Fernley has its share of small-town charms, but a flourishing music scene isn’t exactly one of them.
Which makes the fact that Well Enough Alone, a progressive alternative rock band hailing from this tiny town of less than 20,000, managed to tear its way into the ears of Reno music fans all the more impressive.
“Trying to play more progressive music was always a challenge,” says bassist Vince Miller, who grew-up playing in bands in Fernley. “I wouldn’t say there’s a huge population of rednecks out here, but …”
“I’d say there is,” interjects lead guitarist Kevin Dvorak, with a laugh.
But demographics aren’t the largest obstacle the four band members say they face. In the quest to bring its heavy rock and the gravely vocals of singer Jake Ludel—highlighted by the occasional scream courtesy of Miller—to the masses, Well Enough Alone frequently runs into the problem of transportation.
The band has been together for a year, and so far all of its shows have been out of town in Reno. And the musicians foresee future shows going the same route, maybe hitting a stage or two in Sparks and Tahoe.
While having to travel the distance just to play a short set on a Friday night——the biggest thorn in the guys’ side is 6-feet-5-inch drummer Dominic Colucci’s instruments. In his case, size does matter.
“The biggest thing is really my drum kit, ’cause, as you can see, it’s not exactly the smallest thing in the world to haul around,” he says, gesturing to the sprawling kit covering half the band’s garage practice space.
Getting their music heard outside the county lines is the main goal for the band members. It’s taken the original two members and former next-door neighbors, Dvorak and Colucci, numerous auditions to find the winning combination with Ludel and Miller.
They say it was worth the wait. Once the right players found their way into that suburban garage—it was instant chemistry.
“We went through one person after the next after the next for four years,” says Colucci. “Jake came over one day, started playing an original acoustic song and about 10-15 seconds into it, we were sold. I liked his voice, I liked his artistic style, and I just thought it fit.”
As for the songwriting, while all four members admit Ludel is the driving force behind both the lyrics and the structure, they all contribute to various tracks in the set list.
“For ‘Parasite,’ Vinny wrote two lines on a piece of paper and literally that song was born,” says Colucci about one of the band’s heavier tracks, which opens: “Fuck you for making me care about you. Fuck you for sucking me into your web.”
“I’m not bitter or anything,” says Miller with a smile.
And the fast paced, surprisingly sentimental tune “Never” was penned out of the eulogy Colucci wrote for his father’s funeral.
“That’s what really makes our music stand out,” says Dvorak. “It’s very specific to us, but it’s easily relatable to the audience.”
“What motivates us to continue to play together out in good ol’ Fernley?” asks Miller. “Music. It lives in all of us. It’s a really strong presence. It’s a necessity really for us to be able to play together. … It’s like drinking water.”