About a year and a half ago, The Awkward Robot began a gradual, organic growth into the full four person band it is today.  Jason Martins moved to Austin, TX and in with a friend from college, Javier Martinez, in July of 2010.  The playful folk acoustic duo started small with open mic nights and eventually debuted a six song self-titled EP that incorporated a variety of instruments such as the Ukulele, Banjo and less common Melodica the following January.  Around this time, they acquired a drummer by the name of David Early who accompanied the two on an east coast tour the summer of 2011.  Upon returning, they released a demo featuring the newly incorporated drummer and acquired a fourth member, Jason Magnuson, a bassist. 

  The two week tour was sponsored by BandSoup.com and dubbed the “Souper Sweaty Summer” tour.  It began in New Orleans on July 1^st and took them all the way to the seventh date ending in Brooklyn, New York on July 13^th.  “The air conditioner broke down when we were driving back… In the middle of July,” Martinez said half laughing.  “Everything else was fun,” Early said with a smile.  Martins, originally from New Hampshire, felt especially nostalgic when they played at The Middle East in Boston, Massachusetts, “It’s a really cool venue and everybody plays there… I’ve been to shows there, watching bands on that stage and I got to play it, so it was cool.”  They are hoping for another tour this summer, preferably heading west with a more reliable air conditioner.

The quartet, comprised of four easy-going and fun-loving fellas with extensive musical backgrounds, some beginning by the age of 10, is currently collaborating for a second album they hope to have ready in time for MR Fest.  “Our new stuff’s a little more rockin’ as well, but it still definitely has that laid back feel to it,” Martins said,  “We’re still the same band, just growing… letting the music take us…”  Previous festival experiences include the Goldthwaite Music Festival and Narsfest, though MR Fest will be the largest. For being a fairly young band, The Awkward Robot has accomplished quite a lot. 

So, why should you check out The Awkward Robot at this year’s MR Fest?  “You can never say one band is really better than another… I’d say we’re in it for the right reasons.  We’re all friends, we’re all having fun and we just do it because we like to play music,” Martins explains.  The members, like the music, convey a warm and welcome energy that feels like a cool breeze on an early summer evening.  In a review, Ryan Monk of Bandsoup.com wrote, “…The Awkward Robot is sure to become your new go to soundtrack to unwind in the shade with.”

-Erica Brokaw

The Awkward Robot

Jason Martins (Ukulele, Vocals, Guitar)

Javier Martinez (Banjo, Keys, Guitar)

David Early (Drums, Percussion)

Jason Magnuson (Bass, Vocals)