723 (pronounced seven twenty three) is a genre bending music collective from the North Carolina piedmont. The group was founded by “Space Sam” Gabriel Alvarez (the groups multi-instrumentalist producer) Tramaine Bowman (poet and guitarist) and former theater kid and vocalist Maxx Alvarez. The group’s genesis was cemented in early 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic under the name “DISSOLVCOLLECTIVE”. Lending their talents and pooling their recording equipment, the trio would release 4 singles amongst the three artists before taking a hiatus for the remainder of the year. The group would return stronger than ever with fan favorite single “Almost meant to be”. A clear departure from their early efforts, the collective had come to fruition after inducting the brotherly duo Brandon and Brian Finch, the groups bassist and drummer respectively. With the band complete, the group had found new direction and set out to record their debut project “BRIGHT LIGHTS” a nearly year long effort that would prove to be ambitious for the budding musicians. Splitting time between performing their first few shows and recording songs from Tramaine’s kitchen in Hillsborough, the bands efforts came to a head in early August of 2022 with the release of “BRIGHT LIGHTS” followed by a near sold out headlining show at Chapel Hill’s Local 506 just days later. The EP was a truly ambitious feat of DIY audio engineering.
Recorded on a shoe string budget and lead in creative direction by the group’s in house producer and lead guitarist Sam, it’s a considerable step into new territory for the band. It features textures and sound scapes of all kinds. From the mangled and fuzzed out psychedelia of “WILLOW CREEK”, or the vulnerable and hauntingly cathartic cello movements of “LYFE” or the danceable funky rhythms and trombone featured on Latin inspired song “EYES” the project is truly genre defying, It’s songs perfectly incapsulating the spirit of 723. Today the band is back in the kitchen recording their sophomore EP and debut project for the group’s star vocalist and songwriter prodigy Maxx.