A Band Named Ashes

By Kathleen Folkerth










A Band Named Ashes, featuring members from Norton, will be among the bands playing at First Night Akron this year on New Year’s Eve.



Photo courtesy of A Band Named Ashes

DOWNTOWN AKRON — The members of A Band Named Ashes want to do more than play their own music.

The Akron-based band features Norton natives and brothers Nate and Seth Vaill, who provide guitar/vocals and piano, respectively, along with Patrick Lamielle (bass), Kevin Maher (drums) and Gina Wilson (cello).

Local audiences will have a chance to see A Band Named Ashes perform at this year’s First Night® Akron Dec. 31.

Maher said in addition to performing and recording, the band’s members are also interested in spreading their love for the arts to the general public through two other projects.

The Vaills operate a recording studio, Just a Dream Entertainment, while Maher has spearheaded the formation of a nonprofit called the Akron Artists Foundation, all located at 1000 Kenmore Blvd. in Southwest Akron.

“Artistry is really big between all of us,” Maher said. “The whole concept is to provide educational opportunities to people who may not have the resources. We want to put instruments in the hands of people who may never had have the chance to use them before. If they are interested, we want to provide that education at little to no cost.”

They also want to help local artists record their music inexpensively, Maher said.

The building they are using is a former theater, so it has a stage that also allows it to be used as a performance space.

Maher said A Band Named Ashes is hoping that its first appearance at First Night Akron will help it spread the word about its music and other missions.

“We’re trying to get a bigger presence in the community,” Maher said. “We haven’t done a lot of local events, but we want to get a bigger presence. We found that playing events like this gives us an opportunity to have people who would have never heard us have that chance.”

Maher said the band, previously known as Nate X 10, has been in existence since 2002, but the present lineup has been intact about four years.

“We all have different influences that we brought in,” said Maher, who adds the band has its foundation in folk music, but has added those influences — from hip hop and funk to pop and blues — for its own unique sound.

This year, the band has had two of its songs played on local radio station The Summit, “Breaking” and “By My Side,” which Maher said has helped expand the band’s audience.

A Band Named Ashes also has toured outside of Ohio, playing gigs in Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Maine and Washington, D.C., Maher said. But they have no plans to leave Akron behind.

“Our home is still here, and this is where we have our fan base,” he said.

The band plays at local spots like the Barley House, David B’s in Barberton and Chuck’s Steak House in South Akron, Maher said.

While the band’s other endeavors are keeping its members busy, they are also planning to release a new album in the new year. Their previous recording, Circles, is available at their shows and on iTunes.

Maher said the band is hopeful that its projects and music can get it more attention in the new year.

“We really like Akron, and we’ve decided to take a different approach,” he said. “We want our music to be heard. We really like the community and we see a lot of potential.”

At First Night, Dec. 31, A Band Named Ashes will perform in the ballroom on the second floor of Greystone Hall, 103 S. High St., at 8:30 p.m. A First Night admission button is required for admittance. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/abandnamedashes or www.firstnightakron.org.
- 12/29/2011 - West Side Leader