Tea Tsunami began to take shape when Nick returned to Chicago after eight years “finding himself” in Colorado. Upon his return, he started collaborating with his friend and high school bandmate Gabe, and they started planting the seeds of what would later become Tea Tsunami. Two drummers later and feeling jaded, Nick turned to Galen, another old friend, for a fresh perspective and they started sharing ideas. Finally fed up with all the drummer drama, Nick started dragging his girlfriend Jen to all band activities requiring percussion; he realized the easiest way to acquire someone willing to practice the drums was to physically put the person in a car with him when he left his apartment, and then keep the doors locked for the duration of the trip.
As her Stockholm Syndrome took hold, Jen assured Nick that she would work hard and become a great drummer, despite having no percussion experience. Upon hearing a few ideas Nick and Galen were working on, Gabe suggested combining both projects, an idea that seemed natural to everyone involved. A regular practice schedule followed, which enabled the band to get their songs together and also afforded Jen a crash course in both playing drums and being in a band. Tea Tsunami plays raw catchy garage rock with subtle notes of punk, Americana, and new wave.
