Up and coming NYC based rock band "In Loving Memory" aren’t just looking to make it big as rockstars and rack up a reputation as bad boys along the way. On the contrary, they are actually looking to establish a reputation of being just the opposite: a group that others can look up to and admire.

Comprised of band members Naveed Stone, Thomas Diognardi, and Vito Racanelli, the band mixes elements of alternative rock with metalcore to create their sound.

The band’s frontman, Naveed Stone, is an alumnus of our very own Stony Brook University. He graduated in 2017 with a degree in engineering and quickly landed a promising job in the field after graduation. Despite the long hours and demanding work that he, and his bandmates, faced at work, they spent as much of their free time as possible putting countless hours into the band.

They are a group of individuals that realize and exemplify the meaning of hard work. They are willing to do whatever it takes to further their shared passion for music and never expect anything to be handed to them along the way. They understand that all the missed hours of sleep, all the long nights and early mornings, and all the constant travel and promotion are all necessities to success.

If anyone ever tells me that this generation isn’t hardworking and lacks motivation, I’ll point them to Vito, Tom, And Naveed of "In Loving Memory." They not only have managed to balance their professional lives with their duties to the band, they have also managed to create an entire line of band merch to help promote themselves and build up enough of a following to be able to feasibly make the band a full-time gig.

It seems Naveed Stone has decided that it is time to take the plunge, saying that “I’m tired of 'In Loving Memory' being something I do on weekends” and announcing via a Facebook post that he has given up his job so that he and Tom will be able to follow the Final Vans Warped Tour at all of its stops across the country this summer, in order to promote the band, meet with fans, and continue to grow their following.

The band has also recently started a new “Strive For Excellence” branding campaign, which they explained the motivations behind in a recent video uploaded to their YouTube channel. The idea is for all members of the band to hold themselves to a higher standard in everything they do.

As Stone explains in the video, “I want people to look at the band’s story, brand, history, biography… and say I want to be like them when I grow up, or if they are our age, be like ‘damn, I should be more like that kid' or if they are older than us be like ‘damn, I wish I had what they have at that age.’”

In a culture so riddled with scandal, poor role models, and bad behavior being glorified in the media, it is always extremely refreshing to see a group trying to inspire social change through their actions on and off the stage.

The band's latest EP “Introspective” is available both on iTunes and Spotify. My personal favorites are “Weathered” and “Dreamer.” I highly recommend giving them a listen next time you are looking for new music or happen to have downtime regardless.