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“This is the place where I stand as just a face in the crowd, the whispers that are buried inside are wanting to scream out loud. Feeling a different kind of fire burning in these eyes, taking a stand against the waves and the rise of the tides.” -- Where I Stand

Education and experience. Passion and commitment. Discipline and charisma. Method and music.

Low Man’s Joe is a band of seemingly opposing dynamics, a study in rock & roll contrasts.

Singer Bret Gyrich found inspiration in the mountains of Olongapo City in the Philippines. Guitarist Kevin Moeder grew up painting his face like KISS drummer Peter Criss before picking up the stringed instrument in college. And drummer John Feldmann – affectionately dubbed “the Godfather” – brings a wealth of knowledge amassed at Berklee College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music in jazz performance.

Low Man’s Joe is a diverse mix, but together, they put a new spin on the evolution of rock & roll. It’s a journey that hits familiar grooves – dig the echoes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Bon Jovi – yet still mines exciting new sounds.

A strong sense of unity is on display throughout Where I Stand, LMJ’s debut release. It’s a relentlessly catchy listen, from the searing guitar intro of My World to the guttural wail of Temptation and the hushed brilliance of hidden track Now or Never. The lyrics reveal restless, relatable souls – flawed humans searching for acceptance, for redemption, for connection in a harsh world.

Where I Stand has been released to critical acclaim and has generated excitement among fans. The full-length album is available on iTunes, Rhapsody, CD Baby, Amazon, Napster and at record shops throughout the Houston area.

“Bret has the style and confidence of a rock star and the pipes to go with it,” says Jeffery Armstreet, owner/producer at Red Tree Recording Studio, where the band recorded the bulk of the disc. “Kevin’s guitar tones quickly let you know we are not hearing something from a bygone era, and John is a rock and a one-take wonder behind the drums.”

But rest assured LMJ is not just a studio band. The band’s roof-raising live shows have earned them a solid following, from riot grrrls and frat boys to soccer moms and old-school rockers. It’s an equal-opportunity sound.

As for the blue-collar moniker, Gyrich came up with it in high school, inspired by Metallica’s mournful 1997 tune Low Man’s Lyric. It was several years before he met his LMJ bandmates – but it spotlights the essential LMJ qualities: determination, ambition, perseverance and a true rock spirit.

“Metallica wrote (that song) when I felt that a lot of their members had basically hit rock bottom. It was their turning point,” Moeder says. “That’s kind of where I was at. It was something I felt that I wanted to do and I needed to do for me.

“The whole ‘Joe’ thing, I think, is we’re all just average guys who are united in doing something that we feel collectively is better for all of us. We’re all trying to go to the same place.”