RUSTMINE Name and Logo
The RUSTMINE name and logo was first thought of as part of a list of band names in June of 1998 by rhythm guitarist JOSh Smeller. "I started jamming with a neighbor in the summer of '98, and I decided that I want to put together a rock band. We continued jamming for a while, recording terrible songs and trying out various people for our project. I had a few lists of potential band names. Some of them were pretty good, and in retrospect some of them are pretty silly. I also looked at the periodic table of elements for cool names, Iron oxide (rust) being one of them. When we started playing with a couple of guys, one of the guys said we needed a name, and we need to get a Trade Mark for it right away, this was in early 2001. I checked out names on the U.S. TM office, but almost every single cool sounding band name had already been claimed. As I looked back through my band name lists, I started thinking about some of the dark, but cool places I had been to as a kid. When I was young, my Mom and Dad took my Brother and I to a place called Calico Ghost Town in CA, where there are abandoned gold mines you can explore. We really liked that place! So I had always liked the idea of a mine of some kind. Most names I initially came up with sounded lame like: goldmine, coalmine, iodinemine, etc, so I went off of the elements chart and settled on rust, and went a step further to put the words rust and mine together. I drew up the logo for Rustmine late one summer night and sent it in to the TM Office for review. Well getting a Trade Mark takes well over a year, especially when you have to learn how to do it all by yourself, and this was done before they put all of the forms online, etc. In 2002, I was granted rights to the name and logo RUSTMINE." -JOSh
Sam Logan/Vocals
Sam has been in a few other bands in the Portland, OR metal scene before joining Rustmine in 2006. Sam is the man behind the vocals of Rustmine and puts a lot of energy into his singing. Sam can both scream and sing with warm, smooth, vocals. He has recently been chosen by world famous vocal coach Melissa Cross, to take part in two of her vocal "Zen of Screaming" seminars in 2008. Sam is also known for his previous band "Patient 29" where he played guitar and sang back-up vocals.
Josh Smeller/Rhythm Guitar
Josh founded the band and soon recruited Jay, and a former bass player in early 2004. Tracy joined in the summer of 2005, and with the addition of Sam in mid 2006, the band member-line up was complete. Damian joined the band in Oct. of 2008 and now the band is solid!
Josh plays:
Tracy James Finck/Drums
Tracy joined Rustmine in 2005. He has added a depth of heaviness that Rustmine was missing. Tracy has been in the Portland, OR music scene for many years. He is also known for his other band, Anger management
Tracy plays:
Jay Kay/Lead Guitar
Jay has been in Rustmine since the beginning in 2004. Jay is classically trained in playing the piano, but switched to guitar as a teenager.
Jay plays:
Damian Hassett/Bass
Damian holds down the LOW END of RUSTMINE. He has added a depth of low end heaviness that Rustmine needs.
Damian plays: