On Friday, Aug. 29, the alternative rock band Tell My Sons will release its latest single – the third from its upcoming EP, titled Peace, which is set to release on Nov. 21.
With support from the University of North Georgia community, the group has become increasingly popular in the Atlanta area. In March, they performed for their first sellout crowd of around 200 people at David’s 105 Listening Room in Monroe, Georgia.
Tell My Sons was founded in 2023 by lead singer and guitarist Joseph Slusser, who later recruited UNG senior business management major Jake Owens on bass and backing vocals, Nashville touring artist Brant Canup on guitar, Monroe High School senior Owen Locke on drums and Colman Rowell on keys.
“I realized how lame it is to do it on your own,” Slusser recalled. “So I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got all these awesome homies around me – let me bring them in, and let’s just make this our thing.’ It’s kind of funny, we’re from all over the walks of life.”
Their diverse backgrounds reflect the band’s overarching mission to “create music that brings people together in a world that brings people apart,” said Slusser.
According to Owens, being a UNG student has played a large role in developing this philosophy.
“In college, you can find community struggles and see the world through a different lens,” he commented. “You can see unity sometimes, but then you can also see the disunity between people. It influences a lot of my songwriting.”
Owens said UNG has provided the band with both a performance platform and an audience through campus events like Delta Zeta’s Battle of the Bands.
“It was so cool to watch the college students just have a good time,” said Owens. “Everyone had a smile on their face for every band, everyone wanted to support everyone that was there, and it was just cool to see the students’ camaraderie together.”
While colleges like UNG can be solid resources for musical artists, Owens said that it goes both ways. For instance, he used to struggle with procrastination, but balancing college and music has made him more disciplined.
“The shows help a lot, because I’ve got to have something to look forward to that honestly makes me get my homework done faster,” he said. “It gets tough, but I enjoy what I do.”
The band plays a lot of midweek and weekend shows, meaning they must rehearse regularly. Because Slusser works full time as a worship pastor at Graystone Church, the group meets at various Graystone campuses for practice.
“It’s interesting that we can all be in so many different places at one time, and then all meet up in a central location and just pick up exactly where we left off every time,” said Owens, adding that more Dahlonega performances are “in the pipeline.”
