“I hope this song starts a craze/ The kind of song that ignites the airwaves/ The kind of song that makes people glad to be where they are, with whoever they’re there with” -Brand New (I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t)

The crisp September night danced around Kyle’s dusty blue sedan as we raced through the back roads of Spartanburg County. I was staring out the window as Kyle screamed from the front seat, “Amanda Polick! I want you to listen to this band. They’re called Brand New, and they’ll rock your face off.” And they really did. I vividly remember the first moment that I heard “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad”, and from that point everything changed. I still get butterflies in my stomach thinking of that night; the night that I fell madly in love with music. At sixteen, it felt like time was constantly expanding, but so very precious at the same time. That night was the first time that I remember sitting in the moment and knowing that it was a forever kind of moment. And knowing that Kyle was a forever kind of friend.

The last nine years have been filled with endless amounts of mix tapes, epic concerts that left us wanting far more than the three hours of music that we received, and resounding late night chats about our dreams. So, when he told me that he was starting Upstate Recordings and Management (http://www.upstaterecordings.com/) with a friend of ours, I could not have been more excited. Music is his heartbeat, and his passion is supporting local bands. Kyle told me once, “Amanda Polick, I know that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to. I don’t mean that in a cheesy way. It’s the truth.” Well, Kyle Cheleotis, I know that you are changing the music scene in South Carolina, and I could not be prouder to call you my friend. And I know that one September night some girl will fall in love with a band that you produce just like I fell in love with Brand New.