Draft:Just Fan Fiction

Just Fan Fiction
Just Fan Fiction in 2024. Left to right: Adrian Cabo, Blake Hill, Ollie Mira (bottom), Kevin Mars
Background information
Origin	Katy, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk, Indie Rock
Years active	2021-Present
Members	Blake Hill Kevin Mars Adrian Cabo Ollie Mira
Past members	Michael Schwin Spencer Ray Selph Devin Holden Jacob Cardinal Quinlan Rawles

Just Fan Fiction is an American rock band formed in 2021 in Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Their current line-up consists of founder, guitarist, and vocalist Blake Hill, bassist Kevin Mars, drummer Adrian Cabo, and guitarist and vocalist Ollie Mira. Although they can loosely be described as a rock band, they have stated they don't want to limit themselves to one genre, instead taking influence from any and all types of music. The band themselves primarily describes their music as based on Alternative rock, Pop-punk, Nu metal, Power pop, and even some Jazz and Country music.

After the end of Hill's previous musical projects, The Hostile Redemption and Reckless & Royal, he and keyboardist Michael Schwin formed a new band, initially as an acoustic duo dubbed The Semi-Charmed Life paying tribute to Third Eye Blind. As they began writing original material, they named themselves Just Fan Fiction and started performing locally around Houston, Texas. The name originated from Hill, who, after a challenging time in his personal life, would deflect character attacks by responding, "Whatever you heard about me is just fan fiction." As the duo's popularity grew, they recruited a full live band, transforming songs originally crafted on acoustic guitar and piano into fully realized compositions with electric guitar, bass, synthesizers, and drums. Hill, the primary lyricist, writes about universally relatable themes, such as the beginnings and endings of relationships, nostalgia, alcoholism, betrayal, and anything else that personally inspires him.

As of October of 2024, the band has released 6 singles: "Concerts", "Beautiful in Blue", and "The Background" in 2022; "Katy, Katy, Katy" and "Adolescence" in 2023; and "Dance Like That" in 2024. They are known for their energetic live shows and Hill's heart-on-his-sleeve stage presence.

History

Pre-Just Fan Fiction

Failure To Notice (2008-2016)

Blake Hill formed his first band, Failure To Notice, during his Freshman year in high school with friends Adrian Cabo on drums and Quinlan Rawles on guitar. After releasing two EPs and performing around Houston, the band gradually fell apart when Rawles moved away to attend college. In the fall of 2012, Hill met Kevin Mars while working at Papa John's Pizza, when a blink 182 tattoo on Hill's forearm sparked a conversation that led to them bonding over their love of the band and pop-punk music. In late 2015, Hill, Mars, and Cabo reunited to attempt a revival of Failure To Notice, with Rawles even coming into town to help record what would be their final single, "Sarah", released in early 2016. However, family, work, and other commitments slowed down and eventually halted the revival of Failure To Notice.

The Hostile Redemption (2017-2021)

The Hostile Redemption in 2019. Left to right: Jacob Cardinal, Kevin Mars, Blake Hill, Jose Lopez, Adrian Cabo

At the beginning of 2017, Blake Hill met guitarists Jose Alejandro Chirinos Lopez and Herbert Castillo Fuentes, along with drummer John Mangini. Together with bassist Kevin Mars, the five formed a new band, The Hostile Redemption, in late February 2017. After writing four original songs and practicing a collection of pop-punk covers, they played their first show that summer. With the addition of a fifth original song, they planned to record a debut EP. Although they found a studio and recorded five tracks, the band was unhappy with the results, so the recordings were never released. Shortly afterward, Castillo Fuentes decided to leave the band and was replaced by Adrian Cabo, who took on guitar instead of drums. The band continued to play local shows around the Houston area, recording their first official single, "Run Away", with Kenny Gardner of Murder on Tape Audio. Soon after recording their second single "B.U.M.U.R.", drummer Mangini announced he and his wife would be moving back to Ohio to be closer to family as they were planning to start one of their own. After Mangini's departure, Hill reached out to Jacob Cardinal, an old friend from another band active during Failure To Notice's initial run. Although Cardinal had been dormant in the music scene, he agreed to return and became The Hostile Redemption's official drummer. After learning the two singles and five additional original songs, the band returned to Murder on Tape Audio to record a five-song EP titled Reflections, that was released on September 28th, 2019.

After the release of the EP, things began to decline for the band. No new music was written or recorded, and Hill was going through a difficult time, having separated from his wife on the day he recorded his vocals for Reflections. The only new song attempted during this period would later be rewritten as "Beautiful In Blue". Since the song was about his divorce, other band members felt Hill's lyrics were too dark for The Hostile Redemption's typically lighthearted vibe, and the song was never completed by the band. Although the band was starting to gain traction in the local music scene, their growth was halted in the spring of 2020, along with many other things amidst the shutdowns caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. They decided to take a break until things started to return to normal. During this downtime, Hill used the opportunity to complete an early version of "Beautiful In Blue" on his own. After recording the initial tracks, he shared the demo with friend and former Failure To Notice bassist Evan Sampere, who expressed interest in playing music again. Sampere contributed his vocals for part of the song, including a rap in the second verse. Hill and Sampere released the song, and formed a musical duo called Reckless & Royal. They began performing local shows once the bars and venues started reopening, but in May of 2021, a personal falling out between the two led to the immediate break up of the short-lived duo. Hill later shared his perspective of this in the lyrics of Just Fan Fiction's song, "Brutus". Just before this, in April 2021, The Hostile Redemption reunited and resumed rehearsals. Despite a strong return, including well-received opening gigs for Saving Abel and Lit, the band struggled to regain its previous momentum. Following an argument between Hill and Chirinos Lopez, Hill quit the band, and the remaining members decided to go on an indefinite hiatus rather than attempt to find a replacement. The announcement to officially end The Hostile Redemption was made on October 3rd, 2021.

Initial Formation (2021-2022)

Blake and Michael Performing in 2021

After the end of Reckless & Royal and The Hostile Redemption, Hill found himself at a low point in his personal life, facing a failed engagement, an unexpected pregnancy, and falling out with several friends. Following a failed suicide attempt, Hill was visited at his home by his old high school friend, Michael Schwin. Together, they played some Third Eye Blind songs with Schwin on piano and Hill on acoustic guitar and vocals. They eventually decided to start performing as an acoustic Third Eye Blind duo, naming the project The Semi-Charmed Life. Starting in the fall of 2021, they began playing shows around Houston. After incorporating original songs into their set, they changed the band name to Just Fan Fiction. The name originated from Hill's response to the many character attacks he faced on social media at the time; his go-to response became, “Whatever you heard about me is just fan fiction.” The first song they reworked was "Beautiful In Blue" from Hill’s former project, Reckless & Royal. Since he owned the rights to the song, and Sampere was no longer involved, Hill went back to Murder on Tape Audio, re-recorded Sampere’s vocal parts, added a new intro, and rebranded it as a Just Fan Fiction song. He also completed another song he had begun writing during his time in Reckless & Royal. "Concerts" was released on May 27th, 2022, as Just Fan Fiction's first official single, followed by "Beautiful In Blue" on June 3rd, 2022. In late summer, Hill and Schwin returned to Murder on Tape Audio to record their third single - a piano and vocal cover of Third Eye Blind’s "The Background", a nod to the band's tribute origins. The cover was released on September 15th, 2022.

Full Band Lineup (2022)

Just Fan Fiction's first full band lineup in 2022. Left to right: Michael Schwin, Blake Hill, Spencer Selph, Kevin Mars, Devin Holden

As Hill and Schwin continued to perform acoustic shows around Houston, they also began searching for additional musicians to complete a full band lineup of Just Fan Fiction. Hill and Schwin intended to remain the core members, while bringing on live musicians to expand the sound for their shows. This changed once the duo decided embracing the contributions of the other members was the right move. The first official addition came in the form of Spencer Ray Selph on lead guitar. Hill and Selph had first met in 2019 when Selph ran sound for a Hostile Redemption show at BFE Rock Club. Both were going through divorces at the time, and bonded over their shared experiences. Hill then reached out to former Hostile Redemption bassist, Kevin Mars, who was happy to join. As for a drummer, Hill's initial choice was Jacob Cardinal, but Selph suggested asking Devin Holden, formerly of local Houston band Hold On Hollywood. Holden accepted, and Just Fan Fiction's full lineup gathered for their first rehearsal on October 9th, 2022. A few weeks later, they played their first full band show on October 28th, 2022.

Recording & Lineup Changes (2023-2024)

Just Fan Fiction in 2023. Left to right: Spencer, Kevin, Jacob, Blake, Michael

After deciding on their next single - and first as a full band - the group recorded "Katy, Katy, Katy" in late December, with Holden leading production. The track was later released on February 25th, 2023. However, early in the new year, the band underwent several changes. On January 14th, Holden unexpectedly quit following an argument with Selph. Hill quickly brought in Jacob Cardinal as the drummer, who played the next two shows but couldn't commit to the band long-term. Before his peaceful departure in late February, Cardinal reached out to fellow ex-Hostile Redemption bandmate Adrian Cabo to replace him. Cabo, who had played guitar in The Hostile Redemption and drums in Failure to Notice, was excited about returning to live performance. In fact, he eagerly called Hill to ask when practice would start even before Cardinal told the band he was leaving. Despite not having played drums in over ten years, Cabo performed with Just Fan Fiction by mid-March. By late March, the next single was recorded at Magik Studios, produced by Karim Khorsheed, a friend of Selph's. On April 8th, 2023, a music video for "Katy, Katy, Katy" was released on YouTube, followed by their fifth single, "Adolescence", on June 9th, 2023. A music video made up of studio footage for "Adolescence" was subsequently uploaded to YouTube on June 19th, 2023.

Just Fan Fiction performing at The Wildcatter Saloon on October 15th, 2023. Left to right: Quinlan, Adrian, Blake, Kevin

Soon after recording his keyboard parts for "Adolescence", Michael Schwin announced that he would be departing the band due to scheduling conflicts. He played his final show on April 7th, and officially parted on good terms on April 10th, 2023. Schwin left with an open invitation to rejoin anytime. However, tensions began to surface among some of the remaining band members. At first, Hill and Selph had gotten along quite well. Although they didn’t always see eye to eye, both were highly motivated and shared a strong friendship. Despite this, Hill continued writing without consulting Selph, and the friction grew between them. In late April 2023, tensions reportedly came to a head with a verbal argument between Cabo and Selph. Hill wrestled with his feelings regarding Selph, but in the meantime they continued to practice. After fulfilling their obligation to their next couple of shows, Hill initiated a conversation with Selph about his dissatisfaction, leading to Selph's departure on June 11th, 2023. Following Selph's exit, Quinlan "Q" Rawles, who had previously played with Hill and Cabo in Failure To Notice, joined as lead guitarist. Having recently moved back to Houston, Rawles brought a managerial attitude to the band, which helped focus their rehearsals. This shift, coupled with an in-ear monitoring system, made the band tighter than ever before. In early 2024, the band recorded "Dance Like That", produced by Devin Holden once again. It was the first song fully written by the new lineup. Another studio-footage music video for "Dance Like That" was released on April 19th, 2024, and the single was officially released the following day, April 20th.

Just Fan Fiction at BFE Rock Club in 2024. Left to right: Kevin, Ollie, Blake, and Adrian

Current Lineup and Future Plans (2024-Present)

On May 2nd, 2024, Rawles spontaneously quit Just Fan Fiction. Although there had been hints that he was considering leaving, the decision came as a surprise to the rest of the band. Plans for recording a full-length album and filming some interviews for a future documentary had to be put on hold as the remaining members discussed how to move forward. They considered several options, including hiring a temporary fill-in guitarist, finding a permanent replacement, or even continuing as a three-piece band, but ultimately decided that Just Fan Fiction needed a second guitarist. A friend, Jeremy "J-Pop" Kennedy, temporarily stepped in for the next two booked shows, but could not devote the time to be a permanent member. Soon after that, a permanent replacement was found in Alejandro Miramontes, also know as "Ollie Mira". Mira, originally from California, started playing guitar in middle school. He moved to Katy, TX his senior year of high school, studied jazz at Texas State University in San Marcos, spent a couple of years in Nashville performing with various bands, and recorded two solo albums. After moving back to Katy in late 2023, he began performing regularly around Houston as a solo acoustic act. Mira reached out to Hill after hearing from a mutual friend that Just Fan Fiction was looking for a guitarist. He immediately clicked with the rest of the band members and officially joined as a full-time member on June 26th, 2024. In addition to his skill at guitar, Mira is also a talented singer, adding a new dimension of vocal harmonizing to the band. Since joining, Mira and Hill have shared vocal duties on most new material.

Mira's experience with cover songs from his solo acoustic gigs also led the rest of the band to expand their setlist with covers, allowing them to book shows as a cover band. For these gigs, where Mira takes the lead, the band created a separate side project called Ollie & The Fiction to differentiate between their original material and cover performances.

Just Fan Fiction is set to release a new single titled "Waiting" on January 3rd, 2025.

Band Members

Current Members

• Blake Hill - Guitar, Vocals (2021-Present)
• Kevin Mars - Bass (2022-Present)
• Adrian Cabo - Drums (2023-Present)
• Ollie Mira - Guitar, Vocals (2024-Present)

Past Members

• Michael Schwin - Keyboards, Synths (2021-2023)
• Spencer Ray Selph - Guitar (2022-2023)
• Devin Holden - Drums (2022-2023)
• Jacob Cardinal - Drums (2023)
• Quinlan Rawles - Guitar (2023-2024)

Timeline

Discography

Singles

• Concerts (2022)
• Beautiful In Blue (2022)
• The Background (2022)
• Katy, Katy, Katy (2023)
• Adolescence (2023)
• Dance Like That (2024)

References