The Gills (from left) Matt Prince (drums), Allan Castleberry (keyboard), Jesse Wheeler (vocals/guitar), Andy Prince (bass) and Nathan Dillaha (guitar) have eight live performances along the Gulf Coast in June. Gills are the respiratory organs that extract oxygen from water and excrete carbon dioxide. Local rock band, The Gills, much like their eponym, draw inspiration from their surroundings and emit an uplifting message of love and life to local audiences.

Six months of working on their sound and sharing it at local venues culminated less than two months ago when the five-member group released its debut album "Forget What You See..." at a special release show.

"It was one of the most professional shows you'll see by a local band," said keyboardist Allan Castleberry.

The show, which took place at the WSRE building at Pensacola Junior College on April 23, was a top-ofthe line production featuring professional sound and lighting equipment and three large projection screens.

They have since been entertaining crowds along the Gulf Coast with their unique brand of sound.

The month of June offers music enthusiasts plenty of opportunities to see The Gills perform songs from their new album.

Their brand of "oldschool rock with an indie pop twist," is influenced by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Muse and more, pumps out a powerful uplifting message of love and life.

"Our songs are meant to make people smile and enjoy life," Wheeler said. "We talk about love a lot because that is what everyone is looking for."

"The overall message was inspired by Jesse and his battle with cancer," said drummer Matt Prince. "It's all about staying confident and believing that positive things will happen, despite the fact that you may be surrounded by negativity."

The show wasn't The Gills' first big gig. Last year, on April 26, the group opened for Sheryl Crow at the Pensacola Civic Center. The oncei n-a-lifetime opportunity served as a springboard for the group.

"It made us realize that this (playing music) is really what we want to do with our lives," Castleberry explained.

"Before it was just an idea, but that show motivated us because we realized that our dreams could be a reality," Prince added.

The Gills began recording their debut album "Forget What You See..." in August 2008, facing several challenges throughout the process.

"It was the first time most of us were actually recording in a studio," Castleberry said.

"We had to learn a lot of things as we went along," Prince recalled.

The band agreed that limited access to studio time was the most challenging obstacle.

"It was really frustrating because we couldn't get in the studio as often as we would have liked," Wheeler explained. "There was even an entire month when we didn't get in the studio at all."

As a result, the album is a representation of The Gills' raw talent.

"There were no demos for this album," Prince joked. "The album is the demo."

With their first album complete and a huge release show on the horizon, The Gills are poised to realize their dreams.

Where will they go from here?

"Hopefully on tour with a bigger act, which would open a lot of doors," Castleberry said.

"We just wan to expose as many people as we can to our music," Wheeler added.

The Gills' June Performance Schedule:

Sunday, June 7: Bamboo
Willies (Pensacola Beach)
Thursday, June 11: Bimini
Bar (Pensacola Beach)
Friday, June 12: Hot Topic
(Mobile, Ala.)
Saturday, June 13: The
Handlebar (Pensacola)
Sunday, June 14: Alabama
Music Box (Mobile, Ala.)
Monday, June 15: Coasters
(Fort Walton Beach)
Friday, June 19: Ravenite
(Fairhope, Ala.)
Sunday, June 28: Bamboo
Willies (Pensacola Beach)

For more information about The Gills, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com /thegillsmusic.