Hard Maybe + Mr. Vale's Math Class

Hard Maybe

Hard Maybe is a genre-bending neo soul/funk band hailing from Seattle with a sound described as a “fusion style completely their own.” Fronted by the band’s main songwriters - singer/keyboardist Monica Parshotam and singer/bassist Troy Bohman - Hard Maybe’s sound is difficult to put in a box. With three-part vocal harmonies punctuated by horns, they seamlessly blend ingredients from back-beat driven funk, jazz, soul, and more to create an effortlessly cohesive and rich sound. Hard Maybe seeks to inspire listeners with a sense of relatability in their music. The lives and identities of the band members are woven through their songwriting, deriving from their own experiences navigating mental health struggles, harnessing neurodivergence, celebrating queerness, and embracing the awkward. By reflecting the ups and downs of life through song, Hard Maybe invites listeners on a journey to find joy, solidarity, and the courage to be unapologetically themselves. The group released their debut album “More of the Usual Stuff” in September 2025, receiving airplay on KEXP and landing on the Top 30 NACC chart at WVYC, Top 10 on NACC R&B/Soul at KMUD, and Top 10 NACC Adds at M3. Over the years the band has performed at several of the northwest’s biggest events including Capitol Hill Block Party in 2025, Bite of Seattle, Northwest Folklife Festival, and Bellingham Exit. Hard Maybe is Monica Parshotam (vocals/keys), Troy Bohman (vocals/bass), Jeanie Marinella (vocals), Sam Jaeger (guitar), Daniel Lombard (trumpet), Rebekah Way (saxophone), and Alex Roemmele (drums).

Mr. Vale’s Math Class

Mr. Vale’s Math Class is more than the sum of its parts—the six-piece funk band brings rollicking dance-party vibes backed by zippy horns, wink-and-a-nod lyrics, and an energizing stage performance to the Pacific Northwest and beyond. If only high school math class were this much fun. Oscillating between playful and serious, the band riffs its way through blues, funk, and jammy notes from bygone eras, with modern, fresh lyrics that feel plucked from a math wizard’s hat. Rest assured, Mr. Vale’s Math Class will have you grooving to the golden mean, even if you can’t find your protractor or remember how to do quadratic equations. Led by the multi-instrumentalist and math tutor Jordan Vale on keys, trumpet, and vocals, the group includes musicians Nick Hamel on guitar, Milo Fultz on bass, James Ford on drums, David Burrows on auxiliary percussion, and Lhanna Writesal on saxophone, along with a rotating cast of dynamic guest musicians. Always cooking up something new, Mr. Vale’s Math Class released Live, Math, Love part 1 in 2026, a four-song EP that blends funky grooves, heartfelt moments, and clever math-inspired storytelling and builds on the band’s identity as cheeky educators with serious musical chops. The EP followed several 2005 and 2022 singles and its 2002 album We Can Help You Out, which Eleven PDX called “a funky, jazzy, lovefest.” Mr. Vale’s Math Class has rocked the house at major PNW music fests, including Juniper Jam, Shift, NW Folklife, and Goodtime Campout, and has opened for acts such as Jamie Cullum, Marchfourth, and High Step Society.