Last summer, five guys from Chico decided to come together to create a rock and pop punk band called Slay it Forward.

Today, they are still playing strong.

Weston Ruiz, Matt Manfredi, Remington Holcomb, Brett Growell,and Matt Savage have previously been in numerous musical groups before and played some part in the music scene.

But when they formed Slay it Forward in August, something clicked. Because they all loved the same kind of music and knew the ins and outs of being in a band, everything seemed to fall in place.

The name, like everything else, is part of what makes the band unique. Slay it Forward was guitarist Manfredi’s idea after months of throwing ideas around.

To the band, the finished product was a something of a statement name, something to remember by the end of the day. And they were right.

“You obviously know what pay it forward means,” Manfredi said. “It’s the polar opposite of that.”

The name isn’t the only thing that makes the band stand out. There is something to be said about the way Slay it Forward promotes itself that truly makes the band unique.

The members all do their own promotion via Facebook with the help of friends and family. Word of mouth is the key ingredient to getting fans out to their gigs.

“Friends or family or whoever is supporting you (is needed) to spread the word,” Manfredi said. “And backing it up with technology with the way of social media.”

Chico is a hot-spot for most of the band’s live performances, since the members are locally-based. Slay it Forward likes to play in Chico as much as they can, Manfredi said.

“(To) play to people that want to be there to have fun and get involved and be passionate about it as we are (is what matters),” he said.

https://soundcloud.com/slay-it-forward/the-illusion

Moving forward, all that matters is touring and getting their music out to as many fans as they can.

Savage said there is a big record company interested in the band, so hopefully something huge will come out of that, like making more CDs. The band is currently in the process of recording an album at a studio in Sacramento.

But Slay it Forward’s sudden success hasn’t changed the band. They are still the same down to earth guys they were before, even though this is the biggest they’ve gotten out of the bands they’ve been a part of.

Guitarist Savage said the band’s increased performance opportunities and busyness “gives life new meaning.”

To understand Slay it Forward, all people have to do is listen to the band’s song, “Don’t Be a Do Over,” Manfredi said. It really sums up what the musicians are about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbY4UYVia64

Erin Vierra can be reached at [email protected] or @gingersmurf85 on Twitter.