5 Questions With... is your chance to get to know a new or up-and-coming band. On Top are a trio from Philadelphia whose latest release is the EP Topless. Vocalist/bassist Jaron Gulino introduces us to his band.

Give us a brief history of On Top.
On Top began as a side project towards the end of 2008. The first demo actually featured current guitarist Brian Davis as a session player. Following the first two demos the band went through a few guitarists, but the fort was always held down by myself and Danny Piselli.


The first major release was Top Heavy via HPGD Productions in 2011. This release featured young guitarist Alex Kulick who was only 17 at the time.

After a couple of years on the road in support of the record, the band split with Kulick and took some time off to revamp. Brian Davis was brought back on board as a session player for 2014’s Top to Bottom (HPGD) and enjoyed it so much that he ended up becoming a full time member. We did a short run of shows in support of Top to Bottom before going right back into the studio to crank out Topless.

After taking some time off between the recording process and release date, we are currently ramping up and preparing to hit the stage in support of the release of Topless via Toil Records.

Describe the songwriting and recording process for Topless.
This record was the first release to feature all three of us contributing to the majority of songwriting process. We spent time last summer rehearsing a string of shows for the Top to Bottom release and ended up coming up with a few new ideas that ended up becoming this EP.

The songs came together in a matter of a few rehearsals and then we went right in to record them last fall while they were fresh. We tracked drums, bass, and guitars together and did leads and vocals separate.

How has your sound evolved/progressed from your previous recordings?
Since the addition of Brian Davis on guitar, we have been driven to take things up a notch. Bigger melodies and now all three of us sing as well which is a huge plus for vocal structure. For this release, we tried to take the attitude of the first record and mix it with the massive sound of the second record. A return to form with a serious kick in the ass. Each of us really put our best into this EP.

What has been your most memorable On Top live show, and what are your upcoming show/tour plans?
There have been many memorable shows over the last 6 or 7 years, but my favorite was playing the Asbury Park boardwalk last summer. It was a total madhouse in an awesome club-like atmosphere. Everyone was feeling it.

We plan on doing a bunch of dates to support Topless from now and on into the fall. Hopefully towards the winter we can branch out and hit some new territories in the south. We are looking to evolve as a live band and also to get back into the studio for another full length record at some point. Stay tuned!

Anything else you'd like to mention or promote?
Get a copy of Topless on iTunes or at Toilinc.com and crank it! We are hoping to get our first video out to support this release as well as doing a proper run of dates/tour. Keep your eyes open and reach out if you like what you hear. We love hearing from people. 

(interview published July 18, 2015)