Contemporary American Rock

5 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Modern Rock, ROCK: Emo



Details:
Singer/songwriter Jody Shelton began performing his songs in and around Nashville, Tennessee when he was still in high school, mostly at talent shows and open mics. He formed his first band at 19 after moving to Chicago, but it quickly disintegrated once Jody took a job touring with The Second City National Touring Company as musical director. After a year of touring, Jody completed his degree in film scoring at Berklee College of Music, winning several awards including Best Score of the Year for his work on the short film, "Balance".
After moving to New York in late 2003, Jody began writing what would become his first EP, "Rise", released in November 2005. Jody's southern roots and classical background are evident in his leanings toward heartbreak songs and epic soundscapes, but these serve as a backdrop for his love of classic pop melodies and early alternative music.
Eric Wilhelm (guitar/production/engineering) met Jody through a mutual friend in early 2004, and the two immediately became a creative team. They began work on demo versions for three of the songs on "Rise" at Eric's Kitchen Sink Studios in Brooklyn and performed all over New York both as a band - with a bass player and drummer - and as an acoustic duo.
In August 2004, Jody saw Christopher Heinz playing drums and overturned buckets at a theater show and asked him to join the band the following week. Christopher instantly brought an eclectic and innovative spark to the music and helped to solidify the creative vision of the band.
By the time recording began on "Rise" in 2005, it became clear that one piece was still missing: a permanent bass player who sang. With this member in place the band could pull off live the harmonies that were quickly becoming the signature vocal sound on the recordings. After endless auditions Michael Pearce entered the picture and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the band was finally complete.
The band's influences are many, but Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Ryan Adams, Lucinda Williams, and Coldplay are probably the most apparent. Their shows and recordings range from intimate three-part harmony singing and insistent grooves (No Time) to full blown orchestral epics (Blur). Jody, Eric, Chris, and Michael have created a hybrid that is both personal and dramatic, classic yet thoroughly modern.