ACRN.COM

[Photo courtesy of Joseph Timmerman]

By Sophia Hoffman, Promotions Director

Top’d Off, a self-described blues and funk trio from Athens, Ohio, were among the several competitors who played in the 2022 ACRN Battle of the Bands. The band consists of Jake Rickman on guitar, Collin Spens on bass and Ethan Hamilton on drums. I sat down with the band the day before the concert to discuss their evolution and future projects.

[This interview has been edited for length and clarity.]

Sophia: Could I have everyone state their name and what they do in the band?

Jake: I’m Jake Rickman and I play guitar.

Collin: My name is Collin Spens and I play the bass.

Ethan: I’m Ethan Hamilton and I play drums.

Sophia: What made you decide to enter BOTB this year?

Collin: When we saw the announcement, we just looked at it as another opportunity to play. I mean, we want to win and all, but ultimately for us it’s about the music. We’ve had a few shows at Donkey and we love playing at The Union.

Ethan: Yeah, I think any chance we have to play we are going to take it. 

Sophia: Back in August, you guys released your debut EP “Something Out There.” What was the process of recording that like? How long did it take for the idea to turn into reality?

Jake: Basically, all of last semester we spent working on it. We had been wanting to record for a while. It was a really long process but seeing where it all started from to the outcome was amazing. It was something that we had been working on for a long time, so seeing all of the work turn into a final product was really special.

Sophia: What’s in store for your future? Are you working on any new projects right now? New music or upcoming shows?

Collin: More shows!

Ethan: Yeah, we hope to play more.

Jake: Yeah, continue to work on our music and play.

Sophia: Awesome, well is there anything else you guys would like to say?

Collin: Come to the Union and see you tomorrow!