The University of Maine Student Government held the Local Bands Fest at the Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center on March 7, with the goal of giving a variety of local bands a spotlight in the Orono area. One band in particular, “Isaac Raven,” served as the opening act for the concert.
Abby Hall, the assistant vice president of Student Entertainment, organized the event. The three local bands showcased included the indie band, “Isaac Raven,” the pop-fusion band, “The Accountability” and the jazz-fusion band, “Free Parking.” The latter two bands involve students who currently attend UMaine. The Local Bands Fest is not only Hall’s first solo-planned event for Student Entertainment, but the event also helped give independent musicians a chance to shine.
“Student government does have a big platform and big following, and we’ve been promoting them, and I’m hoping that it does lead into their musical careers,” said Hall.
Among the three bands, “Isaac Raven” remains unique, as the Local Band’s Fest marked its first on-stage performance at UMaine. The band members are Isaac Raven Mercier on guitar and lead vocals, Drayven Cloutier on drums, Ethan Jonathan Harrington on guitar and Natty Harrington on bass and vocals.
The band’s origins tie back to Harrington and Cloutier having played in the same band in high school, although under a separate project name. When Raven and Harrington started playing together, the group formed naturally as both Cloutier and Harrington’s wife, Natty, joined the group to form “Isaac Raven.” The band had its first official performance in October 2024 at the Band/Saw venue in Portland.
The band’s setlist at the Local Bands Fest is composed entirely of original songs. Some of the members’ favorite tracks include “Everybody Loves Jack,” which was described as a Latin hard rock instrumental piece, with the namesake of the song being tied to a personal figure in Mercier’s life.
“It’s the first song that me and Drayven wrote together, and my sister’s boyfriend’s name is Jack,” said Mercier. “Jack’s a hard guy not to love.”
Many of the sounds created by the band originate from various jam sessions that Mercier and Cloutier partake in, with the lyricism coming naturally to Mercier as he writes about a variety of subjects involving past events or even fleeting emotions. The lyrics in particular on the track “Getting Over You” draws inspiration from a near accident that Mercier experienced while driving.
Each member of “Isaac Raven” takes inspiration from a wide variety of distinct sounds and artists, namely the indie influence of Julia Casablanca and Odie Leigh, with genre inspirations such as math rock, shoegaze and blends of hardcore as well.
Having toured previously in cities such as Boston and Montreal, “Isaac Raven” remains grateful for the opportunity to play for an audience in the Greater Bangor Area.
“Getting to write these songs and then perform them for people feels rewarding,” said Mercier. “When some random person comes up to me at the end of the show alone and says ‘Hey, that was really cool,’ that alone is the best feeling.”
