Originally from Orlando, Florida, the pop rock band Before You Exit is now based in Los Angeles, California. The group consists of singer-songwriter brothers Connor, Riley, and Toby McDonough. Since the very beginning, the band has worked in their home studio writing and producing their own music. The name Before You Exit originated from their desire to make a difference with their fresh and life inspired original music and throughout their career, they have exemplified their efforts to do just that.

Since their conception, BYE has enjoyed worldwide recognition with several major milestones marking their evolution and success. From beginning in their garage at home to chart topping singles and worldwide touring, the group has come a long way. In 2014, winning the third annual Macy's iHeart Radio Rising Star, campaign resulted in their appearance alongside artists including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and One Direction among others, as well as participation in the Thanksgiving Day parade. As a touring band, they've headlined numerous tours and also toured alongside artists such as The Vamps, Olly Murs, and Fifth Harmony. In 2015, they signed to RCA records (Sony – RCA) and co-headlined a European – UK tour with Christina Grimmie, third place winner on season six of the Voice.

A year later they released their innovative and dynamic EP “All the Lights" featuring their popular single “Model". The recording’s release coincided with their now well-known US tour on which they were supported by their dear friend, artist Christina Grimmie who met her demise following a performance in Orlando, last June.  In the aftermath of the 2016 US tour, Connor, Riley, and Toby mourned the loss of their colleague while devoting time to writing in the studio. Thereafter they released “Clouds" written in memory and honor of Christina. The song is structured with a heartfelt melody and deeply reaching lyrics and has been well received by all. It would be six more months until their next live performance.

The tragedy of 2016 proved to the three brothers and their crew, that their most cherished asset continues to be the support they've known from fans around the world. Even before 2016, the group expressed a deep appreciation for their personal relationship with so many fans. Their newest music, including latest single ‘Find Yourself’ released in May of 2017, is deeply inspired by the complex dynamics that come from experiencing a life of such extreme trials. It proves to be evidence of a seasoned trio of brothers in whom convictions have been founded by deeply inspired values and an evolution with the ever-changing world we all find ourselves a part of.

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In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

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