Session has been building quite a following, up and down California in the past two years, and in 2011 they won a month-long competition to become the 104.1 KFRR New Rock FM house band. Session is frequently featured on the station and it has helped to spread their music. They are at a point in their career where they are the opening for big acts such as BUSH, Of Mice and Men, and Suicidal Tendencies.

They deliver their mash up of hard rock, funk and soul with a garage rock attitude that makes them a definite crowd favorite. Session can jam out songs that express some intense emotions and sentiments but they are also a very technical and precise band.

Session consists of brothers Jordan (vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Poytress (guitar), Patrick Raley (bass), and Codie Collins (drums).

Jordan and Patrick played together in high school and shortly thereafter, Jeremiah started to play the guitar. In 2008 they started a band with two other members but after a short while it was just Jordan, Jeremiah and Patrick again. In November 2009 Codie Collins, a friend of the band, was invited to an audition and was then asked to join the group. The band Session had been born.

They began practicing twice a week, and had their first gig in 2010 during an open mic night at the Babylon club in Fresno where they played a four-song set. Session would then play anywhere they could and they built their reputations in all the clubs, bars, house parties and events in Fresno.

Session has made a sound that is all their own. The simplest way to describe their music would have to be soul-rock. They write all of their own songs and they have a hard rock sound that is edgy and modern that taps into a soulful and rhythmic blues sound that as Session puts it, “evokes emotion in the soul.”

Guitarist Jeremiah Poytress says that their style of music has been growing more fine-tuned and tight since they began.

“Our song writing has become more refined and mature lyrically,” says Poytress. “We usually don’t try to write a song in any particular style though; it’s just whatever comes out.”

The scratching rhythm guitar of Jordan is layered perfectly with the lead guitar of Jeremiah. Jeremiah solos with some whaling sustained notes and complex riffs that bounce off of Jordan’s guitar work. Patrick provides heavy but steady bass lines that provide a hip rhythm that compliments the guitar and drum work. The percussions of Codie have the energy and boom of hard rock but the precision and spontaneity of jazz, and he doesn’t leave out the use of symbols which leaves a very resonant drum performance.

Jordan has a cool voice that is smooth and mellow but it is also capable of some good range. He can hold a note and can have a softer, calmer voice or one is that is full, raw and gritty. Jordan has a strong rock voice that carries his lyrics of life, love, and girls. He says that he gains inspiration from his past experiences.

“My life inspires my music, the mood I’m in determines the feel of the song, what I write about typically reflects my life experience,” Jordan says.

Session recorded and released their first EP through Pyramid records in Fresno in July of 2012. They have sold a solid amount of copies and are promoting their music via concerts, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Session is currently working on a four-song EP to follow-up on their debut EP and will be pitching to some recording companies in hopes of getting signed to a label. They hope to find a producer, but until they do, they will keep on trying to build their fan base and send their music to recording companies.

“All we can do is play live shows and build our fan base, and send our EP’s to labels and hope they hear something they like,” says Jeremiah. “Until something like that were to happen though, we’re pretty much sticking to the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) method.”

Session is currently recording their second EP album and they will be opening for Chevelle at this year’s Fresno Fair, while continuing to make new music.

As drummer Codie Collins puts it, “We just want to keep our momentum up and keep moving forward.”