“Consisting of three friends from Thomas Jefferson High School and a singer originally from Nashville, Tenn., Innocent Bystander is starting a buzz among their peers here in Federal Way. Made up of TJHS students Ryan Hagen, Jess Nyland, Alex Papke and singer Emily Randolph, the four have been playing live shows for some time now and have garnered a loyal following. A lot of their exposure comes from promotion efforts. The band utilizes every social media outlet available to them, from Twitter to Facebook to the website reverbnation.com, and also produces fliers that they distribute around TJ. The band has a four-song CD produced and put together by a local man, and is set to play the Live Room in Sumner again on March 23. While they're still in school and have the rest of their lives ahead of them, all agree that the band is a top priority for the foreseeable future. ”

“Several months ago I attended a show to see a group I was planning to write about for my column. Admittedly slightly irritated with how many bands were scheduled to go on before the band I was there to see, I impatiently listened to the opening acts. But one of the opening acts quickly changed my mentality, immediately striking me as more than just another opening act. Not even all the way through their first song, Innocent Bystander made the top of my wish list. Doing justice to songs by artists ranging from Queen to Neon Trees, the band captures the audience's attention with popular music while also establishing its dynamic style. Once the band enthralls its audience, it continues to impress the crowd with an onslaught of well-written and confidently executed originals. ”