by Emma von Der Lieth, staff writer

Who would ever imagine that sibling rivalry could produce a pair of talented musicians with a promising future in the Bay Area local band scene?

Kell Egan and Dillon Deskin, also known as Kellz and DTD, used to be stepbrothers while attending Alhambra High School in Martinez together.

“We hated each other,” said Egan. “Our parents forced us to hang out, but we eventually started to get along.”

After reluctantly spending time together, Egan, who sings and writes for the band Foolish Ways, and Deskin, who also sings and makes the beats, realized that they had one thing in common: a passion for music.

The band formed in 2007, and  with their catchy hooks and beats, the Diablo Valley College sophomores continue to gain support from both college and high school students.

“What I like about their music is that it’s high energy party music,” said Cal High senior Jaime Schultz.  “It sounds like a mix between 3OH!3 and Cash Cash.”

Attending a Foolish Ways concert is a one-of-a-kind experience that matches their distinct sound.

“I try to see Foolish Ways as much as possible,” said Cal  senior Nicole George. “Their shows are incredible. There’s a fog machine, lights going, and they even have lasers! It’s definitely a full house whenever I see them.”

While the band frequently plays shows in and around the Bay Area, they call the Walnut Creek venue Red House their home.

“I have seen Foolish Ways play at the Red House lots of times over the past two years,” said senior Robin Podany. “Their shows are really high energy, and they can always get the crowd going.  I always have a good time.”

Egan and Deskin came up with the band name Foolish Ways from a summer camp they attended when they were young.

“One of the talks they had at the summer camp was about the word ‘foolish’ and what it meant to be a ‘fool’ back in the day.  It was real bad to call someone a fool,” said Egan. “We got back home after camp, and we were going to start a rock band because I used to play drums and Dillon was playing guitar.  Dillon (suggested the name) Foolish Ways.”

Although the band did not evolve at that time, the name Foolish Ways reappeared in 2007, when the band formed.

While fooling around in a friend’s studio after school one day, Egan and Deskin recorded their first song and uploaded it to MySpace.

To their surprise, Egan and Deskin received positive feedback and a strong following from their peers at school and decided to make music seriously.

“It slowly became less of a joke,” said Deskin. “At one point, we were like, this is working; let’s keep making music.”

Gathering inspiration from musical influences ranging from the Backstreet Boys to the Beatles, the electro-pop group would describe their sound as “fun party music.”

“Foolish Ways has a really unique sound and style,” said sophomore Bella Wong. “(Their music) is really entertaining.”

Foolish Ways released their first EP titled “Finally” on Feb. 11.  EP, short for extended play, is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to be considered a full album.

“Finally,” consists of eight songs and is available for purchase on iTunes.

“(Our songs) are like our babies,” said Deskin. “But our song ‘Howdy Neighbor’ is our favorite child.”

“Howdy Neighbor,” and “Bow Chicka Wow Wow” are notably the most popular songs off of “Finally,” gaining more and more listens each day from their Facebook Band Page.

Both songs combine synth laced beats, tight vocals, and a pop and dance feel to create a unique sound that has the ability to satisfy almost all musical tastes.

“The guys are very fun and don’t take themselves too seriously, and I think that comes out in their music,” said band manger Cade Wolter. “No matter what style they go about, they find a way to get that song stuck in your head and have you enjoy it the whole way through.”

Fortunately for fans, Foolish Ways plans to release more fresh tunes very soon.

The band plans to make a compilation of their old music from 2009 that didn’t reach “Finally,” and make it available to the public for free around Christmas.

“I’ve been a fan of Foolish Ways for a year,” said Cal junior Mat Salavitch, bassist for MDK.  “I’m really stoked to hear their compilation and see what’s going on in the future with their music.”

Equipped with positive attitudes and indisputable talent, Foolish Ways continues to awe fans and bring a remarkably noteworthy sound to the Bay Area.