SLEEP HOUSE IS… NICK GARDYASZ, NICK MARCINKO, EVAN MARCINKO, AND ADAM MINK
2015-2016
THE BEGINNINGS
IN 2015… At the start of their freshman year of high school, Adam had left his middle school band in hopes of starting a new band that focused on original music. In study hall he would meet Nick Marcinko, and they would share the same table for a few weeks before he learned that Nick played the drums. He then told him his plans about starting a band, and Nick immediately said yes, as he too was hoping to join a band. He sent Adam a few videos of him playing the drums, and Adam was impressed and happy to have him apart of it. They would try bringing on a few other members, but none of them would really gel. Then one night Adam was playing Xbox with Nick Gardyasz. They had both gone to middle school together and were apart of the same band from before. Adam had mentioned that they were looking for a lead singer, and although Nick G had never properly sang lead before, he said to Adam, “Well, maybe I can do it?”. It was settled, and the bands first practice would happen in March 2016. Nick M had found someone to play bass, but on the day of practice the guy was a no show. So he went upstairs to his brother Evan’s room, and asked if he could learn a couple songs and fill in for the day. Evan agreed, and came down to join the practice. He was only in 6th grade at the time, which Nick feared would be turn off to the other guys. However once they started playing, they almost immediately realized that this was the lineup, and actually began to write a song on that same day…The band would perform for the first time in Barrington, NJ on April 28, 2016.
IN THE SUMMER OF 2016…the band spent most of their time in their rehearsal space, which was Nick and Evan’s basement. They would learn cover songs, and continue to write music. The process would typically be, Adam or Nick G would come in with a song that had chords and drafted lyrics, which would then be refined and structured at practice. Their main place to play was in Wildwood, NJ, at a pier that contained a stage run by The School of Rock. This would give them a proper space to learn how to perform, see what songs felt good and didn’t feel good, and in general, make mistakes without worry.
the band practicing in Nick and Evan’s Basement (2016)
Playing at Voltage Lounge in Philly (November 2016)
2017
11:11 STUDIOS & EP 1
WHILE THE BAND WAS STARTING OUT… Nick and Evan’s Dad (also a musician) was building a studio space in the basement. Their Father was a passionate believer in the band, and wanted to build a space for the boys to create music without any overhead. It took the entirety of 2016 to build, and in March of 2017 it was finally complete. “11:11 Studios” was packed with its very own vocal booth, drum room, and control room, all fully soundproof from the rest of the house. Once all the equipment was moved in, the band began recording their first EP, “I’d Die For You”. The EP was recorded between March - July 2017, and was released on August 1, 2017. All of the recordings were done by the boys, and mixed by Nick and Evan’s dad. The record is considered by the band now, as their “greatest hits” of all the songs they wrote during their first year as a band. They would do a small tour, playing mainly in Philly along with a show in NYC and South NJ.
11:11 Studio under construction (2016)
THE EP, “THERE IS NO TIME FOR ROMANCE”… Was recorded between April - September 2018 at their home studio. This was the first release where the boys took full control of the recording, producing, mixing, and mastering. They would spend many all nighters at the studio, working for hours then sitting in Nick M’s car at 3am to hear how the mixes were sounding. The title of the record came to them while the boys were eating at a P.J Whelihan’s. Adam saw an image on his phone that had the title written on top, after he showed the guys it was an immediate yes from everyone. The recording process was a huge learning experience for the band.
Sleep House w/ Hate Drugs (CA) after their show in Tampa (2018)
11:11 Studios (2017)
2018
THE FIRST TOUR AND EP 2
AFTER THE RELEASE OF “IDFY”… The boys didn’t stop recording and already had plans for their next EP. They would also plan their first ever tour, which would happen during their Spring Break since they were all still in school. In April, they would tour the east coast starting in Brooklyn, NY and ending in Tampa, FL. Being able to play consistently, and seeing the adventure of tour was massive for the boys. It helped them refine the batch of songs they had been working on for the next EP, and come back to the studio with gobs of inspiration.
2019
SINGLES + GROWING IN PHILLY
Performing in Wildwood, NJ (2017)
Sleep House @ Smith’s Olde Bar (2018)
AFTER THE RELEASE OF “THERE IS NO TIME FOR ROMANCE”… The band began writing more songs with the intention of releasing them as singles throughout the year. The songs that came from this were “I Hate That I Miss You”, “Don’t You Cry”, “Pano-319”, and “Stephanie”. These songs were a big stepping stone, as the boys had been putting in their homework on youtube and other platforms, learning how to properly mix and produce their music. You can hear the growth in these songs when compared to their previous efforts. Along with these new songs, the band saw themselves getting a steady diet of shows for the first time in their careers. Their main stay being at Creep Records in Philly, where the band would play once, maybe two or three times a month throughout the year. This would be yet another major learning experience for the boys, being able to get more reps live and discover how their songs feel and sound in front of an audience.
