Local heavy metal band Odyssey finds longevity

Jerrick Crites met Jordan and Lukas Hilker at a mutual friend’s birthday party in the summer of 2006. At the party, they played together and clicked. In 2007, the boys started jamming together and formed Odyssey that summer.

It’s unusual for a band to play together one year, let alone seven. In this Q-and-A, bass player Jordan Hilker revealed some of the secrets of the band’s success.

Q: After seven years what keeps this band going?

A: We have shared a passion for creating music. Over the years, we have pushed one another to become better, and that keeps us motivated.

Q: Do you have part-time jobs?

A: We all work full-time jobs. I work for the Spokane Public Library’s Outreach Department, Lukas works for Coca-Cola in their warehouse and Jerrick cleans people’s homes.

Q: Does Odyssey have goals?

A: Our goal is to have fun and to continue to write the best music we can.

Q: Any suggestions for an up-and-coming band?

A: Make as many connections as you can, take as many opportunities as possible and be willing to swallow your pride and work hard.

Q: Odyssey is a progressive heavy metal band; would you like to add anything to the sound?

A: About the only thing we add here and there are layers of guitar or keyboards or sounds. Maybe we’ll experiment down the road with adding in electronics elements that we would control.

Q: In your seven years what is the strangest thing that has happened?

A: In Olympia we pulled up to a house painted completely black, all the furniture was on the lawn, there was a plastic goat nailed to the roof, VHS tape was hung up all over the interior. It looked and felt sketchy but turned out to be a fun show with a good atmosphere and good people.