In the fall of 2005, two Veterans of the Florida Punk Scene, guitarist Michael Smyth and drummer Glenn Stewart were working together at a debt settlement company owned by Stewart. With passions leaning very heavily toward their music, the two found themselves returning to the office late at night to work on songs that would eventually become their debut album.
“We had a full drum kit, a half-stack, a bass rig and half-a-dozen guitars lying around Glenn’s office. No one noticed,” says Smyth. “We just kept the door closed. It was hysterical.” Eventually the boys converted some un-used warehouse space next to their office into a rehearsal room. The space grew and grew until they had actually built a state of the art recording studio.
Buoyed by their accomplishment, and in possession of a ton of original songs, they brought in bassist Alan Garcia and trombonist Aaron Zylman to complete the line-up. Blending pop hooks with their distinctive fusion of punk and ska, Victims of Circumstance quickly made a name for themselves among the sea of Central Florida bands, both for their energetic performances and their commitment to the local scene.
“We invite local bands to come into the studio and record,” say Stewart. They are also known for financing and promoting shows in Tampa area night clubs and theatres. In July 2007, The VOC sponsored and hosted the successful outdoor music festival the “Summer Free-For-All,” which highlighted local acts. “We worked with area radio stations and vendors to promote the shows. The bands and fans had a great time.”
Victims of Circumstance tapped the talents of Tim “Johnny Vegas” Burton of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to produce their debut album “Do It Yourself.” When the album was released in late 2007 the band, working with their label “Financial Records,” enlisted the Planetary Group in Boston, obtaining airplay on over 150 independent and college radio stations. Along with full page ads in Maximum Rock and Roll, Chord Magazine and Punk Rock Confidential, “Do It Yourself” has received a ton of positive exposure and feedback.
Recently the boys performed in Boston with the Pietasters, Big D and the Kids Table and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones at the revival of the Bosstones’ legendary Hometown Throwdown.
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