After graduating from Cave Spring High School in 1998, Roanoke native Robert Sinclair studied jazz drums at Virginia Commonwealth University. Upon graduation, he "came back home and hung around for nine months, becoming too comfortable." Wanting a "lifestyle challenge," he moved to New York City two years ago to pursue his career in music. He drove a pharmaceutical delivery truck and worked at a gourmet gelato shop before joining the Brooklyn-based rock band Wells.

The group's first tour — promoting a series of singles in lieu of recording a traditional record — started Wednesday in Hoboken, New Jersey, at a black-tie fund-raiser for tsunami victims, and brings Sinclair back home to play the Brambleton Deli on Wednesday.

Q: You took a lesson from sax player Joe Henderson, who upon arriving in NYC in the 1950s just hung around, giving him time to scope out the players he wanted to work with. Ironically, you ended up playing with people you had already shared bands and stages with in the Virginia circuit. How then did you "scope the scene"?

A: I hung out at the Knitting Factory [home club of experimental music icon John Zorn], and the Tribeca Rock Club. I lived over a really cool place in Brooklyn called Freddy's.

Q: How did Wells form?

A: I'd go to Charlottesville to see Wells Hanley play in high school with the John D'earth Experience while in high school. I didn't know him then. In college, I joined — a dream come true. I'd gotten to know him, and when Wells moved, he said if I came to NYC, he'd call me. That was just one more reason for me to move there, so I did and joined. Sam Wilson is the guitar player, and Colin Killalea plays bass.

Q: Wells are accomplished jazz cats. Why play rock?

A: Wells wanted to move toward it, which was something I had been thinking about, too. I was burned out on jazz.

Q: Was it college?

A: No, I think it was New York that did it!

Q: Fear had a song called "New York's Okay If You Like Saxophones."

A:(Laughs) Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Q: Influences?

A: Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, the Allman Brothers Band.

Q: Roanoke Rock.

A: Yeah (laughs), what you hear in Roanoke. Jazz-wise? Miles. Coltrane. Count Basie.

Q: Are you satisfied?

A: I think we're at an "arrival point" in our careers. Everybody in the group writes really well and shares the common mission of what I've been working on for the last 15 years. This is music I can truly believe in.