How I Became the Bomb

by Mark Deming
Hailing from Murfreesboro, TN, How I Became the Bomb are a band blending vintage synth pop and jittery indie rock with influences ranging from spaghetti Western movie scores and video game music to ABBA and Electric Light Orchestra to create music that's witty, smart, and just a little unnerving. How I Became the Bomb were launched in 2005, when Jon Burr (vocals) and Andy Spore (drums), friends who were attending Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, got together one evening to make some music for the fun of it. Burr's roommate Denis Deck joined in on guitar, and the three were happy enough with the results to try making more sounds in public. Following the recruitment of trained pianist and synthesizer player Adam Richardson, the group's eccentric sound began to take shape, and with the addition of bassist Ricky Bizness, How I Became the Bomb were born. How I Became the Bomb's first gig was a chaotic show at a bar featuring exotic dancers (which is against the law in Murfreesboro), but it didn't take long for word to spread about the group on the Nashville independent music scene, and before long the band was making the rounds of Music City's rock clubs. After sharing bills with most of Nashville and Murfreesboro's leading underground bands, How I Became the Bomb teamed with producer Jason Bullock to record a six-song EP, Let's Go! The EP became a top-seller at independent record stores in Tennessee, and the band began winning international acclaim for its angular music, mordant wit, and snappy outfits.