Island grown The Jesus Chords is one of the many local bands playing at the fair, scheduled for the main stage Saturday, Aug. 19 from 6:50-7:35 p.m.

“I love playing at the fair, it reminds me of when I was a kid,” Jonas Haskins, The Jesus Chords bass player said. Drummer Erik Irving added that being on stage and the journey of The Jesus Chords feels surreal.

The band formed in 1999, playing at a festival in Ellensburg. The name was a bit of a joke, Haskins explained, a reference to the expression for easy-to-learn chords.

The four musicians: Gabe Keenan Maas, guitar and vocals; Greg Irving, guitar and vocals, brother to Erik; and Haskins, bass; all grew up on San Juan Island and attended school together. The bond and easy nature between them can be felt watching them perform.

Prior to the 2022 fire, they played frequently at Herb’s in Friday Harbor.

“It was magic playing at Herb’s, we had a new song every time,” Erik said. While scary at first, the band has grown into its own.

“When we first started out, playing in front of all these people listening to these songs we wrote, it was crazy,” Keenan Maas said, noting that the music, written by them and played by them was truly homegrown. “Islanders have been so supportive after all these years.”

When it comes to songwriting, each member of the group contributes, and sometimes they write songs together.

“It’s a songwriter’s collective,” Keenan Maas said.

The benefit of a collective is that the four of them can play off each other when one is having a dry spell, Erick said. He had gone years once without writing a song and then suddenly, like magic, 10 songs came.

When asked what inspires their music, Greg quickly responded “Heartache and hard work.”

They describe their genre as garage country, but draw inspiration from all types, from country to punk, hip-hop and rap.

Seeing bands work their way up over the decades, from small nearly unknowns to the Hall of Fame has been inspiring in its own right.

“I feel like we are carrying on the tradition of Northwest Garage Bands, the do-it-yourselfers,” Keenan Maas said.

The group has already released four full length CD’s, a 7” Record, and countless Live CDR’s. Most recently The Jesus Chords released a single, “On My Mind,” from their new album. It can be found on Spotify, Apple and the usual streaming platforms. For those fans eagerly waiting for the full album, it is coming.

“We are working toward releasing the full album soon,” Keenan Maas said.

The new album was recorded in Haskins’ basement, and it was a project.

“It was a fun process, kind of going back to the traditional way,” Greg said, explaining they used an 8-track recorder.

While the production was time-consuming, according to Erik, it was rewarding in the end. “When it comes back and you’re happy with it it’s a really good feeling,” he said.

“We are really happy with the new album. Very proud of it,” Keenan Maas said.

When asked what their goals for the band were, Greg brought up going on tour. Getting to that point musically is different in the viral age.

“We have a friend who made a video that went viral and he is now touring with Tenacious D,” Erik laughed. For him, its really about playing. “I want to get to the point where I just play music,” Erik said.