band bio
a return to form
finding our way back through music
The 4-piece rock band of childhood friends from the rural town of Charleston, Arkansas are creating progressive, groovy and riff-packed music that they flaunt in high decibel fashion to gatherings around any stage. Their musical story is rooted in their hometown high school marching band, where members Alex Merrill (vocals and bass guitar), Dustin Cano (lead guitar), Chevy Mayner (rhythm guitar), and Austin Wood (drums) began mixing melodies both in the formal and informal sense. Jamming together often times after school, whether at home or in the school's rehearsal spaces, the quartet soon began to discover new ways to grow and express and themselves in their craft.
After nearly a decade full of life and family responsibilities, as well as exploring other musical and professional ventures, the quartet have finally found solace in a space they've always shared spiritually and have initiated the ultimate set-off for the band they've always wanted to form. Since the school days, the members have achieved some musical success prior to the formation of GREEN GAR. Between 2016-2018, Alex Merrill and Dustin Cano performed and recorded as guitarists in the since-dissolved Omaha party-rock band The HYPE, and released one studio album ("Humble Beginnings", 2018). After the band's dissolution due to professional differences, Cano would return to Arkansas to collaborate remotely with Merrill, who continued to write solo material in the U.K. between 2018-2020 under the independent artist and record label Mothership A.M., before returning to Omaha to record and release the debut EP "Architects of Intellect" (2022). Cano is featured on the title track's guitar solo. Mayner and Wood, between 2015-2022 had worked as session musicians and were collaborating on projects with Merrill and Cano over the years, although limited due to other ventures and responsibilities.
It was in the winter of 2022 that everyone found themselves back together in Arkansas once again. What better way to celebrate than to plan a New Years Eve show for friends and family? Since that night, GREEN GAR has quickly become one of their own local scene's most eclectic and entertaining bands to see perform live. With sessions at the legendary SOL Studios in Fort Smith, Arkansas complete, the band expect to release their debut EP in the spring of 2024.