No Parking After 5 is a classic, catchy punk rock four-piece out of Renton, Washington. What at first formed as a ‘forced’ after school music club has now grown in to a real crowd pleasing music project; whose results helped No Parking After 5 take the Supernova.com Wildcard Vote at the Studio Seven show in Seattle.

Fans were so impressed that they voted the young band back into the spotlight, and NPA5 will be back on the Supernova.com stage this January 17th, as they try and claim their place as House of Bands Band Wars US champs.

No Parking After 5 - Pubmaster

We spoke to the band to find out how they managed to come so casually together, and yet still leave their fans wanting to hear more No Parking After 5. As you can see from their video and interview, they play hard both on and off the stage hehe...


Can you introduce your band members – how does each individual fit into the band?

Kyle: Kyle, aka God, brings the stupidity into the band. He will do anything for a good time and doesn't care about what anyone thinks. He plays lead guitar.

Sam: Kyle Andelin… He is quite the character. Often he is in a leadership position of the band due to his natural genius and drive toward everything he does. He usually creates the instrumental parts for all of our songs. He is never afraid to get things done, and will stop at nothing to reach his goals.

Michael Cramer… is really impossible to describe. He makes all of us laugh, and is just that kind of awkward funny kind of person that everybody loves. He also protects his drum set as if it was his own child (which it is). He calls himself MC Wonda.

Brandon Taylor… he doesn’t have a clue. He is hilarious. Always trying to start arguments just for fun, though he doesn’t seem to understand the arguments once they get going. He is dedicated to his bass that he makes nasty blisters on his fingers and still plays; it’s gross.

Brandon: Well Sam had a pretty detailed answer there… but ya usually me or Kyle comes up with a riff or mike a drum beat and then we all just jam till it forms into a song. And then we usually put off the lyrics for a while; Sam tends to handle those.

Haha... ok so what is your band’s history; I heard you came together in a weird way?

Sam: Kyle and I went to Aviation Highschool, and carpooled with Brandon and Michael. We had talked about making a band (since we were all so good at guitar hero and rock band), but it was all just a fun fantasy.

The time came where we all had to chose a club for school, and me and Kyle saw the ‘Music Club’. Our minds were instantly set on getting in that club. Brandon and Michael wanted to get into something easy like ‘Money Club’, but me and Kyle wouldn’t have it. I forged their signatures onto the sign up sheet, and me and Kyle forced them to come to the club.

So did they even play an instrument?

Brandon couldn’t play bass if his life depended on it, and Michael didn’t even have drums and I wasn’t the singer yet… but we kept on playing and playing and playing, until each of us kinda just suddenly got really good. First Kyle got great, then I shot up. Michael started getting his beats down and then out of nowhere Brandon stopped smacking the strings and making static, and started mastering slap bass! And now we are what we are today.

Brandon: Ya, Sam forged our names onto the list for the music club and then we just talked about what instruments we were all gonna play. To be honest, we were a joke. But we have grown a lot since that 9th grade year.

How would you describe your band’s sound now?

Kyle: A mix of AC/DC, Offspring, and some aspects of Blink 182.

Sam: We are kinda like what you would get if you took the singer of Green Day, and stuck them with Blink 182, and mixed it in with a little bit of originality and random creativity; bam, that’s us.
Brandon: Ya we are a mixture of AC/DC, Offspring and Blink 182… but we also throw in several of our own unique tweaks to the sound.


What is the most rewarding thing about being in a band?

Kyle: Making music you’re proud of and being able to play it for people.

Sam: Well the first thing that comes to mind is being able to say "Hey! I’m in the band!" ...but then there’s the amazing feeling of rocking in a concert, and feeling the love from the crowd. Of course there’s just the love of music, and being able to play music with other people who love it.

Brandon: Definitely performing. And those days where the band just is on target and we are laying down multiple new songs, that time where you are creating an awesome song is just an awesome feeling.

What made you want to pursue music full time?

Kyle:The first time I saw AC/DC perform Jailbreak on the Live at Donington DVD. I love Angus' tone and his expression. That and his strip scene. ha. Its great. The most bad ass performance.

Sam: I had a band with a couple of other kids before NPA5 was created, and we had a ton of fun, and i wanted to do it more often, so then came NPA5.

Brandon: I have no idea. The whole experience Is just awesome. I can't nail a specific thing.

Where's your favourite place to practice?

Sam: We usually play in "The Hole" that is a basement Brandon's Dad dug out of their garage (?) ...but we also play up on Aviation Highschool stage.

So what is the biggest challenge facing ‘new’ artists, in your opinion?

Kyle: I think its getting a decent following.

Sam: Being Different.

Brandon: Being unique and getting yourself noticed out of the giant group of other young indie bands.

What do you think of your Supernova experience?

Kyle: It's cool and hooks you up with show opportunities...

Sam: It's a good place to set up a gig.

Does NPA5 have a ‘motto’ for putting on a good show?

"Rock out, like a Boss!"

Ok, a tough one. If you had to listen to one album on repeat for the rest of your life, what album would it be?

Kyle: AC/DC Live at Donington, without a doubt. I wouldn't be who I am without AC/DC and I believe that album encompasses all of AC/DC. I love everything about it.

Sam: An album of Disney's greatest classic songs...? I have no idea, I tend to listen to shuffle a lot and I don't own any CDs lol... I'm pretty sure I would just die. (lol)

Is there anything else that makes your band unique that new listeners should know?

Kyle: We are guitar-driven, unlike a lot of bands today who are vocal-driven.

Sam: We aren't just entertaining on stage; we are entertaining all day, everyday.

Brandon: Ummm well we are trying to increase our fan base right now, so please add us!


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The boys stepped up their game this past Saturday as NPA5 returned to the Supernova.com stage - if you like them, toss them your vote for the Wildcard Win!

Of course, this is all just practice leading up to the main event, the House of Bands Band Wars US FINALS on January 17th - where No Parking After 5 hope to play their way to some serious prizing to help further the band. Looking forward to hearing how their sound develops as they prepare!