Alternative rock band The Mitras formed in 2019 and since then, have hit the Richmond music scene hard and fast with a slew of singles full of energetic rhythms, screaming guitars, and raspy vocals. The group draws inspiration from classic garage and punk rock outfits like The Vines, The Strokes and Team Spirit, and often brought that energy to eager audiences at numerous shows over the years.
However, The Mitras surprised fans last month when the band decided to call it quits on a high note. But before hanging it up, the band will take the stage one last time with a send-off show at The Broadberry and also released one last track called “Big Deal.”
Style spoke with Mitras’ frontman Sean Moran to talk about the breakup, Richmond music and saying goodbye.
Style Weekly: Why did the band decide to split up?
Moran: I’m moving to Philadelphia to be closer to family. I’ve lived here for 15 years and it felt like the right time to return there. The band had to strategize what the next year was going to look like and our schedules were just getting tighter and tighter. One of us is a PhD student and another a social worker so we had less free time and it was just too much. But the split was totally amicable and we’re all on great terms. We just felt it was time to end.
What’s been the local response to The Mitras over the past few years?
Richmond will always be a special place for me. It’s where I found my voice. When I first moved here, I just started doing every open mic night there was. I met so many other great artists that way, which is how the Mitras formed. We started playing a ton of shows – especially once the pandemic passed – and we saw people really enjoyed our music. The last few Mitras songs we released have been in that vein of power-pop, post-punk, which is something I really enjoyed and the crowds did too.
Was there ever a favorite show you played?
We’ve had numerous shows that have been great. One time we got the opportunity to open for British punk band Bad Nerves at Richmond Music Hall, and I was actually a huge fan of theirs. I saw they announced a show in Richmond but didn’t see any support listed, so I reached out to the booker and they agreed to let us open. I was so nervous meeting Bad Nerves, but they were incredibly nice and kept pumping us up for the crowd. It was a super awesome experience.
Is there anything that people can expect from your final performance?
It’ll be a very long-form set, which we have gotten out of practice doing. Most of our recent shows have been a “shock and awe” style of performing where it’s loud, hard and fast. We’ll definitely be playing some of our older material along with the new stuff. We’re going to have special guests that will sing a track or two with us. The bands on this bill are very intentional. Cassidy [Snider] is a great friend of mine. We started in the open mic scene together. Tentative Decisions and Shagg Carpet are also incredible, and I don’t think they get the attention they deserve, so I hope this show will put them on peoples’ radar.
What are you hoping for personally from your last show?
There is a lot of pressure with it being a finality thing. It’s not like we can get them next time, so we’re rehearsing like crazy. I will be very sad when it’s over for sure. I’m telling a lot of my friends, family, and anyone who will listen that they need to come to the show because I don’t know when I’m going to be on stage again for a while. We obviously want to play for our old fans and people that have supported the band, but it’s really important for me to bring in a new audience all the time. I want somebody that’s never seen us before to come see us, even though it’s the last show.
Once you move to Philadelphia, is your plan to start up a new project there?
Yeah, absolutely. I’m still writing all the time. I have a bunch of material that would have been at some point developed into new Mitras tracks. It’s still in the early development stages, but it’s not going to be another version of the Mitras. It’d be a totally separate thing. The Mitras is from Richmond and it’ll always be a part of Richmond.
The Mitras final show takes place at The Broadberry on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. with Shagg Carpet, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, and Tentative Decisions. Tickets are $12-$15 and available at thebroadberry.com.
