The Future Unwritten (Formerly The Relay)

"The Relay...puts an energetic spin on local music...and they're not your run-of-the-mill rock band. Pick up a copy of their new EP." -Rachel Perry, Staff Writer - Philadelphia PLAY Magazine

"From their first CD, "We Have Our Moments," we already knew that The Relay could record fun, catchy rock songs. Well, with their EP "Extended Play," The Relay has taken a major step forward as artists and musicians--four great songs that show the band's talent and energy. Plus--you haven't heard The Relay until you've heard them live. One of the top bands in the Wilmington area--and in the Delaware Valley." -Mark Rogers, DJ 93.7 WSTW - 93.7 WSTW

I dare anyone to walk by the stage when The Relay is playing and not hang around. Bassist Rich Derke, 23, of Wilmington is one of those performers who flat-out challenges you to take your eyes off him.
Derke was jumping off equipment, spitting his beer in the air and thrashing around throughout the set, totally stealing the show. Pair him with guitarist and vocalist Neil Kremer and drummer Clinton Hoffman and you have a self-described "high-energy, in-your-face" rock band.
Hoffman said the band usually plays in bars with low ceilings. So when Derke gets some room, it's all over. "He can't conrol himself," Hoffman said.
Kremer told me that the band will probably change its name soon because another band called Relay, which based out Philadelphia, just got signed and claimed the name. And sinve the guys have been playing in Philly more often, there has already been some confusion. - Ryan Cormier, Staff Writer
- The News Journal

"Delaware's next big
rock-n-roll hope, The Future Unwritten embody the power trio format
that bands like Cream and Rush pioneered, but manage to do so with a
lot less jamming and much more straight ahead rocking, think Foo
Fighters meets U2 with vocals that would be right at home down south."-Andrew Miller, Promoter - Tric Town

"...The scene will flex its collective muscle Friday as Dead Loretta, She Slash He, and Wilmington rock veterans THE RELAY headline one of two shows Saturday at Mojo 13.

NEIL KREMER, THE RELAY's guitarist and singer, said he'd love to have his band play more in Delaware but that there aren't many venues that welcome bands that rock original tuneage. A lot of the old Delaware music hotspots have either shut down -- like 4W5 in Wilmington -- or have changed their formats to offer more cover bands, Kremer said.

"That's why Mojo 13 is so great, because they are finally offering that opportunity," said Kremer, whose band recently released a new EP called "Extended Play." "I think Mojo is on track to be a popular place. The biggest thing is getting people to know that it exists since it's kind of off the beaten path." - Peter Bothum, News Journal Staff Writer
- The News Journal

Throwback three-piece band the Relay is gaining momentum by playing what they know

The Relay, a rock trio of early-20-somethings from Wilmington, is the product of its members’ environment. The group—Neil Kremer (guitar, vocals), Richard Derke (bass, vocals), and Clinton Hoffman (drums, vocals)—has an element most young bands lack: genuine influences. While many groups are quick to list its iPod libraries as “influences” on their MySpace pages, they’re sometimes merely aping whatever is currently popular. At times, it seems there are no influences—just painting-by-numbers.

But judging from the Relay’s latest release, the generically titled Extended Play, its influences (as disparate as George Thorogood and the Clash) seem true to the term’s definition; the trio takes different elements from bands it enjoys, mainly classic rock staples, but conjures up its own take.

Derke says the group’s artistic evolution grew organically—from its beginnings as a cover band to writing the original songs the band is gaining notice for now. Which is not to say there weren’t growing pains.

“When we first started playing, we played covers. We wrote a little bit, but not seriously,” Derke says. “On our first CD, you can tell all of our songs were different. One is a blues song; one is an Irish-folk thing. At first, our sound was definitely all over the place.”

The operative term here is “at first.” The band, which formed in the summer of 2005, has been gaining momentum in the tri-state area with its refined sound—a distinctive hybrid of ’60s and ’70s dirt-under-the-fingernails rock ’n’ roll and contemporary vocals.

“Million Miles,” a track from Extended Play, is pure Thin Lizzy-inspired rock, with its up-tempo snare pounding behind layered, soaring vocals. Another song, “One for the Ages,” is the type of carpe diem ballad that made countless mid-’90s alternative bands famous. The band induces a feeling of nostalgia in its songs—which has helped the Relay experience a spike in local interest.

After winning the Grand School of Music’s Musikarmageddon 2, a battle-of-the-bands competition that pitted the trio against five other acts this past May, the Relay noticed something new: “We used to have to call and beat down doors,” Kremer says. “Now, we get offered the gigs.”

After playing in Delaware for two years, the Relay is finding new audiences in major cities, including Philadelphia and New York. Kremer says it was only natural to venture out of their home state.

“It’s the only way to build up a fan base,” he says. “Delaware has a lot of great bands but there aren’t a lot of people here. We just started playing Philly regularly, but we’ve had the most success in New York, besides in Wilmington.”

While the band takes on new metropolitan areas, it’s also interested in gaining more stability as a touring band. Kremer says the group is searching for a manager in order to alleviate the “behind the scenes” pressure (i.e., booking appearances and shows).

All three members say the Relay is their dream job and have no reservations about quitting their 9-to-5s if an opportunity called for it. Kremer says being in a professional band is something they’ve wanted to do for a long time.

“I think we all have a genuine love for rock music in general,” he says. “We’ve all played since we were kids. It’s the only thing to do.”

The Relay play a series of shows in the area this month, including Bank Shots on Aug. 4, Kelly’s Logan House on Aug. 24, and Del Rose Cafe on Aug. 28. - Wesley Case - Out And About Magazine