At least two bands have performed under the name The Strand. Coincidentally, both have come from Arizona.
1) The earliest band called The Strand was founded in the mid-80s in Tempe, Arizona by Bruce Connole, veteran of hugely popular Arizona New Wave/Postpunk pioneers Billy Clone and The Same as well as The Jetzons. The Strand were likewise enormously successful on the Tempe scene and regionally, and released a bestselling self-titled debut album in 1987. Connole later went on to form the Revenants and Suicide Kings, among others.
2) The Strand is also an Arizona based industrial group. Dave Strand formed the band in 1999. The current band members include Laura McQuaig, Bryon Anderson, Elias Lewter, Scott Levy, Dave Strand, and Steve Laskarides. The Strand’s style varies from industrial dance, EBM, electro-industrial, and industrial rock.
1990’s
Founding member David Levy started creating music on his Amiga computer in the early 1990’s in Vernon Hills, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His project was called The Strand. His songwriting was heavily influenced by the industrial music coming from the Wax Trax record label in Chicago. In 1999 Dave moved to Arizona and took the stage name, Dave Strand. Shortly after, the Strand was officially created. The Strand’s first members were Dave Strand, Randall Hampton, Kimberly Brown, Steve Laskarides, Neal Parker, Scott Levy, and Jeremy Reich.
1999-2000
The Strand’s first demo two and three song CD was produced and circulated among local industrial music fans. An eight song demo, “Digging in the Trench” was sold online in 1999. In 2000, “In the Trench”, their first full-length CD was released. Their CD release and debut performance took place around this time at the Power Plant in Phoenix, Arizona.
