Colorful lights wash over the stage as the guitarists finish tuning, and the sharp crack of drumsticks signals the start of alwaysneverstays’ set. A small crowd anxiously waits in the dimly lit Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio. 

Gaining over 19,000 plays on Spotify for their first single released last year, the local self-described “geek rock” band, alwaysneverstays, plans to release an album and launch a tour this year, spreading their geek rock.

“I came up with geek rock as a joke,” 22-year-old vocalist Gabe Houston said. “Honestly, I think it fits in the sense that we’re rock, but we’re also just a bunch of nerds making rock music about geeky and nerdy topics and idiosyncratic stuff.”

The group consists of Houston, 20-year-old guitarist Connor Freeman, 20-year-old guitarist Ian Coxon, 21-year-old drummer Zakk Gilmore and 20-year-old bassist Angel Demello.

They began making music in January 2024, when Freeman and Coxon started casually playing jam sessions with a drummer who no longer plays for the band.

A month later, the two approached Houston at a local show featuring the band Jockey. During the performance, Houston grabbed the microphone to scream alongside the vocalist.

“They came up to me asking if I was the one screaming into the mic,” Houston said. “He said they were trying to start a band, and asked if I would be the vocalist. I said sure.”

After that, Freeman said, “Everything fell into place,” and crafted the band name after the song “Never Will Come For Us” by Braid.

“I really liked that song in the process of making the band,” Freeman said. “That’s how we got our name. It wasn’t a hallelujah moment, it’s not too crazy.”

The group released their first single “demo” on April 4, 2024, featuring three songs titled: “sonic,”“disk drive” and “hindenburg.”

“sonic” was their first completed song. Houston said he was inspired by a Sega Genesis console and thought of its old slogan, “Genesis does what Nintendon't,” which became one of the lyrics.

“I was looking at a CRT television, and I saw that Sonic on a Sega Genesis was playing,” Houston said. “I was like, huh, this works. It’s nice and catchy and kind of iconic.”

Gilmore, their newest member, joined last fall. Alongside alwaysneverstays, he is a member of seven other local bands.

“I feel like I get a lot of momentum from hearing what [the band] writes,” Gilmore said. “I love working with as many people as possible.”

Gilmore said the group is very collaborative and that their songs have a “lot of personality in them.”

“None of the songs ever really feel like they’re someone in particular’s songs; they always feel like the band’s songs,” Gilmore said. “I didn't write some of these songs, but I love playing them because they're just so characteristic.”

According to them, alwaysneverstays is not a band of one genre or influence, with each member having different inspirations and styles they draw upon.

Houston said his vocals are inspired by the style of early 2000s metal bands, and that he enjoys “stuff that’s really textural from the throat.” 

This year, alwaysneverstays plans to “keep the momentum going.” The band said a new album is in the works to be released later this year. Following the release, they plan to tour outside of Texas. 

Their latest concert was on Jan. 17 at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios and their next is at the same venue on Feb. 13. 

At their shows, Freeman, Demello and Coxon remain steady pillars while Houston moves energetically, bending, swaying and sometimes crouching headfirst to the floor.

“My favorite part about being in a band is the fact that I'm able to bear myself to the world, or to the select people who wanted to hear us and hear me belt and scream,” Houston said.

This year, Houston aims to "make his mark on the world” with the rest of alwaysneverstays.

“I feel like we're starting to do that,” Houston said. “I think we have something cool and special here. For however long it lasts, I'm gonna cherish and be grateful for all of it.”