Dave Holmes rose to national prominence thanks to a stint as a VJ on MTV during what is affectionately known as the TRL years, and has remained a pop culture fixture on the small screen ever since, both as a talking head (he’s appeared on more VH1 shows than we have the space to list here) and a host (perhaps most notably FX’s DVD On TV). And now, he’s hosting a new web series called Indie Across America, in which he tracks down some of the most talented indie bands across the country and gets to the heart of what makes them tick.
The first of the series’ eight episodes just went live, an installment which takes place right here in New York City and is centered on a burgeoning, energetic, multi-ethnic local act called Stereo Crowd. The band talks about some of their practical struggles getting started —one of the band members, Paul-Anthony Surdi, held down 5 different jobs in order to pay the bills— but also about how social media has helped them win increasingly larger audiences. It’s a promising new series, and one that we’re excited to continue following as new episodes premiere.