It all started with a Facebook post.

Spokane-based band Fine Line started off with Lucas Guin, lead singer and guitar player, searching for a drummer to play music with. After coming across Guin’s Facebook post, drummer Matt Diaz reached out and started playing music with him.

Along the way, the pair crossed paths with a bass player and another guitar player. From then on, Fine Line was a band of four. 

When it came to music the band members always knew they wanted to do something within the realm of rock. 

“I’ve always been in bands since I was a sophomore in high school,” Guin said. “I’ve been playing guitar since I was seven or eight years old. Also, I’ve been singing like actually trying to sing for probably six or seven years now. But guitar is my main thing and singing has become the second main thing since I started this band.”

Diaz, Fine Line drummer, has been playing drums since he was three years old, but didn’t start taking the instrument seriously until recently. 

“I would say rock music or just heavier music, in general, wasn’t a big part of my life until recently. Around 2020, I went to basic training. Before this I would say  I used to listen to classical music, I still do sometimes,” he said. “But, it wasn’t until one day our drill instructors started playing music and when he played it was something heavy. It was like a heavy metal type of music … but when I heard it I loved it like it was the best thing I’ve ever heard since then.”

While Diaz’s love for rock has been more of a recent thing, Guin has been into the genre before he can remember. 

Guin said he grew up listening to the music his dad listened to, which was in the 80s rock genre. One night, when he was hanging out with a friend, he flipped on the TV to find Green Day on the MTV channel.

“It was showing us a music video and they were all dressed in black, black eyeliner. There were like bullets coming through the walls and then the song starts,” he said. “From that moment … I knew there was something there that I wanted to do. So I would say it’s been a lifelong thing. I’ve always been into music.”

Each member has had a special experience that evoked an interest in rock. Along with that the members also have strong feelings toward each performance.

“It’s like a dream come true. I mean, there’s really nothing better, more exciting. There’s just a feeling you get when people are engaging with you,” Guin said.

The band loves how the crowd feels when Diaz goes off in his solo or when guitar player Patrick Henkels has his guitar solo.

“Everyone just goes crazy. Or when singing Animal by Neon Trees. People go nuts when we perform that song… It’s super exciting, it’s a feeling that doesn’t stop from the start of the performance to the end of the performance,” Guin said. 

The band has experienced many euphoric moments when performing on stage; so far they have loved every single one. They have also performed at Pullman recently and other times and they also loved their experiences here.

“It’s almost a supernatural feeling to be able to express yourself to that many people and have them feel the same way you do… I think that’s really unique. That’s what I liked the most about performing on stage,”  Diaz said.

Guin said Fine Line has performed three shows in Pullman within the past two months, and the turnout for each performance has been great. 

“The energy in Pullman is really good. I’ve had interaction with everyone I’ve met there. They really do support us,” Diaz said.

The band does not get paid for every gig, but this does not discourage the band from performing because they love what they do.

“We have gotten paid in the past. We played a couple of private shows over the summer. We played a lot of old cover songs, which for the money that we got was fine. I have no problem doing that,” Guin said. “For college shows we charge $5 at the door. We made $300 at [a] house show at Jackson [Hall] this fall. We also sell merch and we pay our studio time with that money.”

Guin said even though they do not get paid for every single show, he is not in it for the money. He is in the band because he loves playing music. 

“We’re doing it for you all, like that’s kind of the main goal right now. Just get ourselves out there and if you support us it means the world,” Diaz said.

As for the future of the band, the members have very big and ambitious goals in order to succeed as a band. 

“We need to quit our jobs, hop on a plane and move to…somewhere where the music scene is big, work shitty jobs for a year and try to make a name for ourselves”,  Guin said. “I’m still working on figuring out for myself how far I’m willing to go just in music. My life has drastically changed in the last couple of months. I used to be in the military, I have a new job, and I have other music prospects that I would like to play such as the piano bar here in Spokane.”

Diaz said he is still discovering himself, but he is looking at the option of giving the band his all if the time comes.

The band will have its next Pullman performance at 7:30 p.m. on November 18 in the record room in Jackson Hall Studio A. The band hopes to attract new people to their music and have a bigger audience.