anewme

anewme began in January 2003 when college friend Steve Berry and Matt Steenbergh wanted to start a band that was different from the norm. Every band and artist in Anderson simply played for the college crowd: Acoustic/piano driven light rock. They wanted to be loud and edgy, and how much more edgy can you get than punk-rock? On a search for a guitarist, they met Jonathan Weiss, who was in numerous potential bands at the time. When they told him how serious they were at rocking the bland music scene, he joined with, shall we say, gusto! Steve and Jon were mainly guitarists and they kept their eyes open for a bass player, and along came Jeff Thomas, and the journey began.

During their first four months of existence things moved slowly and the only original songs that were written were not punk-rock at all. The guys decided they shouldn't confine themselves to any genre and just write what they write and let it be. During this trial period fan favorite tunes "Four Leaf Clover" and "Days Go By" were written. Over the coming summer Jeff moved on to other projects, most notably the bluegrass/folk group White River Boys, and has acheived much success as a studio bass player for several artists.

So the search for a new bass player began. It did not last too long as Steve's former high school friend Nathan Brown came to Anderson. He was in.

anewme played their first show ever in September 2003 at Jamfeststockapalooza, a three day music festival in Anderson. Over the next year they played a handful of shows recorded their first three-song EP with Evan Gilmore, and wrote numerous songs. This was a growing era of the bands songwriting, which included pop/rock anthems such as "After School" and "Sonata in A Minor," as well as many songs that never landed on a recording like "Only In Time," "Innocent Man," and "My Closest Friend."

anewme was growing and soon everyone realized they needed a step up in the vocal department. Steve and Jon had been sharing the role of frontman, which worked, but there was something missing. In the fall of 2004, the band met Thaddaeus Lawrence. He had a good voice, the type they were looking for, plus he added a third guitar which increased anewme's stage presence, creativity, and sound.

For a time, Steve, Jon, Matt, Nate, and Thadd were simply figuring out for themselves how they fit into the band, whether it be in the songwriting, playing parts, compatability on stage, etc. The band matured and began writing better songs, most notably : "Mystery," "Go," and "The Place I Should Have Been." anewme's fan base was growing and they began to play more shows around the state of Indiana.

In May 2005, anewme became a four-piece once again as Jon Weiss left to go back home to Fargo, North Dakota. He was missed (and still is), especially on stage as the energy and weirdness he brought to live shows was gone. However, this forced the rest of the band to be more creative in songwriting, efficient in practice, and solid in performance. Over that next summer, the four guys wrote more songs than they ever had before and played more shows than before.

One of the most significant concerts of that summer was the Bundy Band Wars in New Castle, IN. Out of twelve other bands in that competition, anewme won by one point. The prize was recording time with a man named Scott Warnes. It was enough to record four songs that became "1st & Main Sessions" EP.

A few months later, in March 2006, anewme wen back to Scott to record more track for their debut full length entitled "City Lights." It was officially available for sale on May 30, 2006.

anewme still strives to create excellence in songwriting and performing, playing as many shows as possible and reaching audiences with their music and message.