Artist description Fads come and go and come-and-go again, from 50s rockabilly to 70s disco to 90s grunge to todays already-on-the-way-out hipster garage rock. (Oh, dear Strokes, we hardly knew ye!) If, as they say, careers can be made lumping like substances together, then pigeonhole-ing and genre-fying are booming industries indeed. And yet, through it all, no-frills American rock has always managed to hold its own. The truth is, music fans will always have a place in their hearts for that one constant: the real live Rock Band -- crammed into somebody’s older brother’s van, tooling around the country, just doing their thing. Five guys, a couple of guitars, a bass, and a drum set, all going town to town and show to show with a musical message of, “We’re all in this together, and everything’s gonna be all right.” Bands like Seven Mary Three and Tonic stand in the face of the machine, proving that beyond image and pretense, there is always room for a great song played by a great band. This principal is the foundation of ashwednesday. They didn’t build their audience on fashion; they reach out to people with their music and build strong connections based on honesty, emotion, and their high-energy performances. ashwednesday is rock music for all-comers. “Sometimes, flipping through channels on the radio or TV, I feel like my musical tastes are drowning… Where has the real rock music gone? Where are all those songs about me, and my girlfriend, and my friends, and my hometown, and my (and your) Real Life?… Where is that band that I wanted to be in when I was a kid? Didn’t Tom Petty have any children? Or Bruce Springsteen? Or U2? “Then, a couple of days ago, I go see this band ashwednesday and I realize: Oh, wait a second. Here they are….” - Aaron Saylor Clay City Free Press

Music Style No-Frills American Rock

Musical Influences U2, Oasis, The Pogues, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Buffalo Tom, Bob Dylan, Tonic, Seven Mary Three, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Matchbox 20, Gin Blossoms, Neil Young, Smashing Pumpkins (Jimmy Chamberlain)

Similar Artists Soul Asylum, Goo Goo Dolls

Artist History ashwednesday formed in 2002 and since then has garnered a strong following in their region based on their songs and live performances.

Group Members ashwednesday is: Gene Seale Vocals / guitar Zach Barnett Vocals / lead guitar Josh Harrison Bass / vocals Stanley Niece Rhythm guitar / vocals Daylan Kinser Drums / vocals

Albums ashwednesday - Untitled, All Seven Items

Press Reviews By Erin Parsons Register Lifestyles Editor Before Zach Barnett could even drive a car, he and his friends were creating a path for their future. The four guys, friends from high school in Irvine, would call each other at night with ideas for song lyrics and bits of music they thought up. �When I got my driver�s permit, I would sneak out and practice at somebody�s house or in the parking lot of a local business,� he said. It didn�t take long for the four to realize they had something special and could take the band further than garages and parking lots. Currently, Ash Wednesday consists of five members including Barnett, Josh Harrison, Gene Seale, Stan Niece and Daylan Kinser, who is from Powell County and is the most recent addition to the band. �Everybody in the band likes different things, from the Brit-pop sound of bands like Oasis and Coldplay to U2 and the early 90s Seattle sound,� Barnett said. �We try and fuse these types of music with the Southern rock and classic country music we grew up on. It�s hard not to be influenced by Southern rock when you live in a small town like Irvine.� Ash Wednesday released it�s first album Sept. 13 at Richmond�s Recordsmith. �It�s really a strange feeling to walk into your living room and see 1,000 CDs in the floor,� Barnett said. �It was really scary at first because we didn�t know if people would actually like us or not. The best feeling is to walk into a record shop and see our CD on the shelves alongside bands that have really Œmade it.�� The band�s influences have come in a variety of musical genres, including Andy Summers from the Police, songwriters like Shane MacGowan, Leonard Cohen and John Prine, and bands such as Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac and Dave Matthews. �We try and listen to a variety of music so we don�t sound a great deal like anyone in particular,� Barnett said. �With Southern rock as the base, we add the colors of our favorite sounds until it becomes something original.� Ash Wednesday plays fairly regularly at M.F. Hooligan�s in Richmond, but is planning shows in Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati. �The dates for the shows are posted on (M.F. Hooligan�s) Web site and we tend to promote the shows heavily with flyers and whatever else we can do,� Barnett said. Having the record on the market in Richmond is nerve-wracking for the band, but also exciting, Barnett said. �It�s a really big deal for us that we do have a record that is packaged and looks and sounds the best we could make it at this point,� he said. �It�s a bit like having a child, I suppose. You�re very proud, but at the same time, you worry that it won�t succeed.� So far so good for the Eastern Kentucky University students. Records are selling and more and more people are coming to shows. �... that makes you feel like your Œkid� just won an award or something,� Barnett said. �It�s a great feeling.�

Location Richmond, Kentucky - USA

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