A new band comprised of De Pere HS students has made their way to the local spotlight.
Prayer The Band is a blues/grunge trio that was founded in the spring of 2022 by senior Izaiah Bauer (drums), and juniors Lawson Liedtke (guitar, vocals) and Dane Oslund (bass, backing vocals).
They initially started the band together to share their collective enjoyment of music and similar artists.
“I think it’s a collective love for the same kind of music from 70s blues to 90s grunge,” Oslund explained. “It’s just us putting our own little spin on it.”
Some of these bands include Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, and Led Zeppelin. They also integrated personal inspirations into their playing.
Oslund, for example, stated that he takes inspiration from Metallica’s second bassist, Cliff Burton. Bauer, who had never played drums before starting the band, takes his inspiration from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Liedtke adds flairs of Led Zeppelin and Rush into his playing and vocals.
One of the biggest questions asked about the band was the inspiration behind their name.
“The name Prayer was meant to be a way to throw people off, but it’s become almost ironic now since most local bands are religious,” Liedtke said. He went on to share how the band’s original name was called Heat, but the name never stuck.
One of their best gigs was a short performance during DPHS’s show choir competition Destination: De Pere last February. This was one of their first big crowds with roughly 2,000 people in the gym.
When asked if they were open to performing at Destination: De Pere again, the three were all for the idea.
“Oh, 100 percent. Even if it was just a few minutes,” Bauer stated.
But their biggest by far was their Memorial Day performance at Celebrate De Pere.
“This was the first festival we’ve ever performed at. … Being able to play on a stage like that was one of the best experiences ever,” Oslund confirmed.
For dream performance gigs, the answers varied from staying local with The Sylvee in Madison, Appleton’s Mile of Music, and Summerfest in Milwaukee, all the way to Madison Square Garden and The Sphere.
Liedtke wanted to address that ‘Prayer’ is not just a cover band but rather plays its own original music as well.
“Come to the shows,” Bauer said. ” We find ourselves playing better when we see people we know in the crowd.”
