13 Miles is kind of like the Ugly Duckling of the Las Vegas music scene. We had a rough start but pulled through and conquered for our love of music. We are quickly becoming a driving force here in Vegas and this is how it all began…

2001- Brian and Mike were playing in an awesome band called Hemlock. After many years of struggling the band was finally taking off. We landed tours with bands like Slayer and Slipknot which helped gain a lot of fans and a lot of attention from the industry. That year we were granted the coveted Jagermiester sponsorship here in Nevada. Record labels started coming to our shows and were amazed by our intense energy and abilities. They started making offers left and right. The nonstop touring and internal pressures started breaking us down. But we were so close to realizing our dreams so we swallowed our pride and continued to push on.

January 2002-Our long time friend Shawn Ealy approached Brian and Mike to lay down some tracks for his new solo project. We saw this as an opportunity to try something new and more radio friendly. Shawn’s music was more melodic and pop oriented then what we had previously been playing. We gave it our all and it turned out amazing! We found it enjoyable to express ourselves in a way that was not so angry. We found that it was an outlet for our ‘80’s metal and hair band influences to shine through.

June 2002-Brian makes a decision that will forever change his life. None of us were prepared for the news. Brian decided to leave Hemlock. The constant touring and being on the road takes him away from his two sons who he loves dearly. Brian was tired of not being there to watch his boys grow up. The occasional phone calls from the road were not enough. He realized that he was missing out and that his boys were more important then the band. Brian decided to put his boys first. No one was more devastated by this departure then Brian. This was the life he had known since he was 12 years old. All he knew was to eat, breath, sleep and covet music. The following weeks were to be the hardest of his life.

May 2003-Shawn Ealy began working on the final touches to his CD. The end result was so astonishing that he decided to form a band to perform the music from the CD. Shawn had worked with Brian on the CD so naturally he asked him to play drums in the band. Shawn would sing, Ron Thrailkill played guitar and Melissa Smith was brought in to play bass. This lineup was known as Dripline. They played the Hard Rock and The Boston with mixed reviews. Brian was happy to be playing music again!

January 2004-Mike comes to realize that the Hemlock life is not for him anymore. After a lot of thought, he came to same conclusion as Brian did, although for different reasons. Back home in Henderson Mike was adjusting to life without music, but not for long. He found himself joining his former band mate Brian and his new band, Dripline. Mike and Brian both enjoyed the creative freedom and their ability to experiment within this band.

February 2004-The tension was high in the Dripline camp. The direction of the group seemed to be I constant debate. Brian, Mike, Ron and Melissa decided to break away from Shawn and start a new band. The rest as they say, is history…..13 Miles is officially formed. We are ready to take on the world.

September 2004- We started playing weekly shows and the local clubs welcomed us with open arms. We started using our connections to get press and to secure a spot playing at the First Annual Tattoo Convention at Cox Pavilion. We also spent some time in the studio. We laid down tracks for our first single, “Bleeding Through,” which is a metal masterpiece! Each of us brings their own style and influences to the group. Ron is the Death Metal kid who works his guitar with his signature “flying phalanges.” Brian, in true “Drun God” form, throws his aggressiveness into each song. Mike, formerly a guitar player, lays his ax down and steps up to the mic with his no-holds-barred approach to singing. He has his way with the crowd, and the ladies. Milissa, the Goth Queen, brings her dark sounds to round out their recipe for success. We are like the power and energy of Hatebreed combined with the melodies of Atryu. We are a true hybrid of everything a metal band should be.

Through our trials and tribulations we intend to keep a level head and above all continue to be extremely loyal to our fans. That’s what it’s all about. We love to sit with our fans, beer in hand, and talk like friends do. We want to know your name and what you thought of our show. There is no room for the egos of past projects here. Without our fans, we would be jamming alone in Brian’s basement. Because of our fans, we get to do what we love! The fans are always first in our minds!

The word is getting out about us and that’s the way we like it! We fully respect where we came from and who is responsible for getting us where we are. We are coming on strong, taking no prisoners and refusing to back down!