Ash Bowers

Forty5 South is more than an arbitrary band name. It's the road that ties the band together, quite literally. It is Highway 45-S that runs through their collective home of Jackson, Tenn. Hanging out at a local sports bar, band founder and lead vocalist Ashley Bowers had the idea to start a country band. With that, he recruited friends and locals to form a band as influenced by country as it is by rock. Its members include Bowers, drummer Jonathan King, bassist Seth Gordon, guitarist Scotty Austin, fiddle player Bobby Lewis and Dave Thomas on keyboards.

Their live show drew the attention of the AFE (Armed Forces Entertainment) group who took the band to Asia, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Korea and Japan to entertain troops. They played 28 shows in 40 days (September and October 2003) and got a crash course on how to become a road band. They released their debut album, Too Much, Too Fast, that same year.
- CMT.com

By Gary Voorhies

Forty5 South is more than an arbitrary band name; it is the road that tied the band together.

The band's namesake, Highway 45 South, runs through the members' collective hometown of Jackson, Tenn. On that rural highway sat the little sports bar, Jimmy D's. During an open mic night , band founder and lead vocalist Ashley Bowers decided to start a Country band, and recruited drummer Jonathan King, bassist Seth Gordon, guitarist and mandolin player Phillip Lemmings and guitarist Justin Tapley.

Bowers chose members who had both Country and rock influences. He was looking for a unique sound.

"We don't have a comparable sound," he said. "That's the best thing about it. You can't define it in terms of anything else out there."

The band drew inspiration from blues greats such as B.B. King and other players on Beale Street. Bowers described the band's combination of players and live performances as "off the wall and rowdy and the college kids love it. But it's a clean wild. You can bring your kids or your grandmother to it and they'll both like it."
The lively show drew the attention of Armed Forces Entertainment, which toured Forty5 South in Asia, Guam, The Marshall Islands, Korea and Japan to entertain troops. The group played 28 shows in 40 days, lugged their equipment from airport to airport and gained a crash course on the road. They loved it.

Forty5 South is on tour this summer and fall in Texas and throughout the Southeast to support the release of their new album, We're Country So We Can.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

If you could go back in time what year/era would you visit and why?
BOWERS: "The '60s because of the way rock 'n' roll was at the time. It was such an interesting milestone in music history."

What song do you wish you had written?
BOWERS: "'The Dance.' It is one of my favorite songs and I have loved it ever since the first time I heard it."

What moment in your life would you relive if you could?
BOWERS: "High school graduation. It was such a great feeling to know that I had made it through high school and I was glad to be out."

What kind of album, other than Country, would you like to make?
BOWERS: "Gospel. I was always raised in church and listened to gospel a lot growing up. I'm a fan of old hymns."

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
BOWERS: "Too Much, Too Fast."

Who is your dream duet partner and why?
BOWERS: "Jerry Lee Lewis, who, in my opinion, was the original rock star. I started playing piano before guitar. He has always been a big influence on what I do today. I was playing his music before anything else. It is a dream of mine to work with him."

What does Country Music mean to you?
BOWERS: "Country Music means a lot to me. I have always liked it because of the songs, they have meaning, they tell a story. They tell stories that I can relate to. I want to be able to reach people with my music in the same way."
- Closeup News Service

From Jennifer Webb

Guide Rating -
The Bottom Line
If you want an album released by a group of men that actually sing and play country music, check out 'We're Country So We Can.' Produced by Bret Michaels, this twelve song album is bound to find success on radio, television, and anywhere else. If it doesn't, then country fans will sure miss out on something great.

Pros;
"Little Red Riding Hood"
"Nothing You Can Do"
"Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em"

Cons;
None!

Description:
Forty5 South's debut album.
Produced by Bret Michaels.
Twelve original tracks.
Guide Review - Forty 5 South - We're Country So We Can
Forty5 South's debut album is the perfect blend of country music with just the tiniest bit of rock, thanks to producer Bret Michaels. Bret also lends his vocals to the 'We're Country So We Can' title track. The main focus, however, should be on the group's wonderful musicianship & lead singer, Ashley Bowers, superb voice.
"We're Country So We Can" reminds me of the type of song Tim McGraw would sing. It's about standing your ground & never backing down because the country way of life is something to be cherished. "Little Red Riding Hood" is one of those songs you automatically start liking from the first note. The guy wants to get back to Grandma's house because "There's not a lot I wouldn't do just to get my hands on you." I would love to hear this on the radio. Memories have a way of haunting you long after you think they've left your mind, as is the case in "Seems Like Yesterday." Sometimes just driving down a street will get your mind wandering.

Going out Friday night after a hard work week is a must according to "Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em" because what better time is there to do some partying? Remembering & forgetting are both covered in "I'm Gonna Move On." The man has come to a conclusion - if things don't get any better he is gone & will start dating other women. "Nothing You Can Do" is one of the album's tearjerkers & it tells the story of a man who goes through hard times but winds up learning his lesson after saying bye to his father.


- About: Country Music

By: Christie Bohorfoush - AngryCountry.com Staff Writer

Forty5 South is more than an arbitrary band name; it is the road that ties the band together, quite literally. It is highway 45-S that runs through the guys' collective home of Jackson, Tennessee that keeps them connected. In fact, it all started off 45-S in the little sports bar, Jimmy D's. It was there at open mic nights that band founder and lead vocalist Ashley Bowers had the idea to start a country band. "No one plays country in Jackson." With that, he recruited friends and locals to form a band as influenced by country as it is by rock. The recruited band is composed of vocalist Bowers, drummer Jonathan King, bassist Seth Gordon, guitarist and mandolin player Phillip Lemmings, and guitarist Justin Tapley.

Forty5 South is perplexed when requested to compare their sound to an established act; nothing ever seems apt. "To be honest, we really don't have a comparable sound. That's the best thing about it. You can't define it in terms of anything else out there," muses Bowers. What is clear with these Jackson boys is while their years may be young in age, their influences run deep. They draw from the blues of greats like BB King and the players on Beale Street in nearby Memphis. And the band is as likely to have Kenny Chesney in the CD player as they are the Best of Guns n' Roses. But it must be noted the Guns n' Roses appearance in the guys' collection is only due to an irresistible $8 sale at Wal-Mart.

What I found with Forty5 South's We're Country So We Can album is a very fresh and youthful project. While indeed this band is different from the groups in country music today, I fear that they may only appeal to the youthful country music listener. This is not necessarily a bad thing, in a town like Nashville who tends to push for the 18 to 24 year old point of view in music. But this project may leave the older listener out in the cold. The majority of tracks from this album look at youth and the experiences associated with school, new relationships, and growing up. For the mature country music listener, I did not find a strong storytelling ballad in this project that was impressive enough to make me a fan of this band. In fact, only one track, "Second Hand Life" really caught my attention because of its storytelling and wide appeal. With this said, Forty5 South should draw in the younger country music fan and will be a voice for their experiences.


- AngryCountry.com

It all started in the living room of a singlewide. Six to seven nights a week, Forty5 South would practice and hone their craft until their biggest fans showed up: the police. The band reminisces about those early days; ?The cops would always show up, know us by name, and say, ?I thought you didn?t want us coming back here again.? A lot has changed since then. The boys have upgraded to a warehouse rehearsal and now have a base of rabid fans that spans the Southeast.

Forty5 South is more than an arbitrary band name; it?s the road that ties the band together, quite literally. It is highway 45-S that runs through the guys? collective home of Jackson, TN that keeps them connected. In fact, it all started off 45-S in the little sports bar, Jimmy D?s. It was there at open mic nights that band founder and lead vocalist Ashley Bowers had the idea to start a country band. ?No one plays country in Jackson.? With that, he recruited friends and locals to form a band as influenced by country as it is by rock. The recruited band is composed of vocalist Bowers, 22, drummer Jonathan King, 26; bassist Seth Gordon, 21; guitarist and mandolin player Phillip Lemmings, 24; and guitarist Justin Tapley, 24.
Forty5 South is perplexed when requested to compare their sound to an established act; nothing ever seems apt. ?To be honest, we really don?t have a comparable sound. That?s the best thing about it. You can?t define it in terms of anything else out there,? muses Bowers. What is clear with these Jackson boys is while their years may be young in age, their influences run deep. They draw from the blues of greats like BB King and the players on Beale Street in nearby Memphis. And the band is as likely to have Kenny Chesney in the CD player as they are the Best of Guns n? Roses, but it must be noted the Gun n? Roses appearance in the guys? collection is only due to an irresistible $8 sale at Wal-Mart. What Forty5 South can define though is their burgeoning audience. ?Our live show is off the wall and rowdy? and the college kids love it. But it?s a clean wild, you can bring your kids or your grandmother to it and they?ll both like it.?

This dynamic live show drew the attention of the AFE (Armed Forces Entertainment) group who took the band to Asia, Guam, The Marshall Islands, Korea, and Japan to entertain the overseas troops. The guys played twenty-eight shows in forty days (September-October2003) and got a crash course on how to become a road band. Lugging their own equipment from airport to airport, they came out of the trip banged up but miraculously intact (both the guys and the gear.)

Forty5 South had more than a couple close calls on the tour culminating in the coined ?tube of death.? Flying from one tiny island to another, one trip took the band on a fifteen-passenger turbo-prop plane. ?It?s the kind of plane they train pilots, if that wasn?t enough then, we hit a rainstorm.? The plane that flies regularly as 800 ft above sea level dropped to 600 ft as the pilot assured them the alarms and lights always go off in the jet and not to worry. Upon safely landing, their waiting contact congratulated them on surviving the ??tube of death. Only $128 in beer later were they calmed and ready to perform again.

Forty5 South?s international touring experience confirmed their first love of performing live. They genuinely love to grind out hours practicing and playfully roasting on each other. Humbly, the band wants nothing more than to make performing their living. Outside of performing, the band?s loftier goal is to see their name #1 on the radio charts. It would make all those hours of warehouse practice worth it and hopefully, help phase out the weekly police visits.
- Our Tracks

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Behind the Bull sits down with Jackson, Tennessee natives Forty5 South to talk about their music and find out how they connected with the Bret Michaels the lead singer from the seminal 80`s rock band Poison. Tonight Forty5 South perform tracks from their latest album "We`re Country so We Can", all penned by members of the band. - Amazon.com

Contributed by: ACstaff

Country newcomers Forty5 South will release We’re Country So We Can on April 26, 2005. “The title says it all,” says lead singer and band founder Ashley Bowers, “We are country so we can, and we are proud of it. This record is all about being confident in who you are, no matter where you come from.”
Bowers wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 tracks on the album.

Bret Michaels of Poison, who produced the record and is featured vocally on the bridge of the title-track, is proud to put his name alongside of Forty5 South. “They sent me not only one good song but an entire album of good songs. A few we even worked on together and I look forward to working with them again. These guys are great singers and songwriters who are on the edge of country.”

The collaborative effort with Bret Michaels came about as a realized dream for Forty5 South. According to Bowers, “Bret was one of the few guys that the band collectively listened to while growing up. He has always crossed the boundaries between rock and country.”

Originally from Jackson, TN, Forty5 South takes their band name from a road that runs through the middle of the West Tennessee town. The band was formed at a tiny little sports bar off Highway 45 South called Jimmy D’s. It was there at open-mic nights that band founder and lead vocalist Ashley Bowers originated the idea to start a band that eventually grew into Forty5 South. The debut album from Forty5 South, released in 2003, is titled Too Much, Too Fast, and features the singles “Back of My Truck” and “Jim Beam.” Forty5 South maintain a steady tour schedule, playing 100 dates in 2004. Continuing the momentum, the band anticipates putting close to 200 dates on the books during 2005.


- AngryCountry.com

The hardest working new band in country music is at it again. Actually, they never stopped. Forty5 South is building a stellar fan base the old-fashioned way, by playing 180 concerts through September in 2005 alone, and making fans one-at-a-time. Just before the non-stop road schedule of 2005 began, the band found time to complete their second in-studio album in Nashville, with a little help from a superstar of another genre.

It’s not every day that you hear the collective work of a country music band and a veteran rock artist, but Forty5 South deliver that and more on their album We’re Country So We Can. The new 12-track project, produced by Bret Michaels of Poison, is certain to catch the ear of traditional country and Top-40 country fans alike. The album hit stores April 26 of 2005.

“The title says it all,” says lead singer and band founder Ashley Bowers, “We are country so we can, and we are proud of it. This record is all about being confident in who you are, no matter where you come from.”

Bret Michaels, featured vocally on the bridge of the title-track, is proud to put his name alongside of Forty5 South. “They sent me not only one good song but an entire album of good songs. A few we even worked on together and I look forward to working with them again. These guys are great singers and songwriters who are on the edge of country.”

After giving the material a listen, Michaels became an immediate and genuine fan. He connected with the band and no one has looked back since. The collaborative effort with Bret Michaels came about as a realized dream for Forty5 South. All being fans of the rock super-group Poison, the band felt Bret would bring an amazing and unique dynamic to the final sound. Bowers, after numerous phone calls, connected with Michaels. According to Bowers, “Bret was one of the few guys that the band collectively listened to while growing up. He has always crossed the boundaries between rock and country.”

Originally from Jackson, TN, Forty5 South takes their band name from a road that runs through the middle of the West Tennessee town. The band was formed at a tiny little sports bar off Highway 45 South called Jimmy D’s. It was there at open-mic nights that band founder and lead vocalist Ashley Bowers originated the idea to start a band that eventually grew into Forty5 South. The debut album from Forty5 South, released in 2003, is titled Too Much, Too Fast, and features the singles “Back of My Truck” and “Jim Beam.”

Bowers wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 tracks on the record. When asked about the background of his 3 favorite cuts, Bowers muses, “‘We’re Country So We Can’ is a ‘fun time’ song that paints a perfect picture of everyone that’s proud to be from the country. I think a lot of people can relate. ‘A Mile Away’ is my favorite song on the album. It’s the most personal and reflects my hometown of Jackson, TN. It was inspired by feelings of missing home while out on the road. ‘Stuff I Grew Up On’ is a good description of me and my friend Bryan (Bryan Dinkins – co-writer) from when we were growing up. It details being teenagers and going through high school – chasin’ girls, drivin’ in our pick-up trucks, and wearing high-top shoes. That song really takes me back.”

Influenced heavily by both country and rock music, Forty5 South has the ability to tug at your heart strings, and in the next instant have you jammin’. Staying loyal to real country music, listeners can expect radio-friendly and well-written tunes on this record and the entire Forty5 South catalog. - Ram Entertainment

Country Weekly Magazine, April 2005 – Larry Holden
"If you love straight-ahead country music, you need to own We’re Country So We Can."

Product Description
We’re Country So We Can is the follow up to Forty5 South’s debut, Too Much Too Fast, which sold 10,000 pieces alone in their hometown of Jackson, TN! We’re Country So We Can picks up where Too Much Too Fast left off, following on the heels of two hit singles!
Forty5 South is a country band, but they draw their influences from the great blues players like BB King. The band is as likely to have Kenny Chesney in the CD player as they are the Best of Guns n’ Roses. Their live show is off the wall and rowdy, and the college kids love it! But it’s a clean wild, so safe for your kids and grandmother too! Forty5 South played over 100 shows last year (including 28 for Armed Forces Entertainment in Asia, Guam, The Marshall Islands, Korea, and Japan), and will log in over 200 shows this year with opening slots for Brad Paisley, Montgomery Gentry, Daryl Worrel, and Texas favorites Roger Creager and Kevin Fowler, as well as playing their own gigs.
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Reviewer: Angelina Gallagher "Angelina" (USA)
I bought this record as more of a curiosity. I was wondering what a young country band would sound like produced by a 80's rock star (Bret Michaels from Poison). Well, let me tell you the mix works. "We're County So We Can" is one of the best new CD's out there. It is one of those undiscovered treasures that will please both country and pop/rock fans. This young band has a load of talent and is not afraid to show it. The title track and single from the CD is an upbeat song about growing up in the country and offers a cameo apperance by producer Bret himself. Other noteable tracks are "I've Been There Too" and "Second Hand Life". I fully reccommend this Cd to young and old alike. This is the best of the new school of Country talent. Yee Haw!






- Country Weekly/CdNow.com

Reviewer: J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA)

Lead vocalist, acoustic guitarist and primary songwriter Ashley Bowers fronts Forty 5 South, a "100% pure country" band that hails from Jackson, TN. where Highway 45-S runs. Cutting their teeth in bars like "Jimmy D's," the band's original music and fresh sound landed them gigs playing for the armed forces throughout the Pacific and Asia during the fall of 2003. "We're Country So We Can" is the group's sophomore effort, and it's sure to continue the buzz and intrigue about them. The title cut's message is about working hard, trying one's best to make a living, and standing behind what you say. This might just be the inside story of this progressive country band that took the approach of building their name in Texas before branching out to national recognition. Bret Michaels (of the rock group Poison) contributes some vocals on the title cut, as well as producing this album.

Besides Bowers, Forty5South includes Jonathan King (drums), Scotty Austin (guitar), Bobby Lewis (fiddle), Dave Thomas (Keyboards)and Seth Gordon (bass). All these guys are just in their 20s, but they pick and sing like veterans.

Bowers collaborates with friend Bryan Dinkins on four songs. The band is building themselves a legion of fans who enjoy raucous, rowdy and energetic country with rock influences. "We're Country So We Can" resonates with plenty of pulsating sound waves that are sure to thrill. Their combination of new material, high-geared instrumental prowess, high-octane vocals, and collective youthful energy will take them far. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR)
- Amazon.com