Boomfox
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Boomfox

Athens, Georgia, United States | SELF

Athens, Georgia, United States | SELF
Band Rock Alternative

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"A Fork in the Road"

There’s a force to be reckoned with coming this way, and it may or may not tear your band apart. This isn’t any Yoko Ono, though. She goes by a different name--graduation. It’s the question on every graduating band members’ mind, and it’s a heavier decision than one might imagine: what happens after graduation? Do you leave town and follow other career pursuits, or do you stick with it and try to make things work? Ampersand spoke with three Athens musicians to see how graduation affected their music.
The Woodgrains
Things are on the up and up for blues-rock trio The Woodgrains. Formed by high school friends Evan Amburn, Dylan Crosby and Nick Carroll in Waycross, Ga., the trio has called Athens home for nearly four years. In that time, the band has seen its following grow steadily, and it has booked the types of venues that mirror those numbers.
And bassist Nick Carroll, who’s set to graduate in the fall of 2013 with a degree in anthropology, is ready to put more time into the project he started years ago with his two best friends. “We’ve been getting busier lately,” he said after playing a SXSW send-off show at the Georgia Theatre. “I’ll probably take some time off [after graduation] and hit it hard with The Woodgrains.”
The band is working on a second album, and Carroll said the support of friends and family has been a factor in making the post-collegiate decision—Carroll’s parents helped the band purchase a trailer for touring, and Amburn comes from a family of musicians.

Boomfox
High energy rock quartet Boomfox is charging full steam ahead, even with three graduating members. The band is adamant in pursuing its music after graduation, regardless of where in Georgia the seniors will end up, and a meeting wasn’t even necessary to come to that conclusion. For now though, guitarist Christian Gerner-Schmidt said that they’re just taking it day by day, knowing that either Atlanta or Athens will be home for the band in the coming months.

The Cubs
University graduate Ethan Payne said he knows how alluring Athens can be for a young band. He began playing in bands during his senior year of college in 2008 and stayed in town after graduation to pursue music. “I had an extra semester, so I had basically two senior years. I remember when I graduated, I’d always planned to leave Athens and go abroad but because the band was doing really well, and I was doing video work, I had decided to stay,” said Payne who played bass for indie-garage rockers The Cubs. The band continued for about another year until everyone else in the band had graduated. At that time the band’s lead guitarist, Ryan Saunders, had been putting off grad school for too long and decided it was time to continue his education. As Saunders headed west to work on his master’s degree, the band decided it wasn’t worth moving on without him.

Easter Island
Now the singer/guitarist for Easter Island, whose sonic landscape runs the gamut between post-rock, shoegaze and dream-pop, Payne finds that the decision he faced after graduation shies in comparison to the decisions he faces with his band now. Members have greater responsibilities—work commitments, relationships, and families. He feels, though, that the older he’s gotten, the more serious he’s gotten about the things in his life. And for all the young musicians facing the post-graduate musical dilemma, he says just follow your gut. “If your gut’s not there with your band, if you’re kind of half-hearted, if your gut tells you you should do something else, go with your gut.” Even if your first band doesn’t make it big, surely there are better things on the horizon. And keep that keytar handy--there’s no telling if later on down the road you’ll want to get the band back together. - The Red and Black


"A Fork in the Road"

There’s a force to be reckoned with coming this way, and it may or may not tear your band apart. This isn’t any Yoko Ono, though. She goes by a different name--graduation. It’s the question on every graduating band members’ mind, and it’s a heavier decision than one might imagine: what happens after graduation? Do you leave town and follow other career pursuits, or do you stick with it and try to make things work? Ampersand spoke with three Athens musicians to see how graduation affected their music.
The Woodgrains
Things are on the up and up for blues-rock trio The Woodgrains. Formed by high school friends Evan Amburn, Dylan Crosby and Nick Carroll in Waycross, Ga., the trio has called Athens home for nearly four years. In that time, the band has seen its following grow steadily, and it has booked the types of venues that mirror those numbers.
And bassist Nick Carroll, who’s set to graduate in the fall of 2013 with a degree in anthropology, is ready to put more time into the project he started years ago with his two best friends. “We’ve been getting busier lately,” he said after playing a SXSW send-off show at the Georgia Theatre. “I’ll probably take some time off [after graduation] and hit it hard with The Woodgrains.”
The band is working on a second album, and Carroll said the support of friends and family has been a factor in making the post-collegiate decision—Carroll’s parents helped the band purchase a trailer for touring, and Amburn comes from a family of musicians.

Boomfox
High energy rock quartet Boomfox is charging full steam ahead, even with three graduating members. The band is adamant in pursuing its music after graduation, regardless of where in Georgia the seniors will end up, and a meeting wasn’t even necessary to come to that conclusion. For now though, guitarist Christian Gerner-Schmidt said that they’re just taking it day by day, knowing that either Atlanta or Athens will be home for the band in the coming months.

The Cubs
University graduate Ethan Payne said he knows how alluring Athens can be for a young band. He began playing in bands during his senior year of college in 2008 and stayed in town after graduation to pursue music. “I had an extra semester, so I had basically two senior years. I remember when I graduated, I’d always planned to leave Athens and go abroad but because the band was doing really well, and I was doing video work, I had decided to stay,” said Payne who played bass for indie-garage rockers The Cubs. The band continued for about another year until everyone else in the band had graduated. At that time the band’s lead guitarist, Ryan Saunders, had been putting off grad school for too long and decided it was time to continue his education. As Saunders headed west to work on his master’s degree, the band decided it wasn’t worth moving on without him.

Easter Island
Now the singer/guitarist for Easter Island, whose sonic landscape runs the gamut between post-rock, shoegaze and dream-pop, Payne finds that the decision he faced after graduation shies in comparison to the decisions he faces with his band now. Members have greater responsibilities—work commitments, relationships, and families. He feels, though, that the older he’s gotten, the more serious he’s gotten about the things in his life. And for all the young musicians facing the post-graduate musical dilemma, he says just follow your gut. “If your gut’s not there with your band, if you’re kind of half-hearted, if your gut tells you you should do something else, go with your gut.” Even if your first band doesn’t make it big, surely there are better things on the horizon. And keep that keytar handy--there’s no telling if later on down the road you’ll want to get the band back together. - The Red and Black


"Setting the Stage: 40 Watt"

"As far as I'm concerned, the 40 Watt is such an important part of the Athens community. It is the heart of it," Cobbs said. "It is the club that everyone in the world has heard of. I'm from England and the first place I went to go was the 40 Watt."
The legacy, counted by Vego as "more important than anything," is a product of the venue's integrity and focus on attracting "original" acts.
"I've just wanted the kids to look in The Red & Black or Flagpole and go, 'Oh my gosh, they've got this, this and this,'" Vego said. "But it has to be original. I don't do cover bands, I don't do midget wrestling."
Vego's focus on quality acts stems from her experience as a musician for six years as a member of an all-girl band.
"It just means something to me that when people get on that stage, it means something," Vego said. "Some integrity."
Hannah Zale, the lead singer of Athens' Boomfox, has played the venue five times and said it appeals to local bands.
"The real music lovers in town go to the 40 Watt," Zale said. "And it counts. You can tell."
40 Watt has two rare qualities for a venue of its size and legacy. - The Red and Black


"Setting the Stage: 40 Watt"

"As far as I'm concerned, the 40 Watt is such an important part of the Athens community. It is the heart of it," Cobbs said. "It is the club that everyone in the world has heard of. I'm from England and the first place I went to go was the 40 Watt."
The legacy, counted by Vego as "more important than anything," is a product of the venue's integrity and focus on attracting "original" acts.
"I've just wanted the kids to look in The Red & Black or Flagpole and go, 'Oh my gosh, they've got this, this and this,'" Vego said. "But it has to be original. I don't do cover bands, I don't do midget wrestling."
Vego's focus on quality acts stems from her experience as a musician for six years as a member of an all-girl band.
"It just means something to me that when people get on that stage, it means something," Vego said. "Some integrity."
Hannah Zale, the lead singer of Athens' Boomfox, has played the venue five times and said it appeals to local bands.
"The real music lovers in town go to the 40 Watt," Zale said. "And it counts. You can tell."
40 Watt has two rare qualities for a venue of its size and legacy. - The Red and Black


"Girl Power Plays the Drums: Women taking on the Athens music scene"

In the music industry, men write the songs. Men play the drums. Men find the talent. Men manage tours.
And the refrain is the same.
The music world, with its mélange of musicians and management, is known for being principally made up of men.
“Ninety-nine percent of booking agents and musicians and venue owners in this town are male,” Hannah Zale, lead singer of Boomfox, said of Athens.
And booking agents, who are responsible for finding musicians so the community can hear them, want to hear men, Zale said.
But the music scene in Athens is changing. Alessandra Donati, executive assistant at the Georgia Theatre, said she has seen more female booking agents come to the Georgia Theatre. Athens folk singer Lera Lynn is seeing more women who play drums and bass, instruments traditionally played by men.
“I think that women face some more challenges than men do sometimes just because it’s a male-dominated business,” Lynn said. “I think that there’s generally doubt that women are capable of keeping up with men, but I do think that that is changing, and we’re starting to see women in music more and more.” - The Red and Black


"Girl Power Plays the Drums: Women taking on the Athens music scene"

In the music industry, men write the songs. Men play the drums. Men find the talent. Men manage tours.
And the refrain is the same.
The music world, with its mélange of musicians and management, is known for being principally made up of men.
“Ninety-nine percent of booking agents and musicians and venue owners in this town are male,” Hannah Zale, lead singer of Boomfox, said of Athens.
And booking agents, who are responsible for finding musicians so the community can hear them, want to hear men, Zale said.
But the music scene in Athens is changing. Alessandra Donati, executive assistant at the Georgia Theatre, said she has seen more female booking agents come to the Georgia Theatre. Athens folk singer Lera Lynn is seeing more women who play drums and bass, instruments traditionally played by men.
“I think that women face some more challenges than men do sometimes just because it’s a male-dominated business,” Lynn said. “I think that there’s generally doubt that women are capable of keeping up with men, but I do think that that is changing, and we’re starting to see women in music more and more.” - The Red and Black


"Hannah Zale from Boomfox is our STYLE STAR"

Favorite places to shop?
Anthropologie, Agora, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel,
Cherry Bomb (Five Points ATL), Dynamite, Forever 21 and H&M.


Favorite article of clothing/accessory?
My black studded BOOTS!!! I often start building an outfit based on a badass pair of boots. It changes the way I walk and feel. My head is held high and I am so ready to stomp out whatever craziness comes my way. And I love random unmatching earrings! So fun and unexpected.

Which artist's wardrobe would you love to raid?
I would love to raid Joan Jett's closet for my rocker gig wear. I love the black, the leather, the bodysuits, and especially the "I don't care what you think" swag. I would like to raid Rhianna's closet for my day wear. She has some funky vintage pieces that are super rock inspired and I love that she is never afraid to think outside the box when mixing and matching.


Any weird or funny stories from shows?
When we were trying out new band names after the addition of our current drummer, we played a show in Atlanta under the name "Violet Lane". The sound guy kept screaming "Violet! Violet!" at me and I was not responding as he had planned. He then got on the mic from the audio booth and continued to scream "Violet! Violet!" It wasn't until the 14th time I heard him scream the color that I realized he was talking to me. He thought my name was Violet Lane and that I just hadn't heard him saying it for the last 20 minutes. Because I didn't respond to his calls, he also thought that I was the best deaf singer he'd ever heard.

What are your plans for the future?

My future plans are to continue writing and performing with Boomfox as well as record a solo album. I am also looking to tour nationally and grow my fan base. I want to be on stage, singing my songs and sharing the love. I cannot imagine spending my life any other way. It's more than a dream for me, it's a calling.
- Athens Street Style


"Music Business Students Ready for Review"

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Revue is for the students — by the students.
Hatched by Cory Jasin, The Desarios' lead singer, music business student and former staff writer at The Red & Black, the show is a byproduct of the program and something Jasin has carried from beginning to end.
“It’s kind of my baby,” he said. “Me and some of the other guys that are in bands thought that it would be a cool idea, since the MBUS program and all the students are very supportive of live music … it seems like a good reason to come out and rock ‘n’ roll in the name of MBUS.”
Although the show has the title of an MBUS concert, it was completely organized by Jasin and other MBUS students themselves, without faculty aid.
“They worked the whole thing out and then came to me and asked, ‘What do you think?’” said David Barbe, the program’s director. “If you want to be great in your chosen path of the music industry, initiative is probably your best friend … I can’t hold their hands.”
Initiative is exactly what Jasin took in booking the show.
“I got in touch with Velena [Vego, at the 40 Watt] and booked the shows,” he said. “And I guess you could say that I commissioned the poster being made, in that I paid a friend to make it.”
Picking the bands JK & The Lost Boys, The Falcones and Boomfox, Jasin made his decision based on musical compatibility — and who he wouldn’t mind sharing a dressing room with.
“Friends is a big part,” he said. “We thought it would be a fun show to hang out backstage with our friends. And the sound; all of them could be described as rock ‘n’ roll. There’s nothing super indie, nothing super jammy. It’s just straightforward rock ‘n’ roll bands with three-or-four-minute songs, with accessible melodies and catchy choruses, to an extent.”
After all, most of the time, “it’s about who you know,” said Danny Hurley of The Falcones.
The use of a professional network is one thing Barbe believes is imperative for his students to keep in mind.
“Building a network of people professionally, that’s just what you do … it’s a people business,” he said. “You need to be good at what you do, you need to know what you’re doing, you need to have your facts straight. And if you’re not good at what you do, you don’t have your facts straight, you’re not a good person and you don’t have decent work ethics, it doesn’t matter who you know.”
Each band has at least one member that’s a part of the music business program — strategically so.
“There’s the niche-market factor,” Jasin said. “We knew we could get MBUS students to come out.
Promoting the show, Jasin has taken to the web. And to the classrooms.
“I’ve done all the Facebook promotion and kind of been facilitating what’s going on when,” he said. “We’ve been promoting really heavily in class every day. We’ve had bands come in and do acoustic performances, I did trivia today and just gimmicky stuff to keep it in people’s minds.”
Much of his promotional warfare was picked up in his teachings.
“Mainly realizing how the whole show promotion works,” Jasin said. “The show falls about three weeks after spring break and the concept of putting it on Facebook and putting up a show poster before spring break was just absurd. After all the promotion tips we’ve heard, people are just going to get tired of you after a while and the timing is a very important factor.”
Members of the other bands have been mass-promoting on Facebook, as well as lead singer of Boomfox Hannah Zale, who has been making satirical videos on YouTube in anticipation for the show.
After all the students have done, Jasin hopes to have a crowd — but only time will tell.
“Whether they come or not, they will know that the show is happening,” he said. “And I will have done everything I can to get them coming.” - The Red and Black


"Boomfox Brings Back Grunge"

From the music boom of the ’90s came a fox — Boomfox.
The ’90s resurgent grunge band came together earlier this year as The Sunlight Alchemists. But as time passed and a new member was added, Boomfox was born.
“It’s become kind of this holistic alter ego that we all use for performing,” said Hannah Zale, the band’s lead singer. “We’ve become one unit more instead of these individual players.”
Zale said the band — which also consists of bassist Derek Terry, guitarist Christian Gerner-Smidt and drummer Matt Martin — found itself a specific niche within the giant world of rock ‘n’ roll.
It’s just pop enough to be catchy and indie enough to be interesting.
“We have a really unique sound because of our stompy drums and really heavy guitar with my classically-trained voice on top of it,” Zale said. “We have so many different levels for people to find themselves in.”
She’s even found a part of herself she never expected.
“I’ve definitely had to put myself in the rock star mode because that’s not who I am on a daily basis,” Zale said. “I just tell myself ‘I’m the biggest badass there is out there.’”
As the bandmates grow more comfortable together — they’ve only been a group for about a year — their mentality to approaching the music world has shifted.
The band has started to play bigger gigs, signed with a booking management label, recorded a full-band rock EP, “Taste the Words,” began filming a series of music videos and recording an unplugged, acoustic EP.
Zale is just trying to spread the Boomfox love. “I want to work,” she said. “It’s in my reach, and I want it so badly, and I always have my entire life. It’s a burning fire that’s not going to go away.” - The Red and Black


"Boomfox Brings Back Grunge"

From the music boom of the ’90s came a fox — Boomfox.
The ’90s resurgent grunge band came together earlier this year as The Sunlight Alchemists. But as time passed and a new member was added, Boomfox was born.
“It’s become kind of this holistic alter ego that we all use for performing,” said Hannah Zale, the band’s lead singer. “We’ve become one unit more instead of these individual players.”
Zale said the band — which also consists of bassist Derek Terry, guitarist Christian Gerner-Smidt and drummer Matt Martin — found itself a specific niche within the giant world of rock ‘n’ roll.
It’s just pop enough to be catchy and indie enough to be interesting.
“We have a really unique sound because of our stompy drums and really heavy guitar with my classically-trained voice on top of it,” Zale said. “We have so many different levels for people to find themselves in.”
She’s even found a part of herself she never expected.
“I’ve definitely had to put myself in the rock star mode because that’s not who I am on a daily basis,” Zale said. “I just tell myself ‘I’m the biggest badass there is out there.’”
As the bandmates grow more comfortable together — they’ve only been a group for about a year — their mentality to approaching the music world has shifted.
The band has started to play bigger gigs, signed with a booking management label, recorded a full-band rock EP, “Taste the Words,” began filming a series of music videos and recording an unplugged, acoustic EP.
Zale is just trying to spread the Boomfox love. “I want to work,” she said. “It’s in my reach, and I want it so badly, and I always have my entire life. It’s a burning fire that’s not going to go away.” - The Red and Black


"Boomfox is Athen's Local Listen"

It's not often you get an Athens-based band as passionate and hard-rocking as Boomfox. Committed to their goal of melting your face off with energy and music, these guys have garnered a lot of buzz around town. Read about their sound, influences, goals, and live performances as we move closer to their upcoming show at Crow's Nest with Baby Baby on Saturday!
1. Who are your members? What instruments do they play?
Hannah Zale: Vox
Christian Gerner-Smidt: guitars, backup vocals
Matt Martin: drums
Derek Terry: bass

2. How long have you been playing together and how did you get started?
We formed back in fall of 2009 and were originally called The Sunlight Alchemists, which was with a different drummer. Matt joined about a year and a half ago, and we became Boomfox in Jan 2012 after a long couple of days in the studio recording our EP “Taste the Words.”

3. How would you describe your sound?
Stompy, boomy rock n’ roll with a blues edge. Our sound changes from song to song...but not so much that it sounds like completely different bands. Some songs are soulful and slow, some are more on the alterative side, and some are even hard rock with a metal influence. We have never been able to pinpoint another band that sounds like we do, so we really just try to be true to our own style--keep things boomfoxy.

4. What can listeners expect from your live shows?
“Absolute craziness,” according to lead guitar player, Christian. Playing live and doing it well is what separates a good band from a great band. We are always working on sounding a little tighter, tweaking this part or that part, because we write the music to be played live. Live performance is our greatest strength and our favorite part of being in the band. You can count on us for a high-energy rock show that you can dance and clap and head bang to. THAT is the Boomfox people talk about; THAT is why we are lucky enough to be able to play places like the amazing 40 Watt and kick off this new series at Crows Nest.

5. Who would you say are some key influences on your music?
Being in a one guitar band means both the bassist and the guitarist have to put in work. So bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who have probably the most bass driven sound of any famous rock band, truly inspire us. Other bands that have influenced us in our writing styles are Nirvana, Chevelle, Switchfoot, Rise Against, The White Stripes, Radiohead, the Whigs, Amy Winehouse, and The Decemberists.

6. What are your current plans? Are you recording for an album? Any touring in the near future?
Our current plans are to release a new single or two with a video and release party. We want to play as many shows as possible. We would really love to open for somebody at the Georgia Theatre before we graduate.

We are in the process of writing a full album to be recorded this summer and early fall. We're also looking forward to a Spring 2014 album release and college tour around the Southeast. It’s scary for all of us to put ourselves out there and start this crazy journey through the music industry, but we want it more than anything.

7. Overall, if you had to define Boomfox using three words, what would they be?
Authentic, unique, foxy.


The band is playing with Baby Baby THIS SATURDAY at Crow's Nest. You can check out the rest of the band's dates on their website. Watch a live performance of the song "Move Me" from the band's performance at the 40 Watt below! - Sonic Arch


Discography

"Taste the Words" - April, 2012

"Beech Valley" - NEW RELEASE: September 24, 2013 (Online)
-Single: "SECRET"

Photos

Bio

Boomfox formed in fall of 2009 while attending The University of Georgia and were originally called The Sunlight Alchemists, playing with drummer Joseph Shanoltz. Matt Martin replaced Shanoltz in fall 2011 and the band became Boomfox in January, 2012 after a long couple of days in the studio recording their first EP “Taste the Words.”

Boomfox’s sound can be described as stompy, booming rock n’ roll with a blues edge. Some songs are soulful and slow, some are more alternative, and some are even hard rock with a metal influence. You can count on Boomfox for a high-energy live show that you can dance and head bang to.

Influences are Athens-local favorites like The Whigs, REM, and New Madrid. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Chevelle, Switchfoot, Rise Against the Machine, Powderfinger, and Adele are also influences.

The band is looking forward to their second double-release “Beech Valley” on September 25, 2013 at the premiere Southeastern venue The Georgia Theatre.