By Lisa Coburn
Before Somber-Side was a band, it was a series of connections: friendships, conversations, and a few well-timed moments. What brought it all together wasn’t pressure or planning, but something simpler: chemistry.
Made up of Nathan McCallister on lead vocals, Zeke Downey on guitar, Curtis Gray on drums, Ezekiel Downey (Zeke’s son) on lead guitar, and Shawn Shiflett on bass, Somber-Side is something carefully assembled, but more importantly, something that felt inevitable.
“We didn’t want to just throw something together out of desperation,” Zeke said. “If it wasn’t the right group of people, then so be it.”
That mindset shaped everything that followed.
What began as longstanding friendships, chance connections, and a few messages back and forth didn’t truly take form until the group found themselves in the same room with no pressure, no expectations – just a casual acoustic session.
“We just clicked,” Zeke said. “There wasn’t any awkwardness. It just worked.”
Nathan added, “If you’ve played music your whole life, and you finally get around some like minded people with really good chemistry, it changes how you feel about it.”
From there, Somber-Side began to take shape not just as a band, but as a shared language built on original music, songwriting, overlapping influences, and a collective commitment to only moving forward with what feels real.
Finding Their Sound
Drawing from grunge and metal influences, Somber-Side’s music leans heavy, but never without purpose.
“We want our music to have substance,” Nathan explained. “I always call it music medicine because that’s what it really is for me.”
That idea, music as something restorative rather than performative, became a guiding thread for the band. Their songwriting process reflects this: patient, collaborative, and unwilling to force anything that doesn’t feel authentic.
“If it’s not authentic, we’ll keep working on it until it is.”
That patience revealed itself in “Darkest Star,” a track the band points to as a defining moment in their identity.
“That was when we realized, okay, we are a band now. This is something we can really do.”
Another song, “Something More,” came together differently: less constructed, more discovered.
“It just came out,” Zeke said. “On our small level, our little piece of the world, that was kind of magical.”
The Moment it Held
A recent trip to Pittsburgh became a defining moment for Somber-Side, not because it was planned that way, but because of how it ultimately unfolded.
“It becomes more of a family when you travel together,” Ezekiel said. “That night was phenomenal.”
On stage that night, the band performed in front of a crowd that included producer Dave Hillis, whose work is connected to some of the most influential names in the genre. For Somber-Side, the significance wasn’t about recognition. It was about presence, and holding steady in a room that carried that kind of weight.
For bassist Shawn Shiflett, the performance carried a different kind of pressure. It was his first show with the band, and the awareness of the room only sharpened his focus.
“I don’t think I had any fun until the last song,” Shiflett admitted. “I was so locked in, trying not to mess up.”
“He got a shoutout and a standing ovation,” Curtis said. “He nailed it.”
By the end of the night, nerves had shifted into something steadier. Proof, not just of preparation, but of how naturally the group could rise together when it mattered.
More Than Music
Spend time around Somber-Side and it becomes clear that their strength isn’t just in sound, it’s in how naturally they move together.
Ideas don’t feel forced between them. They circulate easily, like extensions of the same conversation continuing over time.
“Every time we practice, there’s a riff that gets thrown out there,” Shawn said. “We’re always in writing mode.”
That creative rhythm is matched by something quieter but just as important: trust. The kind that doesn’t need explanation to be understood.
“It’s like therapy to be able to express yourself at that level, and then share it with other people, and hope they connect with it,” Nathan said. “And if somebody would come to one of our shows, I’d hope that they feel the same way I do, like they’re healing. Hopefully, listening to us play will provoke their thoughts and allow them to feel something they need to feel or heal something that needs to be healed.”
The sentiment resonated across the band.
What to Expect
At a Somber-Side show, audiences can expect more than volume.
“Expect a little bit of comedy, some high-energy music, and something that makes you feel something,” Curtis said.
And while their sound leans heavy, their intention is openness, not exclusion.
“We’re not provocative or vulgar,” Nathan said. “We stay true to ourselves and our sound, but everybody is welcome. There’s something there for everyone.”
What’s Next
Somber-Side will perform May 1 at 6 p.m. for Olde Town Covington’s Cinco de Mayo celebration at Hotel Collins Park.
With new material in development and more studio time ahead, the band is focused on growth, but not haste.
“There’s definitely no lack of creativity,” Ezekiel said. “We’re full steam ahead.”
At the same time, they remain deliberate about what they release into the world.
“We want to make sure the songs are ready,” Zeke said.
Somber-Side can be found on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Upcoming shows and links are available through their Linktree, with performances scheduled throughout the region this season.
Still Becoming
Somber-Side doesn’t feel like a band trying to arrive somewhere. It feels like something that already belongs together, still learning how far that connection can go.
In rehearsal rooms, on small stages, and in moments like Pittsburgh, where pressure and possibility briefly share the same space, they return to the same foundation: trust, instinct, and the ease of creating something together that none of them could build alone.
Somber-Side is still taking its time. But it already sounds like it knows exactly where it stands.
