ACTIVE STATIONERY

Active Stationery is an alt rock indie band formed by Madeline Sullivan and Zavier Walker in Portland, Maine in 2023. Originally named “The Telegrams,” the band tried and fitted many band members before taking on the current cheeky and occasionally stoic persona it has now. Described as eclectic and self-aware, the band isn’t afraid to explore concepts that lean in and out of rock, funk, and occasionally punk. The three-piece includes Madeline as lead singer and bassist, Zavier Walker (Cole Phillips and the EMW, Mike Maurice) as lead/rhythm guitarist, and Brian Coggeshall (Grunk, Salacious Biscuit, Haverchuck) on drums. Madeline's vocals are akin to Courtney Barnett, K.D. Lang, and Alex Turner, creating a unique androgynous sound.

Madeline’s idea for the band name came from her love of traditional art and wordplay. Home-grown in Scarborough, Maine, she grew up with an alcoholic mother and single dad. Lesbian, AuDHD, and boyish, her unique perspective adds to a new queer generation of artists. An English major in college, she found her love for poetry and the written word. It was only later in her twenties after some universal heartbreak and epiphanies that she decided to put her energy into music. With no musical background other than a healthy obsession with The Beatles, Courtney Barnett, the Arctic Monkeys, and singing in the car, Madeline adds a non-traditional music view to the band’s writing process.

Zavier Walker is the original member from the early iterations of the band. Hailing from Steep Falls, Maine, he also had drug use in his home growing up, making music a primary distraction from the dysfunction. Playing in folk groups like Cole Phillips and the Early-Morning Weather and Mike Maurice, Zavier found a more alternative outlet for his versatile guitar playing. Inspired by George Harrison, The Killers, and Tyler Joseph, he adds atmosphere, melodic lines, and when necessary, crunch to the band's energy. With similar backgrounds and ambitions, he connected with Madeline and the pair developed the band's tonal energy together.

Brian Coggeshall, the final member to join the band, has seen a bit more life than the band's other members. Living in Virginia, Oregon, Hawaii, Michigan, Massachusetts, and now Maine, he educates the younger members to their older influences they weren’t even there for. Playing in the bands Grunk, Salacious Biscuit, and Haverchuck, he adds a mixture of styles to the band's sound. He is inspired by Rush, Elvis Costello, The Pixies, and Björk. He adds a dynamic mixture that reaches and maintains the band's high highs and emotional lows.

The band is now recording their first single that will be available soon. They are playing live shows in their hometowns and around New England.