The Obvious

The Obvious
Frontwoman Surojanie "Angie" Sugrim performs at the Asbury Lanes. February 10, 2012.
Background information
Origin	Asbury Park, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock, grunge, punk rock
Years active	2005 (2005)–present
Associated acts	Lost in Society, TV Tramps, Ether Sunday
Members	Surojanie Sugrim Daniel Astorri Biff Swenson

The Obvious is an independent alternative/punk rock band that was formed in Asbury Park, New Jersey in mid-2005. The band currently consists of frontwoman Surojanie "Angie" Sugrim (guitar, lead vocals), Dan Astorri (lead guitar, vocals), and Biff Swenson (bass). (As of January 2016 they are courting a particular drummer and hope to make an official announcement soon.) The band has shared a similar style to other punk/alt-rock bands such as early Nirvana, Hole, and the Afghan Whigs. The Obvious has developed itself to be one of the most prominent punk rock acts to come out of the mid-2000s revival of the Asbury Park music scene.

The Obvious originally began as a duo founded by Angie Sugrim and Dan Astorri. The two friends had grown up in the suburbs of New Jersey and had begun playing music together around the time they were in high school. Similarly influenced by early 90's alternative rock, Sugrim and Astorri began writing songs together for themselves in the basement of Astorri's childhood home.

The band became a serious project in the years after they finished high school, and in mid-2005, they chose the name "The Obvious" for their musical project. A Political Science major with a minor in Women's Studies from Rutgers University, Sugrim stated that the name came from a quote from an essay she read in school: "People like us, we fight for the obvious". Astorri is also a Rutgers alum, majoring in English and Journalism with a minor in Creative Writing. The band's songs are known for their sociopolitical lyrics and content.

In 2007, the band began performing live after adding bassist Joy Bellamy and drummer Matt Guzda. Continuing to develop their sound, the Obvious had begun to carve out their own little path among the numerous Asbury Park performers. In 2008, at the 16th annual Asbury Park Music Awards, the Obvious won the award for "Top Indie Rock Band". In 2009, before the band began to record their first EP, Bringing Wreck, both Bellamy and Guzda (who went on to form the acclaimed alt-rockabilly band TV Tramps) were replaced by bassist Mike Smith and drummer Kevin Conroy.