Eugene Water & Electric Band

Story by Yordanos Tesfazion

In Eugene, the acronym EWEB is known to stand for one of two things: the Eugene Water & Electric Board or The Eugene Water & Electric Band. EWEB members Sam Mondros, Tate Iverson, Ben Sickler, and Jack Carek are a powerhouse of a quartet.

With Mondros and Carek on vocals, Carek on guitar, Sickler on drums, and Iverson on bass, the group has been able to create a unique sound in Eugene. 

Sickler, Mondros, and Iverson first met each other during their first year at the University of Oregon. It was not until sophomore year that they started to play music together in their free time. Carek was an acquaintance who later joined the group recently, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
to the University of Oregon to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Drawing inspiration from a variety of classic rock and jam band artists, EWEB considers themselves to have more of an experimental style, while identifying with progressive rock and psychedelic genres.

“One thing that we really enjoy doing is extending songs and making them different every time…so when people come to see us for the first time, they don't really know when the song is ending,” Carek says.

For EWEB, having an experimental style means approaching songwriting and improvising in a way that is more subversive. Mondros says “Using the music vocabulary and skill we have and then mismatching things around in order to subvert the audience's expectations is sort of how we go about making our music.”

The band is constantly switching out the instruments they use and rarely go long without someone having new gear. Bass player Iverson has been recycling other people’s musical instruments for the past few months. Mondros says “it's kind of cool, every month that we've played, our music sounds kind of different because I get a new pedal, and then Jack gets a new pedal, or Ben will get new drums…our music has been evolving with our gear.”

While their sound is always changing along with the instruments and pedals they use, EWEB 

In the Spring of 2021, EWEB performed their first show at a friend’s garage sale. Surprised with a huge turnout, the show validated their desires to collaborate and create more music together. Towards the end of the school year, EWEB was able to pull off a successful concert, performing Pink Floyd’s album Dark Side of the Moon from front to back.

Since then, EWEB has been able to secure gigs at established venues in the area with bands who have a lot more experience than they do. Although performing shows for college students is fun and pays well, the band knows that venturing out will expose them to more opportunities. “We've really started to look outward in terms of places to play, like clubs and bars instead of just backyards,” Sickler explains.

“The pros outweigh the cons vastly,” says Sickler, “coordinating and writing music with multiple minds and having multiple inspirations, there's just so much fulfillment and fun that comes with performing. I'm very glad to be spending so much time on something and having like, legitimate results come out of it.”

As of now, three out of four EWEB members still have the remainder of this year as well as next year left at the UO. They plan to keep making music in Eugene and hope to continue performing together after graduating. “We want to play together for as long as we can, our band name helps around town here, but first and foremost it’s about the music,” says Sickler.

Check out EWEB’s music on Spotify and Soundcloud and follow them on Instagram to stay up to date on projects and performances.