LVL UP

LVL UP

LVL UP is an American indie rock band formed in 2011 at SUNY Purchase. The group centres on guitarists Mike Caridi and Dave Benton, bassist Nick Corbo and drummer Greg Rutkin. Caridi, Benton and Corbo all write and sing, and the band’s music is shaped by the different ideas each member brings into a shared sound.

Formation and early releases

The band begins as a recording project between Caridi, Benton and their friend Ben Smith, originally intended to produce a split cassette with material by Corbo, who is then working solo. Instead, the material is issued as Space Brothers under the band name. Rutkin joins shortly afterwards and plays the group’s first show.

Later lineup and recordings

Smith leaves the band before the release of the second album, Hoodwink’d, for personal reasons. The album is a joint release on Double Double Whammy, the label run by Caridi and Benton, and Exploding in Sound. Double Double Whammy also releases music by other artists connected to the same community that helps launch the band.

Collaborators and recording context

Mike Ditrio, a producer associated with Return to Love, mixes the band’s earlier records and is described by Corbo as functioning almost like a fifth member. His role is to help shape the band’s sound while also managing the group’s internal dynamics.