The Tallahassee local Latin and alt-rock band Flying Bison is in the early stages of their career, but they’re already gaining a large fan base and lots of gigs. Flying Bison is made up of six FSU students: Nico Rodriguez (Guitar/Lead Vocals), Juan Pablo Gomez-Sanchez, or JP (Alto Saxophone/Vocals), Santi Marulanda (Piano), Chris Castellanos (Guitar), Joey Remillard (Bass), and JC Hannon (Drum Set). Her Campus had the privilege of getting to chat with the rising stars about their music and hopes for the future. Before we jump in, here’s a little bit about each member of the group.
JP, the co-founder/leader of Flying Bison, is an ex-FSU jazz student who is currently studying Psychology. He opted to form his own band with his friends because he says by making his own way, he truly feels like he is “making it” in the music world. Nico, originally from Colombia, moved to Florida at age 13 and has recently graduated from FSU with a Master’s in Media and Communication. He says he loves to write and sing about his own experiences— specifically, the way he views the world. Santi, another Colombian native, graduated from FSU with a degree in Commercial Music playing jazz piano. He told us his passion “lies in composing music and being able to create songs that are a reflection of my life and musical experiences while trying to have an own unique sound.”
JC is also a graduate of the FSU Commercial Music program and is currently working towards an MBA here as well. He started off in music by switching around instruments a lot, but eventually landed on drum set where he found a true passion for music. Christian is an avid music enthusiast and the official guitar ambassador of N.J. A fun fact about him is that his spirit animal is a seal. Lastly, Joey, says he is “a self-proclaimed hippie that’s been playing bass for over seven years.”
After hearing a bit about each member, we were ready to dive into the good stuff about Flying Bison:
Her Campus (HC): How exactly did you guys form this band? How did you found the group and get a working band going?
Flying Bison (FB): Flying Bison was officially formed by Nico Rodriguez and Juan Gomez during the fall semester of 2022. We decided to become the bilingual alternative rock band that proposes a different sound and experience in Tallahassee. It’s been difficult to find the people who would fit both the sound and identity Flying Bison is all about. We’ve gone through several different musicians (especially drummers) but we finally found a group of the right guys.
HC: Okay, I’m dying to know, what’s the story behind the name?
FB, Nico: I am a big fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender and one day out of nowhere I was thinking of one of my favorite characters (Appa) and thought about how cool “Flying Bison” sounds. I also thought it gave off a cool vibe like Arctic Monkeys.
HC: What can you tell me about the kind of music you guys like to make and play?
FB, Nico: Flying Bison’s music and sets consist of a melting pot of different genres and languages. One of our main motivations was that we wanted to give Tallahassee a taste of our amazing Hispanic and Latin musical culture. Additionally, we wear our jazz influence on our sleeve, with three of our members being involved in FSU’s jazz school. The short and sweet answer is that we are a Latin rock/alternative rock band with a heavy jazz influence.
HC: What’s it looking like for any original songs? I know starting you’ve done a lot of great covers, but when can we expect a full set list of original music?
FB, Nico: We have plenty of originals that Nico and Santi have been working on for years. It’s only a matter of a bit of time before perfect them all as a group. Each member must serve the songs with the best arrangements they possibly can.
HC: What are some of the hopes and dreams for the future of the group?
FB, JP: While the band is in Tallahassee, our band members are entirely based in South Florida, specifically West Palm and Broward counties. I still wish to play shows with the Bison after I graduate from FSU because this is a project that I believe in and is very personal and intimate to me. The group that I have found for this project has been better than anything I could ask for, and I am proud of each and every single member for their talents and dedication. Each member is bound to do great things, and I would love to be a part of that journey with them.
FB, Nico: Hopes and dreams are to be rockstars, live off of music, and tour and travel to different countries all around the globe playing our songs.
You can find Flying Bison on Instagram here and check out their upcoming shows!
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