Waking Ashland
Encyclopedia
Waking Ashland was an American rock
band from San Diego
, California. Formed in 2003, they were signed to Tooth and Nail and Immortal Records
. In all the group released two EP
s and two full-length albums before their disestablishment in 2007. Their final lineup consisted of singer
/keyboardist
Jonathan Jones
, guitarist
Ryan Lallier, bassist
Nate Harold and drummer
Tim Very.
, guitarist Ryan Lallier, Clayton Boek, and drummer Thomas Lee. Robert Teegarden — a friend of the band — temporarily helped out to fill the vacant position on the bass guitar
. The band name stems from the aspect of connecting people through music, paired with a reference to the town of Ashland
, Oregon. Influenced by as diverse acts as Joe Jackson
, Coldplay
, The Pixies and Hüsker Dü
, Waking Ashland combined emotional piano melodies with sonic distortion guitars, creating a unique sound among their genre.
In early 2004, they self-recorded and released their debut EP
I Am for You
. Simultaneously, the line-up was completed by guitarist Nick Rucker and bassist Derek Vaughn, replacing Teegarden. However, the two soon left the band, and a permanent bassist was found in Andrew Grosse, frontman Jones'
former bandmate in their Christian accented high school band Formula316. Without record label
distribution and solely through word of mouth
promotion, the CD's first pressing of 1,000 copies (being only available through the band's website and at their concerts) sold out within a month. To date, the six-song CD managed to sell over 10,000 copies. Its success landed the band a booking agent and allowed them to drop out of college, to pursue a career in the music industry. As the result of their constant touring and — due to lucky circumstances — their participating in 2004's Warped Tour
, word spread fast and garnered the attention of several record labels, including Tooth & Nail Records
, home to such bands as Further Seems Forever
, Mae
and Underoath
. Tooth & Nail signed Waking Ashland and released their first full-length album Composure
— produced by Lou Giordano
— in May 2005. The album scanned 2,400 units within its first week of sales, debuting at #19 on Nielsen SoundScan
's Alternative New Artist chart and at #53 on their Top New Artist Album chart. The album also hit #29 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
On September 5, 2005, a statement on the band's website announced that Grosse and Lee had left the band due to in-band conflicts. Temporary touring members included drummers Joe Greenetz from Sherwood and Rob Lynch from Harris
, as well as bassists Jon Sullivan from Jack's Mannequin
and Trevor Sellers from Number One Gun
. On February 8, 2006, Waking Ashland released a nine-song EP, titled Telescopes
, only in Japan
. Immortal Records
released Telescopes in the United States on June 13, 2006. The Japanese release had two bonus tracks, which were acoustic versions of "October Skies" and "I Am For You" from Composure. While the release featured session musician
s to back up Jones
and Lallier, a permanent rhythm section was finally announced in a blog on the band's MySpace
profile as Nate Harold and Tim Very.
Part of the band's success can be attributed to their pages on MySpace
and PureVolume
. , Waking Ashland's songs have been played over 1.3 million times on MySpace and over 1.2 million times on PureVolume. Their song "I Am for You" appeared on the first MySpace Records
compilation and the Drive Thru Records/PureVolume
compilation, "Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know".
Waking Ashland's second album, The Well, was released by Immortal Records on April 17, 2007.
On July 9, 2007, Jones
announced on their MySpace page that the band had broken up, citing irreconcilable differences. Jones is currently working with his newly formed band We Shot the Moon
, consisting of him and Trevor Faris (Drums), Nathan Miller (Guitar), Jason DeLaTorre(Guitar), and Adam Lovell (Bass). Jones
and Lallier are also currently working on solo projects.
Waking Ashland is getting back together for three highly anticipated reunion concerts in August 2010, which will feature the entire album Composure played front to back, as well as some other fan favorites.
Former members
EPs
Singles
Compilations
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California. Formed in 2003, they were signed to Tooth and Nail and Immortal Records
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
. In all the group released two EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s and two full-length albums before their disestablishment in 2007. Their final lineup consisted of singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Jonathan Jones
Jonathan Jones (musician)
Jonathan Jones is the lead singer, pianist, song writer and co-founder of the alternative rock bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon.-Personal life:Jonathan lives in Cardiff, CA...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Ryan Lallier, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Nate Harold and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Tim Very.
History
Waking Ashland was formed in November 2003 by singer/keyboardist Jonathan JonesJonathan Jones (musician)
Jonathan Jones is the lead singer, pianist, song writer and co-founder of the alternative rock bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon.-Personal life:Jonathan lives in Cardiff, CA...
, guitarist Ryan Lallier, Clayton Boek, and drummer Thomas Lee. Robert Teegarden — a friend of the band — temporarily helped out to fill the vacant position on the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. The band name stems from the aspect of connecting people through music, paired with a reference to the town of Ashland
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, Oregon. Influenced by as diverse acts as Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, The Pixies and Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
, Waking Ashland combined emotional piano melodies with sonic distortion guitars, creating a unique sound among their genre.
In early 2004, they self-recorded and released their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
I Am for You
I Am for You
I Am for You is the debut EP of Waking Ashland. It was self-released by the band on May 18, 2004, only a few months after the group's formation.-Track listing:#"I Am for You " – 3:28...
. Simultaneously, the line-up was completed by guitarist Nick Rucker and bassist Derek Vaughn, replacing Teegarden. However, the two soon left the band, and a permanent bassist was found in Andrew Grosse, frontman Jones'
Jonathan Jones (musician)
Jonathan Jones is the lead singer, pianist, song writer and co-founder of the alternative rock bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon.-Personal life:Jonathan lives in Cardiff, CA...
former bandmate in their Christian accented high school band Formula316. Without record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
distribution and solely through word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
promotion, the CD's first pressing of 1,000 copies (being only available through the band's website and at their concerts) sold out within a month. To date, the six-song CD managed to sell over 10,000 copies. Its success landed the band a booking agent and allowed them to drop out of college, to pursue a career in the music industry. As the result of their constant touring and — due to lucky circumstances — their participating in 2004's Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, word spread fast and garnered the attention of several record labels, including Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
, home to such bands as Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida and disbanded in 2006. Over the course of their career the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their three studio albums...
, Mae
Mae
Mae was an American alternative/indie band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience," based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University....
and Underoath
Underoath
Underoath is an American Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. Founded by Dallas Taylor and Luke Morton on November 30, 1997 in Ocala, Florida, subsequently its additional members were from Tampa, Florida...
. Tooth & Nail signed Waking Ashland and released their first full-length album Composure
Composure
Composure is the first full-length album by Waking Ashland, released on May 10, 2005 by Tooth & Nail Records.-Track listing:#"Shades of Grey" – 3:10#"I Am for You" – 3:34#"Rumors" – 4:09#"Edinger" – 3:36...
— produced by Lou Giordano
Lou Giordano
Lou Giordano is a record producer and recording engineer who worked at Radiobeat Studios and Fort Apache Studios. He has produced a wide variety of bands, including Hüsker Dü, the Goo Goo Dolls, and many others....
— in May 2005. The album scanned 2,400 units within its first week of sales, debuting at #19 on Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
's Alternative New Artist chart and at #53 on their Top New Artist Album chart. The album also hit #29 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
On September 5, 2005, a statement on the band's website announced that Grosse and Lee had left the band due to in-band conflicts. Temporary touring members included drummers Joe Greenetz from Sherwood and Rob Lynch from Harris
Harris (band)
Harris was an American rock band formed in Lowell, Massachusetts in 2000. The group independently released one studio album, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks, along with numerous EPs, before disbanding in April 2009.-History:...
, as well as bassists Jon Sullivan from Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...
and Trevor Sellers from Number One Gun
Number One Gun
Number One Gun is a Christian rock band from Chico, California, that was most recently signed to Tooth & Nail Records. They self-released their debut EP Forever in 2002, before releasing their follow-up albums Celebrate Mistakes on Floodgate Records and Promises for the Imperfect on Tooth & Nail...
. On February 8, 2006, Waking Ashland released a nine-song EP, titled Telescopes
Telescopes (EP)
Telescopes is an EP by Waking Ashland, released on February 8, 2006 in Japan through the band's Japanese record label Fabtone Records. The U.S. version, featuring different artwork, was released on June 13, 2006 through Immortal Records. The EP contains seven new songs and an enhanced CD portion...
, only in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Immortal Records
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
released Telescopes in the United States on June 13, 2006. The Japanese release had two bonus tracks, which were acoustic versions of "October Skies" and "I Am For You" from Composure. While the release featured session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s to back up Jones
Jonathan Jones (musician)
Jonathan Jones is the lead singer, pianist, song writer and co-founder of the alternative rock bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon.-Personal life:Jonathan lives in Cardiff, CA...
and Lallier, a permanent rhythm section was finally announced in a blog on the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profile as Nate Harold and Tim Very.
Part of the band's success can be attributed to their pages on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and PureVolume
PureVolume
PureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...
. , Waking Ashland's songs have been played over 1.3 million times on MySpace and over 1.2 million times on PureVolume. Their song "I Am for You" appeared on the first MySpace Records
MySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
compilation and the Drive Thru Records/PureVolume
PureVolume
PureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...
compilation, "Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know".
Waking Ashland's second album, The Well, was released by Immortal Records on April 17, 2007.
On July 9, 2007, Jones
Jonathan Jones (musician)
Jonathan Jones is the lead singer, pianist, song writer and co-founder of the alternative rock bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon.-Personal life:Jonathan lives in Cardiff, CA...
announced on their MySpace page that the band had broken up, citing irreconcilable differences. Jones is currently working with his newly formed band We Shot the Moon
We Shot the Moon
We Shot the Moon, formerly known as The Honor Roll, is a band from San Diego, California featuring Jonathan Jones the singer of Waking Ashland, and originally, Dan Koch, and Joe Greenetz both from the band Sherwood.- History :...
, consisting of him and Trevor Faris (Drums), Nathan Miller (Guitar), Jason DeLaTorre(Guitar), and Adam Lovell (Bass). Jones
Jonathan Jones (musician)
Jonathan Jones is the lead singer, pianist, song writer and co-founder of the alternative rock bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon.-Personal life:Jonathan lives in Cardiff, CA...
and Lallier are also currently working on solo projects.
Waking Ashland is getting back together for three highly anticipated reunion concerts in August 2010, which will feature the entire album Composure played front to back, as well as some other fan favorites.
Members
Final line-up- Jonathan JonesJonathan Jones (musician)Jonathan Jones is the lead singer, pianist, song writer and co-founder of the alternative rock bands Waking Ashland and We Shot the Moon.-Personal life:Jonathan lives in Cardiff, CA...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Ryan Lallier – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Nate Harold – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Tim Very – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members
- Andrew Grosse – bass guitar
- Thomas Lee – drums
- Nick Rucker – guitar
- Derek Vaughn – bass guitar
- Robert Teegarden – bass guitar
- Clayton Boek – guitar
Discography
Albums- ComposureComposureComposure is the first full-length album by Waking Ashland, released on May 10, 2005 by Tooth & Nail Records.-Track listing:#"Shades of Grey" – 3:10#"I Am for You" – 3:34#"Rumors" – 4:09#"Edinger" – 3:36...
(2005) - The WellThe Well (album)The Well is the second full length album by Waking Ashland. It was released on Immortal Records on April 17, 2007. "Your Intentions" was premiered on the popular music website AbsolutePunk.net and several songs such as "Diamonds on the Hillside" and "Salt Lake Jam" have been played at Waking...
(2007)
EPs
- I Am for YouI Am for YouI Am for You is the debut EP of Waking Ashland. It was self-released by the band on May 18, 2004, only a few months after the group's formation.-Track listing:#"I Am for You " – 3:28...
(2004) - TelescopesTelescopes (EP)Telescopes is an EP by Waking Ashland, released on February 8, 2006 in Japan through the band's Japanese record label Fabtone Records. The U.S. version, featuring different artwork, was released on June 13, 2006 through Immortal Records. The EP contains seven new songs and an enhanced CD portion...
(2006)
Singles
- "I Am for You"
- "Hands on Deck"
- "Julian"
- "Your Intentions"
Compilations
- Nano-Mugen Compilation 2006Nano-Mugen Compilation 2006Asian Kung-Fu Generation presents Nano–Mugen Compilation 2006 is a compilation album released by Asian Kung-Fu Generation on July 5, 2006, to advertise their sixth annual Nano-Mugen Festival...