AMERICANA ROCK FROM THE HEART OF THE MIDWEST

THE FLOOD is a story of midwestern American music—songs borne of passion, purity, pastoral road trips, family and friends, colorful characters, and a hunger for the highs that only music can bring. THE FLOOD rose to prominence with their own unique brand of original four-piece rock and a reputation for sweaty, frenetic live shows in the era of drum machines and singing models.

 

In their music, themes of every-man problems and the world-beating fires and optimism of youth combine with catchy, highly-melodic tunes in short, infectious shots of pop ecstasy. The singalong, anthemic music of THE FLOOD has been compared to the BoDeans (fellow Milwaukeeans), John Mellencamp, U2, and other scions of honest, guitar-driven rock ‘n roll. Their albums, One Million Miles (1994) and Today Milwaukee (1996), showcase this highly-refined, authentic midwestern rock.

 

WE WERE YOUNG

In Waukesha, Wisconsin, an outer suburb of Milwaukee, the original trio of Billy Seidel (drums and lead vocals), Ryan Rappis (bass and vocals), and Brad Richter (rhythm guitar) met while attending high school. After graduation, they split up to attend different universities in different states (but never formally broke up).

 

In his dorm at the University of Minnesota, Seidel met Joe Eglash (lead guitar), also from the Milwaukee area. The two formed a prolific songwriting partnership and Eglash joined the band. It was the potential of these songs and some successful early gigs as a quartet that led to Rappis and Richter both moving to Minneapolis to reform and fully commit to THE FLOOD. In the burgeoning Minneapolis and Milwaukee rock scenes, THE FLOOD carved out for themselves an increasingly intense and large following.

 

ONE MILLION MILES

THE FLOOD became a road-tested powerhouse of a live band with incessant road work all over the midwest, focusing on college towns where passionate fans of their original songs showed up in larger and larger numbers, and sang along to every word. Their final recording, the live album, Today Milwaukee (featuring new songs), showed why they were such a popular draw. Anywhere they played, the crowds followed them, including on peak tours with the Violent Femmes and to large-scale festival shows.

 

Though their time was brief, their impact was substantial, and legions of FLOOD fans have since cherished their cult-favorite recordings and concert memories. Perhaps the future still has something in store for these four Milwaukee boys.