Subsonic (USA)
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Subsonic formed in 2000. Based in Nashville, TN. Simply described as straight-up rock. Not even their own members can really put a finger on their style. It's a complex mix of heavy thundering metal, classic rock riffs, punkish attitudes, heartfelt lyrics, catchy melodies, and whatever else they can think of to throw on the fire! Their music takes you up into elation; back down into fury, and everywhere in between and to the edge of excitement - like a fun-filled roller coaster without a guardrail!
Credits include opening for Jackyl and UPO along with performing at several local (and not-so local) music venues. Recorded a full-length album "Beyond the Threshold" at Emerald Studios in Nashville with producer Tim Waters. The album is available through Spat! Records ( www.SpatRecords.com ). The band is active in the Coalition, a local organization of TN bands helping each other out in the scene. Will play anywhere and anytime with the sole purpose of bringing a rocking show to those who crave it! Check them out at www.SubsonicRock.com.Band/artist history
The history of Subsonic can best be told beginning with bassist Steve Smith. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Steve spent his high school and college years immersed in the sounds and attitudes of all things rock n roll. He had a small job as a DJ at Grandview college playing music by local artists on 88.1 KGVC and experiencing a wide variety of genres plus the business of radio play. While listening to a friends band practice, he was encouraged to pick up the guitar and learn to play music instead of always being in the audience. He taught himself the guitar, first mastering House of the Rising Sun by The Animals. He later moved to Tennessee to pursue broadcasting at MTSU, but was more serious about starting a rock band. While working as a milkman, he met drummer Jim Orman at a local convenience store on his route.
Jim, a Nashville native and enthusiast in music and football, began his career when a friend invited him to sit behind his drum kit. Surprised at how natural pounding skins felt to him, he purchased his own drum kit, learned to play from studying songs like Metallicas Sad But True, and then jammed with other musicians for a few years. While working as a drum tech for a local rock band, he was reintroduced to Steve and the two of them formed a musical alliance. They struggled to form a solid band with other musicians. Nothing clicked until a coworker introduced Jim to a singer/guitarist from Huntington, West Virginia named Marcum Stewart.
Marcum wanted to play guitar ever since he was six years old when he saw Kiss on their Dynasty tour. While waiting for his hands to grow big enough to handle the guitar, he practiced drums, piano, and vocals. When he was a teenager, he began teaching himself to play the guitar, starting with Whitesnakes Still of the Night and Van Halens Spanish Fly. He played in several bands before graduating from college and moving to Tennessee for a degree in music business from Belmont. He composed music with Nashville songwriters and worked for several music publishing companies. After a couple of years neglecting his craft due to frustrations with the current music scene, his talents and skills were rejuvenated after trying out with Jim and Steve and finding a common musical kinship with the rock n roll duo.
After many failed attempts with local bassists, Steve put down the guitar and taught himself to play the bass. With fellow guitarist and singer Rob Follis, they formed Ladystrange in 1999. Their first gig was a home party that was busted by police moments after it began, but the band was undaunted. Several of the tunes they wrote and recorded carried over to the band 7 Stories High, formed in 2000 when Rob left the band and Mario Salazar was hired as lead guitarist. After a couple of small gigs, the band spent most of the year recording Take Flight at Appaloosa Sound. The albums seamless mix of country melodies and grungy rock riffs wowed the local scene and earned the band a spot opening for Jackyl at The Roosters 106.7 Christmas Wing-Ding concert in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,000 fans. They followed this event with a win in The Outer Limits Battle of the Bands semifinals in early 2001. Week after week, they earned praise as the hardest working band in Nashville.
Due to growing differences in musical direction, the band and Mario parted ways and he was replaced with a young guitarist named Matt Latham. Matts relationship with music began as a childhood curiosity and grew into his present-day obsession. Already an accomplished poet/songwriter, he took a few guitar lessons in grade school and gradually honed his style and techniques by learning many of his favorite songs note for note; his first accomplishment was Sweet Child O Mine by Guns and Roses. After graduating from college, he put out an ad in a local online forum that caught Marcums attention. Marcum invited him to attend a 7 Stories High show, where Matt was instantly hungry to write vicious rock guitar solos for the bands music. He tried out and filled in for a gig at Joes Diner before the guys hired him and became his first band.
With their lineup set, the band altered its name one last time to reflect their change in style towards a heavier brand of modern rock. After several intense gigs in various local venues, the newly-christened Subsonic attracted interests from labels like DreamWorks and popular rock producers like Michael Wagener, who worked with such musical legends as Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne. Encouraged by their friends and capitalizing on the positive buzz about their radio-friendly music, the band recorded their first full-length album Beyond the Threshold in May of 2002 with producer Tim Waters. The albums ten tracks captured the bands unique talents, raw emotions, various musical influences, and exciting lust for playing rock n roll at its finest. After signing with local indie label Spat! Records, the band released their album in August of 2002 to rave reviews.
Currently the band aggressively generates a positive word-of-mouth across the state and other parts of the nation while continuing to tour in support of their album "Beyond The Threshold".
Fueled by a desire to reinvent and resuscitate the Nashville rock scene, Subsonic is a growing and uncompromising musical force creating a buzz, making waves, and busting eardrums with hardcore fans of rock n roll.Have you performed in front of an audience?Yes. Mainly in Nashville, TN (our homebase), however we have gone as far as Des Moines, Iowa to play. Yes we love to play live, nothing better than that feeling!!! Most memorable show was opening up for Jackyl and UPO at the historic 328 Performance Hall in Nashville, TN in front of a Sold Out crowd... the response was amazing and definitely one hell of a jumpstart to our career!
Your musical influences
Influenced by ROCK and METAL... it's that simple! We wear our influences on our sleeves!!! The more notable influences would be these: Kiss, Def Leppard, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Marillion, Social Distortion, Rush, Guns N' Roses, Alice In Chains, Ozzy Osborne/Black Sabbath, Tesla, etc. etc.What equipment do you use?
Marcum uses - Gibson and Fender Guitars and a Fender Hot Rod Deville 2X12 Amp
Matt uses - Gibson and Esp Guitars, Johnson Head and Marshall 4X12 Cab.
Steve uses - Ibenez and Dean basses, Gallien-Krueger Head and Cab.
Jim uses - Pearl drums.
427 plays
4,052 views
4,052 views
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