The Councilmen are Keaton York, 23 (guitar/lead vox), Julian Sanchez, 21 (bass/vox), Taylor Haley, 21 (drums). The band formed the summer of 2007, having grown up together in Bakersfield as friends and fellow musicians. The Councilmen being their second collaboration, their first attempt happened during high school.
The band influences range from their personal tastes to an amalgamation of local country roots and universal industry greats such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Crosby Stills and Nash, etc…
The bands focus was to take the energy of progressive rock and power bands and meld it with the attitude of early 60’s 70’s rock before the Monterey festival and iron fisted take over of corporate America that fashioned “the music industry”. The largest part of the band is their live shows. “The Councilmen went on and flippin rocked the joint. They’re sound is so great, a mixture of rock/blues/soul/ and grudge. The sound is totally downtown Bako it smells like beer and leaves you sticky and feeling dizzy like a good downtown bar buzz should.” Bakotopia