LX

Nashville is traditionally known as the country music capital of the world, but it is now the playground for three ambitious members of modern rock act LX. Making the move from their hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee in late 2004, these passionate musicians see Nashville as a launching pad for their music to be heard by fans around the world. Their music is in no way typical of the sounds usually resonating from the music city. LX strives to set themselves apart with dynamic, constantly evolving songwriting as well as addictive guitar riffs and vocal melodies. These qualities help LX to connect with a crowd in such a way that audience members leave the concert still banging their heads to the music. “Nothing compares to the feeling of connecting with a crowd that loves the music as much as we do,” says drummer Gene Jung. These talented musicians are celebrating the release of their debut album, “Protest the Wind” across the southeast, and they are doing everything it takes to ensure that this breakthrough album is only the beginning of an illustrious career to come.

The road leading up to “Protest the Wind” was long, and each member of the band took their own unique path that ultimately be where they are today. Lead singer Jake Rolleston conceived LX as a young teenager, as the songs were seemingly bursting from his inner being. It was natural for him to express his emotion in this way. “This is how it has been since I was twelve. I found refuge playing guitar in my basement, writing everything that came to my mind. Music has literally saved my life. Now I don’t care to write music for myself, but this is something I owe as a personal debt to anyone that has ever had the same thoughts, feelings and struggles as I have.” As Rolleston continued to grow musically, he met bass player Nick Jung. Jung made all the right compliments and contributions to Rolleston’s writing style, and their chemistry worked from the start. Bringing in Nick’s brother Gene Jung made perfect sense as he was already an experienced, talented and hard-working musician. Finding the right guitar player has not been easy thus far, as members continue to seek out the perfect candidate with the same drive and dedication to succeed as current members. Patrick Damphier, producer of “Protest the Wind”, and lead singer of another well-known Nashville band named Coda has been the logical choice until the right player comes along.

From the beginning, LX was accepted with open arms by the music community in Chattanooga. Their gradual success culminated on September 18, 2004 at the release show celebrating the band’s first studio effort, “Protest the Wind”. No one predicted the crowd of more than 550 people that came to see LX play that night. The band, true to form, connected with the fans in such a way that more than 300 of the attendees purchased the album before the end of the night. At that point, LX became confident they had something musically that few bands had the opportunity to share with the world. They continue to work harder than ever today to continue sharing their music with anyone that will listen. “All the decisions I make in my life now are secondary to what needs to happen with LX,” says Rolleston. “I don’t know if that is healthy, but this band has an extreme case of tunnel vision. We refuse be satisfied simply because we love what we do and cannot imagine doing anything else.” After hearing what LX has to offer on “Protest the Wind,” one can understand more of where they come from and why they feel that playing music is what they were meant to do.

Although the potential of these musicians is quite evident throughout their new record and live performances, these artists feel this album is only the tip of the iceberg for them. Creatively and musically, LX is continuously evolving and re-inventing their craft. On the new album, Rolleston touches on this progress. “Early efforts such as “Knotes” and “Storyville Portrait” are fun songs, but I feel that our artistic growth I obvious through our later efforts, such as “Lovers in the Red Sky”, “Distance and a Promise” and “Neon Avalanche”. LX definitely feels that their latest effort is only the beginning, and the future looks all that more bright for this band.

LX is currently touring and performing in Nashville and other target markets within 500 miles. They have recently had the opportunity to play with major acts Sevendst, Velvet Revolver, Lit and Audiovent. Throughout 2005, they plan on touring festivals and venues around the country in support of their latest album. LX will also be soliciting material to select record labels and booking agencies with new manager Nick Francis.