Conventional wisdom says the beaten path is often the safest. However, in the creation of the band GIVEN, conventional wisdom was thrown out the window. “There have always been these ‘tried and true’ methods for doing things in the music business,” says GIVEN founder and frontman, Matt Steele, “things that you are just supposed to do if you want to ‘make it.’ I guess I’m just not a conventional person, and don’t care to be.”  An accurate assessment. If nothing else, GIVEN was born as much out of sheer stubbornness and determination as it was simply out of the mind of a dreamer.
    Matt began his musical journey in his teens, playing in garage bands, and - later - the club scene of his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Feeding off an early education in rock (fueled by the music his decade-older brothers exposed him to as a child), Matt earned a reputation as an energetic performer and dynamic guitarist.
    “I eventually got tired of the constant ups-and-downs,” he says, “it always seemed like the fate of whatever band I was in ended up resting with someone else, and whatever their decisions were. Every band is a lesson in compromise, but I always felt like - in the end - I had compromised so much that I either lost myself, or the original direction of the group.”
    Steele then made a tough decision: it was time to put an end to the band that had been his world for the last several years, and take some time to reflect. It didn’t take long. Within a week, he had written and recorded a new song on his own, which led to another decision: to follow his heart. And what a ride that has been.
    This new decision began with a lot of work. Matt took to building a recording studio in his new home, spending hours – often after a full day at work – putting the space together that would become the foundation of everything yet to come.
    Once it was complete, and fully outfitted, Steele then enlisted the aid of former bandmate Fred Michalczak to provide the drumming tracks for the new material. Fred’s schedule only made him available one night a week, but the pair made the most of it. “Fred and I have always had great chemistry,” he says, “We got most of the tracks in a couple of takes, and even nailed a track he hadn’t even heard in only three. That’s the kind of player he is.”
    From there, and aside from some rhythm guitar contributions from friend Todd Walker, Steele continued on the project alone, laying the guitars, bass and vocal tracks to completion. The result was what would become the band GIVEN and the CD “The Soul Reason.”
    “I chose ‘GIVEN’ based on one of my wife’s poems, because it reflects a personal philosophy,” Steele explains, “just a basic core belief that our Creator created us to create - whether it’s art, music, or designing a better plunger. So, basically, we are given that ability to do with as we choose. Some people choose other things, I chose LOUD music (laughs).”

    When time came to put together a band, Michalczak and Walker could not commit, so Matt rounded out the band with another drummer – Eddie Worden – who brought his brother, Bobby, along. Bobby’s attitude and work ethic impressed, and he was in.
    The band’s first year saw a flurry of activity, with the CD release on indie label Bone Tree Records, and numerous shows in and around the band’s hometown. But personal and financial problems, and eventual lineup changes, slowed the band down. When Eddie Worden left the band, Fred Michalczak’s phone rang again. This time, he agreed to join. “We work so well together,” Matt says, “Fred brings that chemistry and a certain level of musicianship to the band. Plus, he recorded the material, so who better?”
    By the time 2005 came around, the band again found themselves in search of another member. Finding a bass player was a concern, but circumstances led the band to Rob Molina, who was a co-worker of Matt’s. Already a talented blues guitarist, Rob had been playing bass in a couple of bands and, when Matt heard about it, asked him to jam with the band. The chemistry was instantly noticeable, and RobZilla was born.
   
    The band’s philosophy is simple: play live and play loud! Combining influences past and present, GIVEN has forged a live sound that is dynamic and explosive. With the rhythm section reborn, the band thunders through their live set with abandon and volume.
    “We make no bones about it,” Steele explains, “we want people to leave our shows with their jaws dropped and their ears ringing. We want to make people forget about their lives for a moment and have some fun. You can’t think about how bad your day was while your senses are being assaulted. That’s how it works for me when I plug in and put the amps on ’10.’ If we can bring that same sense of escape and excitement to the audience, we’re happy.”
    “GIVEN is a rock band, pure and simple,” he continues, “we don’t care what people call us in terms of labels or genres, we write and play this stuff because we like it, and whatever it sounds like to others is irrelevant. This is about the band sharing what we do with an audience, not playing whatever someone tells us is flavor of the month.”
    Getting their feet firmly back under them and with some powerful and aggressive new material added to the live set, GIVEN stands poised to continue bringing their brand of rock to the music world.