Unsigned Spotlight: Suitable Miss
Since their inception in Spring 2019 by cousin and best friend duo Sarah Perez and Kelsey Gant, Suitable Miss have impressed with their outgoing and relatable brand of melodic pop-punk.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Sarah Perez- Lead Vocals
Kelsey Gant- Bass
Andrew Elofson- Guitar
Noah Sauls- Guitar
Tom Hanson- Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Suitable Miss? How long has the band been around?
“Kelsey and I duo called Infinity way back in the day. Made it 5 rounds on the TV show The X Factor until we decided to form an actual band later on with more members.” - Sarah Perez (Vocals)
“I was in a pop punk band called Low Standards, a ska punk band called No Thumbs Up, and a prog band called Prometheus. There’s probably 10 other bands in there as well, but those are the highlights!” - Tom Hanson (Drums)
“I used to be in a little band called 1000 Miles of Fire that I formed when I was a kid. I did play around in a few other bands as well but I’m soooo happy I found my people in SM. We formed in the spring of 2019 after Sarah and Kelsey recruited me to play guitar for their project. I had no idea what we were in for at the time but after adding our insanely talented drummer Tom and my longtime friend, Noah Sauls on guitar, I knew we were onto something truly special here.” - Andrew Elofson (Guitar)
“Previously, I had been a part of Bedford Falls, a pop punk band I formed in college, as well as a small time with locals Rain In July. After talking with Andrew about the potential of them adding another guitar player, I made it out to a show and immediately fell in love with the immense passion I experienced. That was about a year ago; when I found SM to be my quintessence of music” - Noah Sauls (Guitar)
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
“Kelsey and I came up with Suitable Miss with the help of a random name generator. We kept mixing nouns and adjectives until we found something we liked! “Miss” spoke a lot to us because we initially wanted to start the band because of the lack of women in the Denver music scene. The second we said “Suitable Miss” together we knew we loved it.” - Sarah Perez (Vocals)
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
“We generally try to write most of the songs together. Andrew and I tend to write lyrics a lot with one another on our own but Tom is also very talented with words. As far as instrumentals, Andrew takes the lead with most of the writing. We are so thankful to have him because he is so talented with what he does! Song topics are usually about what we are going through currently. We often have band meetings and sit down and say “How are we feeling? Anything heavy on our hearts?” We then write off those topics. I think we will always tend to write from the heart and the situations we are currently dealing with.” - Sarah Perez (Vocals)
“Writing instrumentals in this band is an absolute joy because we truly have no limits to what any of us can bring to the table. From heavy electronics and synths, to chuggy riffs in drop tunings, to trap hats and 808’s, there isn’t a thing our band isn’t opposed to trying to incorporate if the song calls for it. I think in the case of “Don’t Look Back” which is our debut EP that we just released, it was really fun to be able to showcase a spectrum of different styles that bled into our sound. We’re a dynamic and diverse collection of people and we wanted that to show through in our music as well” - Andrew Elofson (Guitar)
“In terms of writing our music, we create in a more unique approach. With us, there is no specific order of how we get songs written and created. Sometimes these songs originate from lyrics only, or it could come only from a guitar riff. That’s what I absolutely love about our writing process, it comes naturally.” - Kelsey Gant (Bass)
“The creative environment of SM is something so special and unique. From the moment a song or melody or lyric is concepted, we really are just playing in a sandbox. It has a very natural feel to it, as if we are more helping the song to life as opposed to forcing it into a mold. With the ability to try anything from any influence in a song it can make for some really interesting combinations. I feel that the flexibility of the sound to fit the soul of the song really contributes to our sound” -Noah Sauls (Guitar)
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
“Many of the records that came out during 2020 were actually a huge piece of inspiration for me with our EP. 20/20 by Knuckle Puck, Brain Pain from Four Year Strong, and Circadian by Intervals were three super notable records that influenced a lot of the guitar work and song structure for me personally. Looking ahead, we’re pulling a lot of influence from heavier bands like Volumes and Periphery, and trying to rope that blend of heavy and groovy into our existing sound!” - Andrew Elofson (Guitar)
“As Andrew previously said, 2020 produced an incredible amount of content. Plini’s “Impulse Voices” was a huge influence on how I approached melodic writing and trying to incorporate more non linear playing. I’ve also found studying the grooves of modern fusion groups like The Main Squeeze and Ripe, translate really well into the heavier distorted guitar work we use. On the hunt for the perfect blend of (as Andrew perfectly put) heavy and groovy” -Noah Sauls (Guitar)
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
“When I was about 9 or 10 years old, I saw the movie School of Rock for the first time and I genuinely think that’s what did it. Growing up with bands like Silverstein, Yellowcard, and All Time Low certainly helped me along that path but School of Rock is where it all started.” - Andrew Elofson (Guitar)
“Sarah, Andrew, and I attended a local show in Colorado Springs a few months before the creation of Suitable Miss. It was during that show that we noticed how every single band on that lineup were all males. This is the exact show that pushed us to take our first step and create a band that can prove how powerful women in the music industry can be.” Kelsey Gant (Bass)
“Growing up watching the MTV Spring Break and TRL concerts and seeing Blink-182, Sum 41, all the OGs jamming out to crowds the likes of which this midwestern kid had never seen was what inspired me to create that for myself. I decided to learn the entire Blink-182 discography on drums and that led to being decent enough to start my journey into performing in bands.” Tom Hanson (Drums)
“Having grown up playing piano and guitar, and watching my Dad play in church, I always knew I would be pursuing a path in music. The pop punk of the early 2000s, Fall Out Boy, Cauterize, Simple Plan, really gave influence to forming a band. The area I grew up in had no shortage of kids trying to play in bands and when we were not practicing we were jamming, I suppose it was inevitable” Noah Sauls (Guitar)
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
“Sarah and I always have a vodka Red Bull right before we go on stage.” - Tom Hanson (Drums)
“I usually try and stretch, take a big deep breath to calm myself, and warm up as much as I can in the limited time we have before we play!” - Andrew Elofson (Guitar)
“Stretch. If I don’t stretch everything, I will be unable to move the next day. Also I generally don’t eat anything but a protein bar the day of the show” -Noah Sauls (Guitar)
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
“We played a headline show at Moe’s BBQ in Englewood, CO back in November of 2019 and it was truly one of the most fun shows of my entire life. Our single “All We Could Have Been” breaking 13,000 streams is also a pretty notable one!” - Andrew Elofson (Guitar)
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
“I might be a little biased, but I am absolutely dying to tour with Stand Atlantic and WSTR. Those two bands are not only huge inspirations to us, but are continually putting out some of the best music the scene has to offer.” - Andrew Elofson (Guitar)
I mean, obviously Blink-182 is #1. Don’t even need to explain it. -Tom Hanson (Drums)
“I would absolutely dream of a tour with Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! Some of the early pioneers of EZ-core, blending heavy guitars with pop hook choruses, it would be an honor to tour with one of the greats. That, or to be put on a ska tour because I feel that would be 24/7 pure fun” - Noah Sauls (Guitar)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Our debut EP “Don’t Look Back” is officially out now on all streaming platforms. We also released a music video for our single “Black and White” that is also available to watch now! Huge thank you to James and the Carrythe4 team for making all of this possible!