Ignant Benches, dubbed by some as the ugly stepchild of both Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes, has been playing and making music since their middle school talent show back in 2014. The band’s youth, talent, and raw energy displayed on stage and in their recordings has caught the eye of many.
The group is composed of founding member, Anson Kelley, who leads the way with vocals and guitar. His cousin, Andres Tistoj, plays lead guitar, with Mauro Rocha on drums. The band’s latest addition, Ruben Gutierrez, plays bass.
Originating in Chula Vista, California, the band started back in 2014. Andy had received a guitar for Christmas, giving fuel to Anson and Andy’s early dreams of becoming musicians. They began to teach themselves how to play guitar using a videogame for the Playstation called Rocksmith. Several months later, they formed Ignant Benches. The original purpose of the band was to enter into the Hilltop Middle School annual talent show. Weeks went by, learning mostly Strokes and Arctic Monkeys covers, preparing for Ignant Benches’ first performance. When the day came, they were everthing but disappointed. It was a dream come true for a first show. They played to a large audience of screaming fans at the middle school stage. Feeding off of the energy of performance and music, the band decided they wanted this to be their life.
Fast forward to 2019, the band continues strong and grows only stronger, having opened for famous bands like Foster The People, I Don’t Know But They Found Me, and Louis XIV.
