Biography
Four professional musicians having a blast playing their favorite songs for an appreciative audience. It’s not what you hear every day on central-Pennsylvania stages, which is what makes this group so special. Whether it’s a cover of the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby or one of Bret’s originals from the Badlees catalog, the music flows effortlessly and creates a vibe that leaves a smile on every face. It’s all about having a good time and not about trying to get a record deal. Individually they’ve already done that.
Bret Alexander is the driving force behind central-PA legends, The Badlees. As guitarist, vocalist, main songwriter and producer he led the band through several independent albums and a couple major label releases. The most popular CD, "River Songs," spawned two national rock radio hits. His time now is spent mostly in the studio where he is a highly sought-after producer/engineer/musician.
Jeremy Hummel co-founded Breaking Benjamin, the multi-platinum powerhouse from Selinsgrove, PA. He was with the group for 5 years, played on their first two albums for Hollywood Records, and toured the country several times. As a drummer/percussionist, he is widely regarded as the area’s top studio musician, live performer and instructor. He is also a contributing writer for Modern Drummer magazine.
Jason Shaffer started out as a guitarist, but switched to bass in order to join Grantham Road a few years back. That group toured primarily in Pennsylvania, playing everywhere from corner bars to opening for Hootie And The Blowfish in front of 10,000 people. They had a Christmas song that was played on commercial radio from New York to Alaska, and their album "Parade" received rave reviews and airplay nationwide. He is a top recording engineer in the Harrisburg area and is beginning to work more as a producer and musician.
Nyke Van Wyk is almost never separated from his violin. It seems he’s always in one of three places – In the studio, as a musician & arranger; on stage performing everything from chamber music to rock to experimental; or on the road driving to the next gig. A tremendous player who adds an exciting element to any project he's involved with.
Booking this band can be tough. Each individual is in such high demand as a studio musician, sideman, solo artist, producer and/or recording engineer. But when they do get together on stage, they create a sound that is clearly several notches above the typical bar band.
Instrumentation
Bret Alexander – Guitar & Vocals
Jeremy Hummel – Drums
Jason Shaffer – Bass
Nyke Van Wyk – Violin
Discography
Giants Of Despair CD due early summer
Hear the individuals on recordings by Breaking Benjamin, the Badlees and Grantham Road.
Links
| http://giantsofdespair.com |