Top 5 Feature: Mentally Distrakted

Mentally Distrakted is an alt-rock band out of Sandusky, Ohio. Band members include Evan Pearston (19) on guitar and as the vocalist, Trevor Pearston (16) as the drummer, lead guitarist Daniel Likes (20) and Jenna Clark (18) on bass guitar.

Since 2019, Mentally Distrakted has been actively making their edgy, new age style of Alternative Rock music. These kids are no joke, with their live set sounding tight and energetic, with a dynamic presence akin to their grunge forefathers. Their set is truly an experience, both MENTALLY and physically. Their DIY and pseudo-punk ideals are perfect for anyone looking to get a little DISTRAKTED.

Music

Mentally Distrakted has been very busy lately, and they are trying to deliver as much as they can for 2025.

The band’s first studio release, "Accutain,” is a fast paced alt-punk song about self-image, acne and scars. It came out on New Year's Eve last year. (https://open.spotify.com/artist/)

A new song titled “The Psychic” was just released on Valentine’s Day. (https://m.youtube.com/watch)

Those songs are only the start of something bigger and they have plans to work on an EP very soon. The hope is to have two more new singles out for listening and streaming before the summer.

Shows

In addition to our work “in the studio" (our bedroom practice space), we've also lined up some live shows for the spring.

We'll be playing this Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 22nd and Saturday, May 3rd at HALO Live (https://www.halolive.us) in support of some of our favorite local acts, and some new friends!

We'll also be in Fostoria at Venue 18 (https://m.facebook.com/Venue18FostoriaOH/ ) this Saturday, March 1st.

We are open for booking and are looking to play within our region!

Any updates to our schedule will be posted on our website and our social media.

Top 5

We all have a very similar taste in music at the core, but our favorite bands say a lot about our unique personalities.

Mentally Distrakted's Top 5 Bands:

1. Queens of the Stone Age

2. Alice in Chains

3. Nirvana

4. Incubus

5. Deftones

This is a composite list of all of our favorite music. When we get together, these are the bands that we draw the most influence from.

As young adults, we're just as influenced by our parents' and grandparents' music as we are by new releases. Albums like Nevermind, Songs for the Deaf, SCIENCE, Dirt and Around The Fur shape the style and feel of our band. We love heavy music, but also have an emotional side that shows from time to time.

Evan's Top 5:

1. Nirvana

2. Queens of The Stone Age

3. Silverchair

4. Incubus

5. Foo Fighters

Evan is the shy, awkward-but-confident frontman of the band. As the singer, songwriter, Evan listens to a whole different array of music.

Nirvana comes in at No. 1 due to his LOVE for the demo tapes that the band created and released after Cobain's death. Bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Incubus, and Silverchair also had a huge effect on him as a teenager, as he can remember working and doing chores while daydreaming to albums like Frogstomp and Queens of The Stone Age's first record. Foo Fighters makes the list as well, because of the admiration Evan has for the multi-instrumentalist songwriter Dave Grohl.

Even though Evan's Top 5 is full of bands that deliver lots of hits, he is also into many different genres ranging from Shoegaze to Experimental Jazz to DIY Indie. His most recent listens include the bands Blue Smiley, the Garden, Frank Zappa and Noiseheads.

Aside from the band, Evan enjoys spending time with friends and family, attending college, watching Star Wars, eating movie theater popcorn, practicing photography, and staying active in his local community.

Trevor's Top 5:

1. Staind

2. Alice in Chains

3. Queens of The Stone Age

4. Soundgarden

5. The Strokes

Trevor, the band's drummer, has a unique taste in music that is also expanding as he gets older. As a big fan of heavier music, Trevor has shown a strong favor for all things metal and post-grunge.

He takes inspiration from his older brother Evan, but also makes time to venture into his own world of music, searching for his own voice in the realm of loud and exciting alternative music. As a drummer, he favors mixes that are loud and dynamic, with a drum-forward presence.

When he's not listening to his favorite artists or playing for Mentally Distrakted, he's studying Jazz and playing drums for the high school band, playing video games, reading Stephen King, playing dartball, and learning to drive.

Jenna's Top 5:

1. Heartsick

2. Hatebreed

3. Korn

4. Chaoseum

5. Lil Darkie

As the band's bass player, Jenna prefers a low end, thick, and punchy metal sound. She likes to bump her car's stereo system loud and listen to bass-heavy music with lots of emotion. She is a big fan of the independent metal scene, and is one of Heartsick's biggest fans in the world.

Her love of metal shows in her dedication to Nu-Metal acts like Snot, Deftones, and especially Korn, is reflected in her classic Korn beanie worn at almost every band outing.

When She's not playing bass, Jenna spends her time with her family and friends, enjoys working on cars, watching drag races at the local track, and occasionally drawing and gaming.

Daniel's Top 5:

1. Avenged Sevenfold

2. Alice in Chains

3. System of a Down

4. Pantera

5. Deftones

Daniel is the newest member of the band, but has been listening to his favorite artists since he was a teenager. As a tried and true metalhead, lead guitarist Daniel was inspired to pick up a guitar after hearing System of a Down for the first time. He then fell in love with heavy metal, listening to Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer, Gojira, Metallica and Pantera.

While he loves heavy music, Daniel can just as easily sit and listen to unplugged performances by Nirvana and Alice in Chains, appreciating the depth of their musicianship as well. He is currently branching out, listening to groups like Superheaven and Incubus on repeat.

When he isn't playing guitar, Daniel likes to spend time with his family, play video games with his friends, and attend concerts all over the map.

Follow Mentally Distrakted

Website: www.mentallydistrakted.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentallydistrakted

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallydistrakted/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mentallydistrakted8575

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/