30 West is Lancaster's newest highway to your favorite radio hits. The band covers a variety of modern rock radio hits, including hits by Nirvana, Blink-182, Lifehouse, and Godsmack. "Our sound is modern rock. We get called 'alternative,' but we tend towards the hard rock," says guitarist Steve Markle.

Markle is joined by singer Kyle Klessinger, drummer Matt Pavlick, and bassist Matt "Moses" Garner. Although the band is relatively new, all of the members have been active within the local music scene in the past.

The band has also begun to incorporate a handful of originals into their set, influenced by musical giants from all over the sonic spectrum. While Pavlick cites heavy hitters like Megadeth and Type O Negative, Klessinger prefers the Beatles. Garner gravitates towards Jimi Hendrix, while Markle favors Van Halen and their ilk. A blend like this has got to result in something interesting.

One of Markle's long-term goals is to expand the band's catalog of original material, although he says cover tunes will always play an important role in the band's live show. 30 West's first release of originals, a four-song EP titled Time To Fly, was recorded in March 2001 at Stress Free Studios, Mechanicsburg.

Since their inception about a year ago, 30 West has played venues like McFly's, the Village, and Buzzfest, which featured national act The Clarks. Markle describes their live show as "full of energy, especially if we're not in a very good mood. Sometimes I'll play some really fiery guitar solos. We try to keep moving around to keep people's attention."

Eventually, Markle would like to see 30 West playing at larger clubs like the Chameleon. "I want to play more places, get a regular schedule, and build a fan base," he says.