User:Juzcook/Tria mera

Tria Mera are a melodic speed metal band based in Brisbane, Australia. It originally started as a solo side project by Juz Cook while in a former band, "Echoed Silence", but soon after became a serious full time project that needed to be done properly. For years, Juz had been jamming with drummer Matt McRae in Cairns, mostly covering songs from their favourite metal bands. After playing most of the stages Cairns had to offer, and with a very loose lineup, it was decided that unless they made the move to the big smoke, they would never find the right people to perform with.

Upon making the move to Brisbane, Juz and Matt begun advertising for more members. After a series of auditions over a number of months, one member was pencilled in to cover bass duties, Mike Radeck. Mike was also a friend of Juz, whom had met at one year's Soundwave Festival. Around the same time, Juz and Matt placed a one off ad in the local Rave magazine, a weekly publication that had a section for band advertisements. Scott Moss was flicking through the paper this one particular week and came across the ad, and agreed to work out an audition. Scott had previously removed himself from the music lifestyle after the uneasy end of his previous band, "Minus Life" in June, 2007.

Whilst the core of the band had grown to include Mike and Scott, there was still a need for a second guitarist. In mid January 2010, the band placed an ad in the Rave magazine again, this time stumbling on guitarist Ian Konrad. Ian impressed the band by learning a couple of their songs by ear before applying to audition. After arranging an audition, it was clear that Ian was the one to complete the band's lineup.

For the next 6 months, the band focused primarily on rehearsing. In a matter of weeks, twelve of Juz's songs were under control, and it was simply a case of editing and perfecting until everyone agreed they were ready. In August, the band entered the studio to record their first release, a 4 track EP showcasing the band's early work. The band decided to work with Ean Redman, a popular local sound engineer to record their first release. With such a small budget, the band recorded guitar and bass tracks at Juz's house, and all the drum and vocal tracks in the studio. It took a total of 9 days to record and mix the EP vastly over the course of around 3 months.

On October 9th, 2010, the band played their first show, a private party in Scott's backyard celebrating his 31st and Ian's 29th birthdays. This was mostly a warmup show to make sure the band were ready for the real stage, with the first official show looming only weeks later.

On September 26th, 2010, Tria Mera played their first official live show, as the main support for Aussie icons "Lord".

Tria Mera's next show will be supporting Dead Letter Opener on January 8th at the Step-Inn, Brisbane. Regular updates can be found on the band's official facebook page.