I’m with the Band: Screamer
August 30th, 2026
Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length, flow, and clarity.
There’s no better way to close out the 2026 summer season than by sitting down with a favorite local band, especially one that’s new around the block. On August 30th, I got the opportunity to spend the day getting to know the bandmates of Screamer.
We planned a photoshoot at the 112 Drive Inn in Fayetteville, AR, but ended up exploring the property instead. I mean what could go wrong? Five creatives are bound to capture some stellar shots. We ended the morning over at SixTwelve Coffee and Bar, where the band opened up about their styles, how they came together, and what they hope to achieve.
Let me stop talking and allow Screamer to introduce themselves:
byQ Media: Screamer. Psychedelic Rock—before Spencer and Brian got involved, how did the band come together? You originally started in Memphis—when did that happen?
Madaline: Initially, it was me and our former drummer, Layne Wade. We started in November 2022. John joined in 2023 and really helped develop what I think is the true sound of the band, at least in terms of what we’ve released so far.
As for the name, I played a solo show at a place called The Haystack in Millington. This guy came in, Joe Mahana—I think that’s his name. He’s a name in the Memphis music scene. He made this joke about there being a “screamer,” making an innuendo toward me, and I was like, “Whatever, you dirty man.”
byQ Media: Be advantageous.
Madaline: I’m just like, “I’m going to use it to our advantage.” I liked it. Because oftentimes, whenever I was playing solo, if I was going to wail in a song, I’d say, “Hey, sorry, I’m about to scream at you guys.” So it kind of came from there.
When we’re booking tour dates and stuff, I like to put emphasis on, “Hey, we’re not Screamo.” That way, people know what they’re going to hear from us and who we’re inspired by. We’re psychedelic rock. We’re not going to be emo punk. So I like to prep people for some fun.
byQ Media: I don’t see you screaming though. I’m not going to lie. Can you?
Madaline: Oh yeah, I can.
byQ Media: What is your guys' current project? What are you guys working on as a band? With the four of you.
Brian: New Age.
byQ Media: Without giving away too much…
John: …Well, I think— this is coming back to incredibly positive things about you guys—like, I was missing such an aspect of, like, drive from the people that we were working with. We're just in the studio right now, and it has been incredibly refreshing from my perspective. Like, the last release we had was Archway Deadhead back in September 2025. So it was, like, just not getting to be in that creative writing space but coming into working with new people… It was hard for me at first—
Brian: It’s the process every time. I have done this so many times in so many bands, and you have to ask, "Well, we start from square one. What songs do you like to play?" And things like that. After doing it a bunch of times, it's heavy on the soul.
byQ Media: I mean, in its own form and fashion, I feel like it's for—it's like experiencing your own grief while still having to go to work all at the same time. If that makes sense. Like, you're—you get so emotionally invested in literally a passion project, and then it falls apart at the seams sometimes for no reason, and sometimes for the perfect reason. Yeah.
John: Well, I think, like, I was finding—and this is coming back to incredibly positive things about you guys—like, I was missing such an aspect of, like, drive from the people that we were working with.
Brian: This is the first song we've ever written under the name Screamer that has not been all of us. One or two riffs that I had, and Spencer found another part to go after that. We all have just been arranging it and deciding how many times something plays and everything.
Spencer: I'd say we all are kind of—we have our own independence. And to me, this is the most interesting aspect of what's happening. We all kind of have our own, let's say, our own sort of, like, circles.
And then there's an overlap, and it becomes kind of like—what's it called? Is it called a Venn Diagram?
Brian: I feel like this group has a lot of chemistry, and it’s evidenced by a few things. When some friends of mine watched us play, I was told that the chemistry we share was apparent to the audience, and I feel that way, too. We have several things that we’ve just made up on the fly that sounded really good, and they feel like the potential genesis of some new things. I feel like I’m very in tune with John’s guitar playing. There’s an attunement there. I feel attuned to Spencer playing bass, and I feel attuned to Madaline and her vocals.
I made something up in February and sent it to Madaline, and she crafted really good lyrics, timing, and vocal sounds around it. We just merged the two together. That in itself is a type of chemistry. I’ve been in other groups, and I am in other groups, but I feel like the chemistry here, to me personally, feels a little bit more organic—not as laborious.
byQ Media: How is it going? Like, do we have a release date for the music?
John: Not yet. I think it will probably take a couple more studio sessions, um, for sure before the end of the year—maybe late October.
byQ Media: Any advice for bands, local or not, looking to get started?
John: I just have to tell you, do not let your own age be a deterrent. If you look for it, you will find it. That goes for anything. In science, if you zoom in on an atom, you’ll find electrons, protons, and neutrons. Zoom in on those, you find quarks. If you look further, you will find it. If you look for a musician who's better than you, you will find it, and it will make you feel like crap. So don't concern yourself with that. Just do the stuff you want to do, and don't compare yourself to people. People still make it after the age of 19.
So just go and do it, and don't concern yourself about the other stuff.
(byQ Media:) The final question I asked the band was what kind of fruit they would consider themselves. John picked a strawberry. Madaline sees herself as a cherry. It only makes sense that Brian is a purple grape. And Spencer? A mystery Dum-Dum lollipop.
—
The goal is to find harmony and balance. Madaline started the band with the former drummer, Layne Wade, before John joined in 2023. The three of them created and shaped the sound we (as listeners) are familiar with. From there, the lineup continued. Brian wanted to create and invest in something of his own, while Spencer's arrival came almost by accident. What started in different places eventually became the four-person team sharing coffee with me. For the band, writing new music isn't just about putting another song together. There's something much more personal happening in the process.
Four People and four unique perspectives — that’s what works here for Screamer. The band’s chemistry and heart lie within how committed each member is to their part in keeping this thing going.
What a great way to spend my day! Huge thanks to Madaline Collins and Screamer for their time, love, and ideas. This is one for the books!
MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THEM ON ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS AND STREAM THEIR MUSIC:
SCREAMER is an independent alternative/psychedelic rock band originally based out of Memphis, Tennessee, but after a recent relocation, the band is now based in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“Heavily influenced by artists like Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, we have been bringing screaming guitar riffs, soulful lyrics, and BIG mood to NWA! With the move came a new rhythm section, and with the new members we’ve also been introducing the sounds of synth-pop, trip-hop, EDM, and prog rock.” - MC.