto Theatre. He’s a great addition to the band. He’s 10x better a guitar player than me.
At this point in late 2023 we made the decision to record an album. The writing and recording process was awesome. It brought out the best and the worst of us. It taught us everything we need to know to do this for real. Recording our debut album made us who we are today. Over the summer of 2024 we played out around Akron more. We’ve played some really amazing shows!”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“A smooth road can be defined as many things. Making our album was not that. It was a complete grind, a struggle, that was really hard. Our drummer, Lewis, put a fire under our ass. I like to think of it as a forge that shaped us into who we are today. Everything from a business / planning perspective was a lot of pressure. Coordinating our schedules between five people has been really hard too.
We were nobody before we recorded our debut album. It created our sound, our heaviness. Making our first album made us such good friends. Our chemistry on stage is what makes us who we are as a band. Our energy feels great on stage.
I wouldn’t this any other way. If it was a smooth ride would we have even finished?
“The tree that experiences the toughest winds, grows the strongest tree” – Jude Samman
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work within the residential construction industry, specifically bathroom remodeling projects. My job is to meet with homeowners and try to convince them to remodel their bathroom. My career in sales didn’t start here, I began my journey working for a factory wheel supplier as a National account manager after college. My career allows me the financial freedom to pursue my passion for music in my free time.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
A lesson I have learned from being a part of [REDACTED] is that nothing good comes easy. Through the toughest battles forges the strongest warriors. If it were not for the late night writing sessions where we are screaming at each other or the drunken adventures at our shows, we wouldn’t be who we are today.
Pricing:
- [REDACTED] CD – $15
- [REDACTED] T-Shirt – $20
- [REDACTED] Sticker – Free!!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/redactedoh
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redactedbandoh/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redactedbandoh
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6X14XfGTmB560PF063wXDk
Image Credits
Our photographer Vincent Williams. His instagram handle is @thirdeyefeelings
