Localized: Harbor Patrol

Harbor Patrol has existed for more than a decade. Jared Snelson (vocals, guitar) was the man who started the band as a teenager way back in the early 2010s with a talent show down in Springville. He has since grown to love the band’s name: “All I cared about was the imagery, and I was on a huge nautical kick and just wanted an anchor to be the logo, and that’s where we landed.” “Sounds like some nautical nonsense!” Trey Cortez (drums) fires off. As time passed and lineups changed, Snelson met Keith Lambson (guitar) at a show in 2020 under separate bands and started jamming together shortly thereafter. The current lineup was set with Michael Moreno (bass) and Cortez earlier this year. With this finished lineup, the band began to experiment with their new sound going forward, pulling heavily from the music they grew up with.

“I think if there is something that makes you happy and does not harm others, do it.”

“Based on the catalogue that exists so far, it is described as ‘punk/post hardcore’ with heavy pop-punk influence. What we are writing now and where we are headed I would define as a blend of both harder pop-punk as well as new-age grunge.” Snelson cites Superheaven, Loathe, Downward and Soul Blind for inspiring him in their new era. Lambson then pointed to the late ‘90s and early ‘00s as a big influence on their sound, saying, “Even though the shoegaze pop-punk side isn’t reflected as much in the current catalogue, the album we are currently writing is.” Their influences are clear, especially when considering their favorite albums. Moreno pulls heavily from Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin, Snelson loves Proper Dose by The Story So Far, Lambson enjoys A Celebration Of Endings by Biffy Clyro and Cortez had the farthest favorite with Chemical Miracle by Trophy Eyes. 

The band is currently finishing up an album that has been in the works for two years at this point. Lambson says, “We have made tremendous headway. Last January, we booked a cabin down in Torrey for a week. We recorded all the drums, we got most of the bass and guitars tracked and I engineered. Now we are just doing vocals and post-production. Hopefully we start putting new music out in the next two months with a single and the album next year.”

“I’m really hoping this is the lineup and era of our franchise that really goes.” 

Snelson says that for Localized, they are planning on mostly showing off the new stuff. “Heavy, heavy on showing where we are heading as a band. Even with us keeping the same name, this lineup is super fresh,” he says. “We feel like a new band. Like hockey or sports, a franchise keeps the same name but goes through eras or dynasties, and I’m really hoping this is the lineup and era of our franchise that really goes.” 

As the band has changed over the years and looks to the horizon for the new thing, they have not lost sight of what they are doing this for, and that is being happy being themselves through making music. Cortez shares, “Literally don’t care what people think. If it makes you, then that is all that matters. I struggle with it so much, but when I follow that advice, it is so much easier to go about your day, especially when playing.”

Moreno adds, “I think if there is something that makes you happy and does not harm others, do it. A lot of the time, people don’t take care of themselves, and you have to take care of  your wants and needs.” From Snelson: “It’s more important than ever to live authentically for you, for the joy it will bring you, and more people living that way will be the bridge to people finding their community. Whether you find it in music, art, accounting or whatever, finding that connection is pretty much the only way through.”

Read more Localized features:
Localized: Vicious Souls
Localized: Die Shiny

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