Who’s who:

Eli Hargrave - vocals, guitar and keyboard

Brandon Towers - guitar and backing vocals

Eric Donovan – percussion and arrangements

About the band:

Although Saratoga Springs’ Skeletons in the Piano only formed about a year ago, its members have been playing together since 2000. Hargrave, Towers and Donovan were all in a local metal band called Lore for a number of years.

James Gascoyne, a friend of the band, currently fills in on bass. Hargrave said Skeletons in the Piano is a very close-knit unit, so any addition to the present lineup would have to be the right fit.

Old photographs, architecture and artists such as Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Muddy Waters, Pink Floyd, Acid Bath, Neurosis and Queens of the Stone Age have influenced the trio’s dark rock music.

Most of the recording for the group’s first full-length album, “Certain Slow Murder”, is done and a February release is anticipated. Skeletons in the Piano plan to tour the East Coast for a couple weeks this spring, and in the future, hope to travel to cities across the nation.

Skeletons in the Piano will play a 21 and over show at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24 at Backstreet Billiards in Saratoga Springs with Buquacky, Sai U Drom, Body Language, Mrtyuloka, and LoneWolf & OBG. Admission is $5, and all proceeds will benefit the pool hall.

To check out the band, visit www.myspace.com/thingshanging.

Quotable Quotes:

“I think music is an international language, and we strive to affect people. What we care the most about is creating a mood for people. We feed off of everything around us,” Hargrave said.

“I never question why I’m doing what I’m doing,” Towers said. “Music can be like a safety blanket, like a good friend.”

“I put everything I have into when I play drums. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. It just feels right,” Donovan said. “I know I can fulfill my life and give other people something they can relate to and enjoy.”

—Mike Ryan