Reviews, Interviews & More

About Inner Voices & Curious Choices

“Sending Out Signals” was awarded "Finalist" in the Pop Category, and “The Blind Lead the Blind” earned “Honorable Mention” in the Rock/Alternative Category of the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest!
- Awards, Songwriters Association of Washington (2022)

An interview with Patrick and Aaron talking about Inner Voices & Curious Choices
- Interview (Pitch Perfect, April, 2022)

“If you’ve enjoyed this DC band’s work over the last decade or so, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Inner Voices & Curious Choices. It has a good variety of styles and melodies and overall, I thought it was an enjoyable album to listen to.”
- Album Review (Pitch Perfect, April, 2022)

The album was included in babysue’s March 2022 “Notable New Releases” section.
- Mention (babysue.com, March, 2022)

“From arena-rock immersion to joyfully delicate folk musings, Inner Voices & Curious Choices tends to offer a little of everything implied by its title. Weave in catchy hooks, seductive solos and overall faultless musicianship, and the nine-track album is a pleasure to lose yourself in for a while…A fine testament to the passion, commitment and talent of Round About, and an effective lure for new fans when it comes to exploring their entire catalogue.”
- Album Review (Stereo Stickman, February, 2022)

"The Blind Lead The Blind" was a featured track on the 2/14/22 Hometown Sounds Podcast (our section begins around the 31:25 mark).
- Podcast (Hometown Sounds, February, 2022)

"The Blind Lead The Blind" & “The Most Important Thing” were featured during, and at the end of the 2/14/22 episode of The Tony Kornheiser Show Podcast.
- Podcast (The Tony Kornheiser Show, February, 2022)

“After the week I’ve had, Inner Voices & Curious Choices delivered the perfect blend of soothing, yet energizing, even uplifting, pop rock jams that revitalized my spirits and left me wanting to hear more.”
- Album Review (Indie Music Discovery, February, 2022)

“…Round About proves that whether they’re mellowed-out & melancholy, or amped-up & inspired, they come out shining & thriving.”

“From the content of the empowering lyricism, and the irresistibly special sound they create to go along with it, Round About puts in a spellbinding performance…giving their final record as a full band the sweet send-off they all deserved...”
- Album Review (Sleeping Bag Studios, February, 2022)

The album was featured on the 2/9/22 episode of the SongPo (Songwriters & Poets) Radio Podcast on WERA 96.7 FM in Arlington, VA.
- Podcast (SongPo Radio Podcast, February, 2022)

An interview with Patrick talking about Inner Voices & Curious Choices
- Interview (thearkofmusic.com, February, 2022)

“Endlessly emotive, thoughtfully produced, and brimming with cohesivity – Inner Voices & Curious Choices is without a doubt the strongest release from Round About to date. This music is deeply consumable in the best way, endlessly easy to listen to but never predictable, never boring. It’s an impressive blending of genres by musicians who understand each other’s strengths and play off of them in an expert way. Fans of music well outside the pop-rock space will be able to appreciate the combination of earned experience and raw skill that has gone into the making of this stellar project.”
- Album Review (thearkofmusic.com, February, 2022)

About Coming Into Focus 

An interview with Patrick talking about Coming Into Focus
- Interview (Pitch Perfect, June, 2018)

“Their strength is in the hooks, catchy choruses and memorable melodies…this album offers well written, catchy songs that often seem recognizable the first time you hear them. I think a lot of people will appreciate that.”
- Album Review (Pitch Perfect, June, 2018)

Multiple songs from Coming Into Focus were featured on the 5/16/18 episode of Songwriters and Poets on WERA 96.7 FM in Arlington, VA (our section starts at around the 26:00 mark).
- Radio Show (Songwriters and Poets, May, 2018)

“Oft gentle, smooth and acoustic; at times funky, electric and bluesy; Coming Into Focus, the third album from DC’s pop-rock outfit Round About, has a heaping helping of heartwarming prose and melodies—with dashes of spirited, angsty blues/rock sprinkled throughout. At the heart of the project dwells uniquely honest and accessible songwriting, melding with one lovely guitar melody after another, for the full span of eleven tracks." 
- Album Review (thearkofmusic.com, May, 2018)

“Bands like Round About are a good example of why we continue to write about music...Coming Into Focus is the third Round About release and it features more of the same superb guitar pop tunes that made us fall in love with the band's music years ago. There's a bit more variety on this album than the previous two, which is to be expected after recording two pure pop albums. On this album the band hits the target dead center when they do what they do best, which is playing straightforward guitar pop. And when they hit the target, man oh man do things sound killer.”
- Album Review (babysue.com, May, 2018)

DC Music Rocks has included our song "Chasing Sublime" (from Coming Into Focus) on its Spotify Pop Playlist!
- Playlist (DC Music Rocks, April, 2018)

The release of Coming Into Focus was mentioned on one of our favorite local radio shows on WERA 96.7 FM in Arlington, VA.
- Radio Show (DC Music Rocks, April, 2018)

A bit of our song "Last One Standing" (from Coming Into Focus) was featured on the 3/27/18 episode of The Tony Kornheiser Show Podcast!
- Podcast (The Tony Kornheiser Show, March, 2018)

Patrick was the guest on a local comedy podcast talking about the band's summer shows, future plans, and more!
- Interview (Another Wasted Hour Podcast, June, 2017)

About The Best Laid Plans

“Chasing You" was played on this terrific local radio show! 
- Radio Show (DC Music Rocks, September, 2016)

We were guests on Voices from the DMV, a radio show featuring local bands on WERA 96.7 in Arlington, VA. 
- Radio Interview (Voices from the DMV, June, 2016)

An interview about the band, songwriting and more!
- Interview (dctheaterarts.com, June, 2016)

“Hit or Miss" was awarded "Finalist" in the Pop Category of the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest!
- Award, Songwriters Association of Washington (2015)

“These four guys make music that is simple, melodic, direct, genuine, and sincere. The group's last album (Hanging By A Thread) really stood out in our minds and The Best Laid Plans has the exact same effect. The focus here is on songs. Nice, smooth, intelligent songs that are never overplayed or oversung. These guys seem to understand the meaning of restraint and how it can be used in their favor...These mid-tempo pop compositions are classic in overall sound and approach. And they also have that amazing quality that makes you want to spin them over and over again. This album contains some of the best pop songs we've heard in months.”
- Album Review (babysue.com, April, 2015)

“The lead guitar work is clever as he invoked a light touch even as he played quickly...the rhythm section is crisp, vocals clear and melodic...They could take the easier path of being a high quality bar band playing the usual covers, but...their original music will pull you in and make for a fine set of music, well worth visiting some time.”
- Live Show Review ( DC Rock Live, February, 2015)

“The nuances of their pop songs come through so well with this fine production and mix...a clean presentation of an acoustic guitar where each string comes through with purpose and is offset by some fine electric guitar leads and fills. The rhythm section is balanced just right and the vocals show warmth in each of these eleven songs...There are enough well felt hooks in some of the songs to stand out as solid radio friendly singles (if there was such a thing anymore).”
- Album Review (DC Rock Live, January, 2015)

About Hanging By A Thread

“Aside from the changes at lead guitar, this local band continues to offer a rock solid brand of rock music that always plays well in the clubs...the vocals were strong and stayed on top of it all, so the overall effect was good. This was another solid effort from the band on a good night at the Velvet Lounge with a sizable crowd.”
- Live Show Review (DC Rock Live, January, 2014)

“This is the second time I have seen them with their 'new' lead guitarist and it is refreshing that they have been able to keep the quality of the guitar solos at a high level, as that gives them just enough of an added push to make them a more interesting band. But the other component parts keep up as well as these guys know each other well and work as a solid unit, emitting some fine material. It was nice to hear some new cuts along with favorites from their recent album.”
- Live Show Review (DC Rock Live, June, 2013)

“Grateful For A Glance" was awarded "Honorable Mention" in the Pop Category of the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest!
- Award, Songwriters Association of Washington (2012)

“Here is another solid local band with Baltimore-DC connections. My interest tonight was hearing their new guitarist who replaced a key element in their old band. Immediately, he was up to the task, showing off some quick fluid lead work. It was a more subtle sound than before but it was tasty rather than powerful. Either approach works as long as the songs are good, which happens more often than not with this band. Like the opening band tonight, the lead vocalist/acoustic guitarist is the main songwriter, although in this case, the bass player adds some nice style variations a couple of times (a touch funkier). This was another fine 50-minute set that was well received by the decent Friday night crowd.”
-Live Show Review (DC Rock Live, September, 2012)

“The guys in Round About write and record great pop music! These guitar driven pop songs feature great catchy melodies and soft soothing vocals. Hanging By A Thread is a very strong debut, chock full of memorable tunes...polished to perfection...Totally groovy stuff worth seeking out.”
- Album Review (babysue.com, April, 2012)

“The acoustic guitar kept the rhythm going allowing plenty of high quality lead guitar work. And since they played for excess of 80 minutes, it certainly helped to have a great guitarist in the band. But the songs are also strong enough to stand out from the pack of indie rock bands. There are certainly a couple of gems on the record, and the band brought them to life nicely here tonight. This is all pretty smart material here and man-for-man, the band has the chops to keep a good long set going.”
- Live Show Review (DC Rock Live, April 2012)

“This is good straight forward indie rock. That hardly narrows it down, but thankfully there are many personal touches that are original enough to allow them to stand out from the crowd. The first thing I notice is the interplay between acoustic guitar and electric guitar. Not only that, but the acoustic guitar playing shows a deft touch more advanced than most. There are some shifts into gutsier rock or into a bit more of a hard country vibe, but the two guitar work and the vocal style steadies it all out and keeps their sonic personality at the fore...highlights are spread out nicely so it is easy to pay attention to all the songs and hear a complete album.”
- Album Review (DC Rock Live, March, 2012)

“Washington DC band Round About’s debut album features some stellar guitar solos by Will Potts on the opening track “Partners In Crime.” The same template is found on the first few compositions where the melody is punctuated by Potts noteworthy electric riffs. Songs are well written for the most part.”
- Album Review (Powerpopaholic.com)