In the summer of 2001, two young squires met at the Northeast Community College Freshmen Orientation. Taking an immediate interest in one another, they became fast friends. Little did Dave Stovall and Matt Lott know that they would soon start work on what would become Freshmen15. The two shared many of the same interests: music, girls, and God. Soon they were convinced that a band should be formed that played cutting edge punk combined with no-nonsense, in-your-face lyrics aimed mainly at praising the Creator. This would be no mere punk - it would be pop-punk. Dave and Matt made a commitment then to form just such a band. Dave, an experienced musician, became the vocalist and guitarist while Matt, tone deaf and an experienced stupid, decided to play bass. Then came the summer. Matt left for summer missions in New Mexico. Dave recorded the first Freshmen15 cd. It was still undetermined what to do about a drummer and additional guitar player. The partners agreed! to leave it up to God, and the band remained a duo...for a time. Trey Hill and Dan Isbell, two sad, scared freshmen, enrolled at NE in 2002. They wandered aimlessly to and from classes, not sure what to do with their lives. Dan met Dave and Matt at the Northeast Baptist Student Union. It was soon learned that Dan was a seasoned guitar player...mmm...seasoned guitar player... That sparked interest in F*15. They would spend considerable time getting to know the elusive shadow that is Dan Isbell. For whatever reason, Dan refused to chill with the band for any extended period. After all, Freshmen 15 irritated people on a consistent basis. But why was Dan avoiding them? A question to be answered later. We turn our attention now to young Mr. Hill. Like Dan, Trey met Dave and Matt at a BSU function. After an awkward game of " I-don't-know-you" ultimate Frisbee. Matt introduced Trey to Dave.
"Do you like punk?" Dave asked
"I guess." Trey replied, "I play drums, by the way."
Dave asked, "Well, are you any good? The BSU praise band is in need of a drummer."
Here's the part where Trey completely embarrassed himself. He'd used this joke before with good results, but nothing could've prepared him for what was coming next.
"Yeah! I'm really good; I'm humble, too!" Trey said.
No response. He assumed Dave and Matt didn't get it, so he tried again.
"Yeah, I'm the best - plus I'm modest!"
At this point, Dave and Matt escaped, fearing for their lives. Trey would go on to join the praise band with Dave. One night in December at a lock-in, Dave and Matt, who was filling in for the regular bassist, wanted to play a popular pop-punk song. Trey, who was familiar with the song, played through it without a hitch. After the performance, Dave and Matt asked Trey if he'd like to join Freshmen15. Trey, who had secretly been drooling at the thought of being in F*15, agreed, and the band became a three-piece. But it wasn't complete. The new F*15 played a couple of shows before admitting that another guitarist was needed. The focus again turned to Dan. After much pestering and persuading, Dan finally agreed to jam with the band. Soon afterward, Dan was the final member of Freshmen15. With the additions of Trey and Dan, the overall sound of F*15 changed. The new sound was more aggressive, fuller, and more dynamic. The new Freshmen15 sound is realized in full on listening to the band's second release, Hi-5 Pedestrian. In the midst of the thundering drum licks, throbbing bass runs, and blistering guitar harmonies, the core lyrical content remains. A much more mature album, it captures the essence of what F*15 try so hard to represent: being a Christian and serving the Kingdom is the most fun anyone could ever have. The first chapter in the Freshmen15 legacy is complete. Dave, Matt, Trey, and Dan, however, continue to write new chapters even as you read this. Therefore, enjoy Freshmen15, but more importantly, enjoy Jesus through them.
