They started out On Tap, but they are Far From Yesterday and they hope to keep moving forward.

Mike Gandy, Austin Goetz and Jason Wallace of Far From Yesterday started out as On Tap six years ago. After disapproval of the name On Tap, the band decided to change the name to Fourteen Circles Round.

As Fourteen Circles Round, the band had its first experience ever in the studio.

“We went to a studio that played gospel music, and we were not very good,” Goetz said.

He said the experience was a bad one because the producers weren’t used to their type of music.

Goetz later on left the band for a year to go to California and also took a year off from music.

“I just had to get away from Joplin for a while,” Goetz said.

After he went to California, the band added Nik Kubicek to replace Goetz at bass and added a second guitarist, Jace Kuhler. They changed the band’s name to Blind Sight. As Blind Sight, the band recorded another album and experienced some success. The singles “Because I Know” and “Slipping By” received air play on 11 different Midwest stations. Tensions began to escalate, and the band decided to part ways on good terms.

“They weren’t musically in tune with us,” Gandy said. “They wanted to go somewhere else. I think they wanted to be more of a Joplin band.”

Goetz moved back to Joplin after Blind Sight’s breakup, and the original trio joined forces once again under the name Defending the Addiction.

After a few months together, the band received two awards from the Midwest Missouri Pop Music Awards for “Best New Artist” and “Best New Songwriter.”

While under the name Defending the Addiction, the band added Derrick Carr on lead guitar. With Carr, the band was given the opportunity to play at Mayfest in Tulsa.

“We played at Mayfest which is a huge thing,” Wallace said. “There isn’t many bands playing at it that aren’t from Tulsa.”

At Mayfest the band was dubbed the crown prince of emo rock.

Due to scheduling differences, Carr was forced to leave the band and Tommy Hankins joined the band. Due to style conflicts, Hankins left the band and the group decided to keep the original trio.

“We feel more comfortable with a three piece,” Goetz said. “Every time we add another person it throws us off.”

Defending the Addiction opened up for Zac Maloy, former front man of the Nixons, at Champs Pub and Grill. After meeting Maloy and under his advice, the band decided to change its name to Far From Yesterday. Maloy thought the band’s old name didn’t fit its style of music.

He thought it would be better if the band picked a different name that had meaning to the members.

“Far From Yesterday basically means we have come a long way from what we used to be,” Wallace said.

Maloy is currently helping the band produce its new EP, Used and Curious Goods, at his studio in Tulsa.

“I liked what I heard,” Maloy said of the band.

“They’re a young band. They are doing all the right things, playing as much as they can.”

Far From Yesterday hopes its new recording will be a catalyst for the members’ music careers.

“We would like to make this our career and actually go on tour,” Gandy said

Individuals who would like to see Far From Yesterday can see them perform Feb. 20 at The Outland in Springfield or Feb. 28 at the Green Room in Joplin.