The Vacillating

Come on out and see us play with some other great local bands!

Where are you, Akron drummers?

We need to talk to you!

Especially, if you want to be in a band that is exploring the space between All Them Witches, King Buffalo, Elder, The Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Tool and other alternative, hard rock, heavy psych, doom, sludge, stoner rock and reggae sounds.

We are shaping our sound to move from hypnotic, trance-like atmosphere to heavy, explosive, face-melting grooves — often within the same song.

We are also looking for a lead guitar player and / or keyboardist. Send a message or comment to reach out!

We are an Akron-based hard rock / heavy psych band exploring the space between All Them Witches, King Buffalo, Elder, doom, sludge, stoner rock and reggae. Our sound moves from hypnotic, trance-like atmosphere to heavy, explosive, face-melting grooves — often within the same song.

We are currently looking to expand our lineup with the right people:

DRUMMER: high energy, dynamic, and engaging live presence solid groove and feel over technical showboating, comfortable with improvisation, long jams, and experimentation, dependable, drama-free, and collaborative

LEAD GUITARIST: focused on solos, textures, layers, harmonies, and songwriting. Atmospheric, psychedelic improvisation is a major plus, ability to move between melodic expression and heavy riffing. Backing vocals / harmonies strongly welcomed. Tone should serve the song — not ego or flash

KEYBOARD / MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST ambient textures, synths, organ, drones, effects, piano, or experimental sound design. Open to traditional or experimental approaches depending on the song. Ability to enhance mood, depth, and sonic space. Backing vocals / harmonies a plus, bonus if you also play other instruments or integrate looping/sampling

We are open to most any skill level as long as the chemistry is right. We value creativity, follow-through, and shared vision more than perfection. We rehearse 1–2 times a week in Akron (weekends preferred, weekdays flexible). All members must have their own gear and reliable transportation. We are open to members from outside Akron, but they must be willing to travel for rehearsals and gigs. We are building toward a 4–5 piece lineup focused on expanding the sound — not just filling roles. Collaboration, songwriting input, improvisation, and visual/live performance energy are all part of the vision. We already have: written material, demos and live recordings, upcoming gig possibilities, plans for video, shorts, and live content creation

WE PLAYED ANYWAY.

No drummer. No full band. No backup plan.

Right before this show, our lineup changed and we were left without the pieces we had been building with.

We could have canceled.

We didn’t.

Ashley and Suzy stepped on stage and played the set stripped down - just the songs, as they are.

This is what it sounded like.

Watch the opening song Chains performed as a duo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux8KmULoN68

It wasn’t perfect. But it was real.

And somehow, that changed everything for us.

Chains Recorded live at Fourth Floor Friday:Dream hosted by LemonChrystal ...

The lineup has changed.

The drummer and guitarist who helped bring this version of the band to life have parted ways with the project.

We’re grateful for the time spent building these songs and getting them to the stage.

Last week, right before a committed show, we were left without a full band. We didn’t cancel.

Ashley continued and Suzy stepped in and played the set anyway - stripped down, no drummer, just the songs as they are.

And somehow, it hit harder than expected.

So this is where we are now:

The Vacillating continues as a duo for the moment and we are actively rebuilding the full band.

The songs didn’t stop. Neither did we.

On our way to set up