Persephone’s Choice Is Ready to Bloom
by Avery Anderson
If you’ve spent any time in a Tampa Bay dive bar lately, you might have felt the ground shift beneath you—and no, that wasn’t just the bass rattling the floorboards. It’s the sound of Persephone’s Choice, a four-piece rock band whose name nods to Greek mythology but whose energy is anything but ancient.
Born out of a chance meeting in the summer of 2023, the band has spent the last two years building a sound—and a friendship—that feels both seasoned and brand new. “We all started out as strangers, but over time have grown to become the best of friends!” they say. That camaraderie is more than just sentimental; it’s baked into their name, which, they explain, “comes from the Greek mythological story of Persephone, and symbolizes the importance of seasons and change.”
Nostalgia Meets Now
Try to pin down Persephone’s Choice sonically, and you’ll end up somewhere between memory and adrenaline. “Our sound can be best described as nostalgic rock but with our own modern twist,” they say. That “twist” is less gimmick and more alchemy, the product of four distinct musical tastes colliding. “We like to add our individual tastes in music to our writing, so it’s a nice blend of each of our personalities.”
That blend doesn’t happen by accident. Their songwriting process is collaborative by design: “We typically bring preexisting ideas, riffs, or melodies into the practice room and shape the song from there collaboratively.” In other words, no lone-wolf genius here—just a pack of musicians who trust each other enough to shred, shape, and sometimes scrap until the song feels right.
Art Imitates Life (And Surgery)
The band’s lyrics aren’t escapist anthems so much as emotional x-rays. “Writing songs about our experiences helps us better connect with others, and makes the performance aspect that much more meaningful to us,” they explain. Some of those experiences are raw—recovering from knee surgery, or channeling “intense emotions” into melody. But the payoff is visceral: “To know that we’ve put so much work into our art, both outwardly and behind the scenes, makes everything feel so incredibly fulfilling.”
Live and Loud
If the studio is about introspection, the stage is about combustion. The band’s favorite memory so far? “When we played at the Hard Rock Rising Battle of the Bands,” they say without hesitation. “That was such a monumental moment for us, especially since that was the first time we’ve heard the crowd sing our songs back to us.” Few things mark the passage from promising local act to real-deal headliner like a room full of strangers shouting your lyrics.
And if you’re catching them live this season, brace yourself. “First of all, Courtney’s got a new knee that we’re super excited to debut, as well as some unreleased music that we can’t wait to share with everyone!” Persephone’s Choice is treating resilience like an encore.
Onward, Always
Where does it all go from here? The band doesn’t hedge: “We look forward to playing in more cities, meeting new people, and releasing new music. We’ve got a busy season ahead of us, and we can’t wait to get back on stage.”
In other words, the seasons are turning again—and Persephone’s Choice is more than ready.
See an upcoming show:
Friday, August 29 @ 7:00 PM
Persephone's Choice with Roxx Revolt and Hibiscus
📍 Crowbar, Ybor
Saturday, August 30 @ 7:00 PM
Persephone's Choice with Lesa Silvermore, Beau Anderson, and TV Breakup Scene
📍 Oscura, Bradenton
Sunday, August 31 @ 7:00 PM
Persephone's Choice with The Steel Crows, Beau Anderson, and Lily of the Valley
📍 Will's Pup, Orlando