Could you please state your name and what you do in Gentlemen and Scholars?

I am Wes Beach, I sing and dance for the band. Adam handles the lead guitar, and Pat backs him up on rhythm. Kyle plays drums hard. And Jeremiah rounds us out with his bass grooves and backup, sometimes co-vocals.

What’s a story from tour that you find yourself telling often?

Breaking into and climbing to the top of a clock tower on a Christian college campus was fun. But, more memorable would be our story from Kansas. After playing a great show we were given beer tickets and had much more after they were gone. On the way back to the van, Adam drunkenly stumbles and somehow gets lost in this small city. His phone was dead so we had to split up into search parties and eventually found him lying asleep under a tree. He had ended up talking to girls there and passed out with his head on one of their shoulders. After we left, we pulled over and he took that as a sign to get out. He fell long and hard down a steep hill off the side of the road. Laughs were had by all.

What’s an album or artist you can’t stop listening to?

It would have to be Saves the Day, hands down. The melodies are just so catchy it’s impossible to ignore. And the way they experiement with style changes so flawlessly is incredible. They are always looking to improve and refine their sound.

What/who are your main musical influences?

Our music can at times be all over the place, so we really draw from a wide spectrum. We have influences of Glassjaw, and Every Time I Die in some songs. And when we slow it down we pull from artists like My Morning Jacket, As Tall As Lions and Forgive Durden. An overall goal with future albums is to weave these our different styles together to form a free flowing Gentlemen and Scholars genre.

What do you aim to accomplish with your music?

Artistically, we’d like to create an relatable musical experience for the fan. Meaning, to make a song speak for those listening to it. It doesn’t just have to be the lyrics, it can be the mood and the performance that speaks.

Why did you all start playing music?

Well most of us are from a small town where meth and ignorance are the norm. Music became a outlet for escape from the sometimes vile nature of the back country. As far as myself, music and shows were a release for me. Punk and hardcore kids screaming and punching their messages out actually connected with me and opened up to a whole world of music that was previously unknown.

If you could compose a tour lineup for you to be a part of, who else would be on it?

Saves the Day, Glassjaw, As Tall As Lions, Gentlemen and Scholars, annnnnd Eddie Money.

What are the band’s plans for the near future?

We are currently in talks to get started on another album for Torque Records and this time with 100X more touring. The band is all losing our minds sitting at home waiting for things to be worked out. But expect new music and the same ol’ smiling and sometimes bleeding faces you are used to on the road.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Anyone can message me personally on Myspace or Facebook (www.myspace.com/gentlemenandscholars www.facebook.com/wesleybeach) if you want a free download of some tracks from the new album. The money doesn’t matter, the music does!