The Rare Occasions are an LA-based, New England-bred indie rock band known for their explosive garage rock anthems with catchy vocal harmonies.
Brian McLaughlin (singer) and Luke Imbusch (drummer) have been making music together since their early teen years. They formed The Rare Occasions while attending college in Boston where they met Jeremy Cohen (bassist). Since then, the band have toured nationally, won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and released a vast catalog of music.
In 2021 the band released their first album as a trio, Big Whoop, which received significant press and radio play. Around the same time, their 2016 track “Notion” went viral on TikTok. The track topped Spotify’s viral chart in the US and several other countries, landed on Billboard’s alt charts, top 100 singles charts in the UK, Ireland, & Canada, and certified Platinum in 2023.
After sharing their hard-hitting riffs, danceable grooves, and ear-catching melodies with audiences on two recent nationwide tours, the band has shifted its efforts towards new music and released their first new single "Black Balloons" on Oct. 18, 2023 with more to come in 2024.