helio, a gutsy young band pushing at the seams of normal and traditional, leaves no stone unturned as they set out to redefine and renew rock music. the saint cloud, minnesota quartet looks to influences such as paramore, breaking benjamin, jack's mannequin, and fellow saint john's university rock band quietdrive, all the while continuing to push familiar ideas and sound to extremes.
the concept of the band was conceived in saint louis, missouri when high school sophomore benjamin jude and junior justin manion began playing acoustic guitars together, writing their own music, and developing a unique energy and sincerity that caught the attention of all within earshot. it began in church parking lots, progressed to garages and basements, and in the summer of 2007 exploded into an exhilarating reality in jude's "blue room studios" with the recording of the band's debut record, BLUE CAN SPEAK.
upon arrival at saint john's university in minnesota, filling the stage proved to be no problem. justin, now a "focus" missionary at the university of kansas, remains a part of the band's production, although he is unable to play with the band regularly. the helio of today boasts ryan urlick and leng moua on guitars, matt peterson on bass guitar, and collegeville native ben roske on drums.
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