THE OUTERVENTION

Formed in 2008 when Jeff Kozelski reconnected with high school friend Ian Grimshaw after moving to Charleston, The Outervention was built on a mission "to tweak what is old to form something new." Where Kozelski's previous band King Hippo rode funky guitar riffage through the Southeast jam circuit, The Outervention went somewhere deeper. "With The Outervention, I wanted to write more heartfelt songs that weren't that 'jammy,'" Kozelski told the Charleston City Paper. The result was a more indie-leaning but omnivorous outfit — tagged as everything from space rock to alternative to guitar-riff-killer-funk. The band grew from the founding duo to include Alan Brisendine (keyboards/drums), Bobby Hogg (bass), Philip Noland (keyboards), and Frank Nelson (bass), evolving their sound with each addition. They recorded Mess Machine (2013) at Encore Studios in Charleston on the Trees and People label — 11 tracks of adventurous, genre-blending rock anchored by Kozelski's production — followed by Acclimator (2015). The band toured New York City, Philadelphia, and Charlotte, performed at the Follypalooza Cancer Benefit on Folly Beach, and played Charleston staples like Tin Roof and Home Team BBQ alongside Shonuff. The Outervention dissolved in 2016 due to conflicting schedules, but its influence runs through everything Kozelski has done since — keyboardist Alan Brisendine joined his solo band, and the songwriting ambition of those years fueled the acclaimed Systematic Static and Collector LPs.