NOLA preforming.
Phil Earhart is currently finishing up his last semester student teaching at Thorton High School in Harvey, Illinois. The 22-year-old aspires to teach high school students when he graduates, with his degree in history education. But Earhart’s students may be surprised to learn that he plays guitar and piano, as well as being the lead singer in the local band NOLA.
NOLA was formed about eight years ago, when Earhart was in high school in his hometown of Orland Park, Illinois. He was good friends with current band members Ben De Biasio and Mike O’Meara, who were in a funk band called “The Super Champions.” De Biasio explained that their band needed a front man and Earhart needed a band, which is how NOLA was born.
When asked what genre of music NOLA falls under, Earhart explained that the band has been trying to develop a specific sound for years.
“As our taste in music changes, our music changes, and that is the equation for how we sound today,” Earhart stated. “We try not to ‘sound’ too much like any other bands, although I’m sure we do sometimes. I’d like to hear what our fans think our sound is, because that is all that really matters.”
The band is currently comprised of three other members besides Earhart: Ben De Biasio, Mike O’Meara and Sean Kimzey. NOLA competed in the Battle of The Bands and won five consecutive events in high school, through which the band gained notoriety.
But there have been obstacles the band has had to overcome throughout the years. The main hurdle that NOLA has had to deal with, was band members attending different colleges all over the state. The band was accustomed to practicing whenever and wherever, as they all lived in the same town; but due to the distance practice became limited.
Phil Earhart and Ben De Biasio singing.
The members of NOLA did not let the distance hinder their livelihood. Instead, they looked at the separation as a time to write and grow as individuals.
“We wrote a lot of music using the Internet, sending each other ideas via sound recordings,” Earhart explained. “We were writing songs 200 miles apart and it was pretty cool. I was writing lyrics and playing piano and guitar parts over a song, that was written in Chicago and sent to my computer.”
Each summer, the band looked forward to being in the same hometown to write and play their music. Earhart said it is always a special feeling for the members of NOLA to be back in Orland Park and getting back into the grove.
