By Dalila Bevab
Louisville’s duPont Manual High School produced alumni including renowned politicians, popstars and local business professionals such as Mitch McConnell, Nicole Scherzinger and Gene Snyder. But a local band called Submariner could be next up on the school’s distinguished alumni list and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2050-something.
In early 2016, three best friends met in a classical guitar class and immediately bonded over their shared love of classic rock bands such as AC/DC, Metallica, Alice in Chains and Pantera. The trio formed a band called Bad Racket, with Eldin Drljevic (second from left in first photo) on the guitar, Zach Watson (third from left in first photo) on the guitar and vocals and Drew Harris (first from left in first photo) on the guitar and lead vocals.
The short-lived Bad Racket “fizzled out” and the trio got together to form a new band, Harris said.
Drljevic eventually introduced Harris and Watson to Sam Yost (fourth from left in first photo), who would become the band’s official drummer. At the time, the band had a bassist named Zeke Ward. By 2019, the band had its five integral members, but no name. Ward left the band and it was down to its four members.
Harris said the band sat around trying to think of a good band name. He said, “I don’t remember what topic we were on, but Zack goes, ‘Submariner’ and we were like, ‘The Rolex watch?’”
Watson said the name was random and there is no deeper meaning to it.
Harris said, “He kind of just blurted it out as a joke and it was funny, but we were like ‘Wait, that’s kind of heat.’”
The four musicians said they are best friends outside of the studio, too, with the Denny’s on Eastern Parkway being their favorite hangout spot.
Drljevic said, “We like to joke around a lot when it comes to our friendship, but I think when it comes down to it, we all respect each other as serious musicians and understand each other’s skillsets and experiences.”
Harris said they have fun because “it’s not just about music. It’s really more of a brotherhood kind of thing.”
Drljevic said the band’s musical influences shifted from slower, softer rock bands to more hard-rock bands like Gojira and Metallica. He said the members have their own personal influences.
Harris said, “For me mostly, classic rock is what I grew up on, but Zack got me into hard metal and stuff like that.”
Yost said he looks to other metal drummers, like Lars Ulrich from Metallica, Joey Jordison from Slipknot, and Grammy-winning Vinny Colaiuta, to find his own style. Watson and Harris said they’re both heavily influenced by Metallica, Alice in Chains and Gojira.
Drljevic said his biggest musical influences include ex-Yugoslavian bands like Bijelo Dugme (White Button) and Zabranjenjo Pušenje (No Smoking), as well as Gojira and jazz fusion artists like Martin Miller. He said incorporating jazz fusion aspects into heavy metal, where it traditionally wouldn’t work, has been a fun experience.
“I think that’s a big advantage we have as a band,” he said. “Our influences are so varied and so different, which helps us form our own sound.”
Submariner released their first studio album, “Out of the Depths,” in December 2020. Harris said some of the songs were written more than four years ago and were inspired from his personal life. He said the album is an exploration of personal reflection and personal relationships.
“If you listen to the songs in order, you’ll see a narrative of rise, fall and rise again,” Harris said. “The first half, or side A, of the album is broadly about self-reflection, with songs like ‘A Different Version of Me’ and ‘Soulfade.’”
Harris said the first half of the album features more upbeat songs, with ‘Lately’ being “the apex of positivity for the album.” Listeners take a “blistering fall” when listening to side B of the album, he said.
“Never Needed You” is the ninth track. Harris said, “The idea that’s presented is that you can’t control everything that happens in your life, and sometimes you have to let it all go, even if you wanted it to turn out differently.”
The album’s last song and title track, “Out of the Depths,” might be a heavy metal song, but Harris said the context is an emergence of something new, powerful and optimistic.
Harris said the band is looking toward a positive future. “Even though you may experience hard times, when it’s all said and done, you will have always learned something about who you are and who others are that you can use to better and further yourself,” he said.
The band is working on their second album, which is set to be released next year. “We’re not worried about the release. We just want to focus on the music,” Yost said.
With the live-event industry experiencing a revival and Covid restrictions in place across local music venues, the band is actively practicing their 90-minute set before they reach out to promoters and venue owners for bookings, Drljevic said.
“We’re going to head out and perform very soon,” Harris said.
Watson said his dream venue to perform at is Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, while Yost and Drljevic are thinking globally for their dreams. Harris said although he would love to play Red Rocks, his ultimate goal is to finish a tour with a two-night headlining set Metallica-style at Louder Than Life in Louisville.
Performing at a large festival or iconic venues across the country is any band’s goal, the members said they have to think small and local first. Yost said playing at Zanzabar and Headliner’s would be “sick,” and Harris and Watson said they aim to play at the Mercury Ballroom.
“I know it sounds kind of counterintuitive,” Drljevic said. “But I’d like to play smaller venues because we could get away with more bulls--t since not everything has to be perfect. You can improvise things and have a good time.”
Harris said: “I think you have to play anywhere to get your music out there. Van Halen played the bars for five years and no one liked them until they got picked up.”
Yost laughed and said, “So, we’re basically Van Halen.”