No Strings Attached, Middletown Band 'Procrastination Attempt' Play To Their Own Beat

A group of Middletown musicians, all with different backgrounds and musical preferences, share one bond that connects them as a band. They all have the same passion for the live music experience.

“We are not your average cover band,” said Chris Correia, the band’s drummer and founder.

Correia came home from Boston in 2010, to be closer to his family after his father passed away.  Since graduating from  in 2003, Correia has played in bands that toured across the country and wrote their original songs.  

Back in Middletown, He gave two highschool classmates,  Brandon Aglio and Evan Tetrault a couple of songs to learn, but admitted he did not know what to expect.

“To my surprise, they learned the songs and played very well,” said Correia.  “I said, OK, I guess I’m in a band!”

The band Procrastination Attempt was on its way.  

Despite the band member's varied musical preferences, they meld the sounds together into their own, unique style.  They interweave the classical preferences of guitarist Tetrault, with base player Aglio’s love for bluegrass into Correia’s punk background, into a sound that could be described as classically eclectic.  

By Halloween of 2011, after months of practicing as a band, they decided they were ready for their debut.  They approached with a demo, and they were given their first opportunity to play in front of a crowd.  

When asked about the band’s name, Correia, admitted that like many bands, it was created on a whim.

“When we first started playing we changed our name after every gig. Procrastination Attempt was something that I came up with on the fly that was supposed to be a play on Assassination Attempt,” said the drummer.  “We stuck with it because someone asked where they could see us again.”

According to the band, that is something that happens often.

“They mesh well together,” said Ken Lacey of Easton’s Pub.  “They have a growing, loyal following.”  

Since their debut, Procrastination Attempt has added Tom Newman, a Middletown resident who used to play with Correia’s father in local bands.  

“The only thing we were missing was melody,” said Correia.  He couldn’t put his finger on exactly how to fill the gap, until he had to borrow Newman’s sound system after the band blew one out during a performance.  When he knocked on the door, he realized he was missing not only Newman’s instrument of keyboard,  but also his musical experience.

Correia said that since then, Newman has become not only a band member, but a mentor for the group.  

“He has studied music longer than we have been alive,” said Aglio. “With the inclusion of his keyboard and piano parts, we could fill out our sound more.”

When asked about goals for the future, Correia said that he would like to get a name as a cover band that does things differently.

“I’d like to appeal to the music purists, but also appeal to the average bar-goer,” said Aglio.  

The band said they like to play cover songs that the audience recognizes, but also pull from other tracks in a band’s album that might not be the top hit on the radio.  

Correia said he credits places like Easton’s and  in Newport for allowing the band to experiment with deeper tracks and provide a richer live music experience.

Want to check out the band yourself? Below are their upcoming shows:

• in Newport tonight, Friday at 10 pm
• in Newport on April 4.

To book a show, contact Chris Correia at correia.cw@gmail.com