By Jennifer Sembler
"It all started with me, Tom, and Greg. We formed the band in eighth grade and then Brandon and Chris joined later," says Andrew Turro, guitarist for Under Surveillance. The band is comprised of Greg Pellizzi, Andrew Turro, Chris Ortiz, Brandon Kamin, and Tom Corsaro, all sophomores at South Side High School, except for Kamin who attends South High School in Valley Stream. The increasingly popular band plays in clubs in Brooklyn and all over Long Island, with aspirations of moving on to bigger venues and hopefully the big-time, following in the footsteps of other Long Island bands such as Brand New and Taking Back Sunday.
"We call ourselves alternative, modern rock with some 'emo' influences in there," said Brandon Kamin, guitarist. "We have all of these different styles but after a while we fade out certain ones and have our core style," said Pellizzi. While they figure out how to pin down their genre, Under Surveillance is also working on building a fan base. "Most of our fans are people we know personally so now we're looking to find 'fans' - people we don't even know who like our music," said Kamin. This summer they plan to record more professional tracks and play more gigs on Long Island to increase their exposure. As of now, Under Surveillance has recorded a two song EP that they hand out whenever they play a venue.
Each member has a hand in composing the music for the band and writes their own part, which is either used for a new song or stashed for later. Ortiz, singer and lyricist, often comes up with lyrics on a whim. "They'll come up with the music, and I'll sing lyrics on the spot," he said. Song lyrics vary from politics to depression to confidence and ambition. Influences among the members include Brandon Boyd for Ortiz, Jimi Hendrix for Kamin, and Neil Peart and Travis Barker for drummer Corsaro. "We all listen to a wide variety, which can help and hurt," said Turro. "You get different ideas from listening to everything, but our different tastes influence our parts. When you have one part that's a totally different style, it stands out so much."
Plans for the future vary among the members. Some would like to forgo college for a chance at touring and possibly getting signed. "I'd like to take a year off [after high school] and tour. If we get signed, then I wouldn't go to college," says Kamin. Others are holding out for studies in music. "I'd like to go to college for music," Corsaro says with a nod. However, no matter where they individually end up, as a band, "We would love to hit it big," says Turro.
Upcoming shows include The Hook in Red Hook, Brooklyn on May 13 at 8 p.m., Vibe Lounge in Rockville Centre on May 20 at 5 p.m., and Glen Cove Lanes in Glen Cove on June 9 at 8:30 p.m.. The show at The Hook will be the third round semi-finals for an ongoing Battle of the Bands. Under Surveillance previously placed second in a Battle of the Bands in Garden City. For more info, check them out at myspace.com/undersurveillance
