Abercrombie
rock circa late 70's Cheap Trick to 80's pop/punk ala The Cars to the 90's post grunge like Foo Fighters
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Together since 1997 since meeting through various musical projects in L.A. Converted friend's house into recording/rehearsal studio and started producing the first album as well as other local unsigned acts. Started playing locally in the summer of 1998 and selling the first album at the shows. SoCal natives Eric and Derek have been brothers since, well, birth. Eric's college band went on to become Ugly Kid Joe after he left (perhaps a blessing) and he and Derek have worked at numerous record labels including Geffen, Mercury, Polygram and Giant/Revolution and have managed to be laid off from nearly all of them. (It's a tough business out there, we know.) John Key from Athens, GA played with a band that won the Yamaha soundcheck southern division and he also manages the drum department at Guitar Center, Sherman Oaks. Abercrombie played the EAT-M music business convention in Las Vegas on May 20 at the Hard Rock Cafe. Also their single "Porn Star" is featured on an upcoming unsigned band compilaton called WITHOUT U AND I THERE IS NO MUSIC on Spa Records.Band/artist history
Then one day Abraham Reginald Crombie had an epiphany. He would assemble a supergroup of unknown musicians. He would pull the strings from behind the scenes and reap the benefits of a music industry starving for a modern rock band full of catchy lyrics, infectious hooks, melodic guitars, dynamic arrangements and solid songwriting with pop sensibilities. But where to find such artists?
?Abe hopped aboard his Gulfstream V jet and set out from his native Abercromby, the sub-district where John Lennon was born in the U.K., and headed for Los Angeles. First stop was a meeting with David Geffen who eagerly wished to help. David told Abe about a Berklee College of Music graduate working at Geffen Records named Derek Phillips. They forged a plan where Geffen Records would go out of business in a massive merger so they could lay off Derek from his job in order for Abe to recruit him into the group. "He comes from good local Los Angeles stock" Abe said. Surely anyone whose uncle composed the themes to "Knightrider" and "Battlestar Galactica" must be destined for greatness. Derek told Abe to check out his guitar and bass-playing brother Erik if he’s looking for "serious" band member experience. Erik was the founder of a Santa Barbara band that went on to become Ugly Kid Joe after he left, and since then he’s worked with Mercury, Polygram and Giant Records. Why did he leave that platinum-selling group? Must have been for the sake of art. Or something.
Speaking of leaving groups, drummer John Key of Athens, GA was stolen from a band that had won the Yamaha Ticketmaster Showcase in the southern region. John’s grandfather used to play and write with Hank Williams Sr. in Alabama but John had more rocking aspirations so he set out for L.A. a handful of years ago for the bright lights of Guitar Center Hollywood. In another bizarre turn of events John was laid off from Guitar Center in the summer of 1999, just in time to complete the band's first album.
Rather than invest his own capital and recoup later Abe hedged his bets by using Erik, John and Derek’s severance pay to finance their first album with Derek producing and engineering. Their first official album, COMEBACK KIDS, was recorded in a vacant haunted house in Santa Barbara on borrowed equipment during the summer of 1999 and is available at local gigs and over their internet site, www.hitme.net/abercrombie/. If you're puzzled by the album cover, that is in fact Erik and Derek as kids with wigs in drag.
Word of mouth has spread greatly since the band’s performance at the 1999 EAT’M convention in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock where they kicked off the showcases and previewed their new material to a couple hundred people. Since then a couple thousand music fans have downloaded their songs from MP3.com, putting Abercrombie and their two minute seventeen second hit song "Porn Star" on the charts before the album was even released. "Porn Star" was also chosen by SPA Records to be on their compilation of unsigned bands entitled Without U and I There Is No MUSIC. That album is set for release in November 1999. All this is just the start for these three ex-high school marching band members.
Sadly in October Abe passed away from malignant chronic halitosis complications at Cedar Sinai Hospital. Turns out he fell victim to the deadly combination of poor dental hygiene and bad English food. It is his honor that the band is named to symbolize the simple dream of Abraham Reginald Crombie. He may still be pulling the strings from beyond the grave as you read this. Perhaps you know him?
1999 AbercrombieHave you performed in front of an audience?Best show was opening the 1999 EAT'M convention showcases in Vegas to a completely packed Hard Rock Cafe. This was also Derek's first time up to bat as lead singer after the old one was fired. The gig went flawlessly and many of the band's friends and family had never seen Derek sing before. It rocked.
Your musical influences
Foo Fighters Cheap Trick Third Eye Blind Weezer Blink 182 Posies Collective Soul Matchbox 20 Goo Goo Dolls Everclear
and those crashing guitars you refer toWhat equipment do you use?
Telecasters, Premier Drums
Santa Monica, CA
USA
ID
489
Contact
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