Story by Tim Campbell
Remember the early 2000’s? For many, this a time when the auto industry hadn’t fallen on its face yet and
you couldn’t escape that proud sense of patriotism. For many people in their late 20’s/early 30’s, it was a
time where your local vet’s hall was turned into a Pop Punk sanctuary every Saturday night. Kids piled into
church basements across the country to hear a sound that was a major departure from the radio rock of the
time. Times may change, but for Columbus, Ohio, Pop Punk band WE ARE THE MOVIES, it is still that magical
era.
WE ARE THE MOVIES formed in 2011 by guitarist TIM WATERS and ASA SHADDIX, as well as bassist
STEPHEN GOLDSTEIN. Waters and Shaddix both cut their teeth musically by touring the country in a Punk
band called NOTHING LESS, and Goldstein was a veteran of the Midwest Punk/Hardcore scene when the
group formed. Drummer BRYAN OVERHOLT joined the group in 2012, and the lineup was complete.
The combination created a sound based on strong song writing. Powerful performances filled with passion
and energy are a guarantee when WE ARE THE MOVIES takes the stage.
In the summer of 2014, Shaddix left the group focus on family. Guitarists MIKE O’LEARY and DAN
MCMILLAN were brought into the fold to round out the current lineup. Not only did this increase the band in
terms of numbers, but took the stage show to a whole new level. This allowed Water’s the freedom, at a
moment’s notice, to be a pure front man or give the band a three guitar attack that takes their music to
another level.
When asked about the experience of a We Are The Movies’ live set, O’Leary said “We want to put on a show
that displays a high level of skill, energy, and fun--the kind that people talk to other people about and spread
the word organically, because it's just too good NOT to talk about. We want to write songs we love, and love
to play. We want to drink good beer and spirits and toast every person that comes to see us--and have them
know that they are as much a part of the show as we are.”
The band’s sound is modern Pop/Punk at its finest. Catchy power Pop hooks flow beautifully into frantic
Punk energy. Each song is more addictive than the next. In terms of song construction, they structure
material in a fashion usually reserved for bands who work with in-demand producers. What makes that so
impressive is the fact that they write and record everything on their own. In August 2013, they released
“Ending One Moment At A Time”. The entire record was engineered and produced by the band and by Water’s