Mothers Anthem

They came in by the hundreds-five of them approximately-and lined the terraced hillside in front of the River Stage. Crowding into their front-and-center positions, they sang the familiar tunes that radiated from the P.A. while they waited for the show to begin. The day was a hot Friday afternoon on August 10. The event was the first concert of the "Rock the Rio" series, featuring music from Mother's Anthem, Ember, Seth James and Vallejo.

For most, the day marked one of the last of summer vacation, a day the majority of people were not even in town. For San Angelo, and for the concert going students who lingered behind in the off-months, it was likely the best rock show of the season.

Though their varying starting places ranged far and wide, all bands were officially from Austin. The show kicked off with an energetic and wholly impressive performance from the newly formed Mother's Anthem.

Comprised of Kirk Baxley, Julian Mandrake, Jonathon Scott, Zak Loy and Drew Walters, Mother's Anthem formed approximately two months ago, a fact that is hard to believe given the unity and talent they exhume onstage. Julian Mandrake, former guitarist of Blue October and lead guitarist of Mother's Anthem explains that the members had known one another from previous bands.

"We're really fortunate to be playing together. We had thought about putting a band together for a long time and we are really dedicated to putting out a positive message," Mandrake said.

With a stage presence to be likened to Papa Roach, and a sound summed up best by the quote on their MySpace page as "the start of something fresh," Mother's Anthem rocked the house (and the Rio) like no other up-and-comer I've seen as of late. - Chelsea Schmid

Beer sloshes from the mouths of half-full mini-pitchers like the swaying steins at a drunken German Bierfest. Amidst shouts and laughter and humorous bad dancing, a snare drum begins to roll: And the winner of the 2007 best new band award goes to Austin-based Mothers Anthem!
Brushing stardust from their jackets, the fivesome make their way up to the stage to graciously accept but don't sit down yet, they've also been nominated for best Texas rock band.

At least thats how it played out in my head, and if I had such an award to give, Mothers Anthem would definitely be the recipient.

Having formed only seven months ago, these rising stars have enjoyed an incredible amount of success and have been widely well-received.

Case in point: Mothers Anthem made a pilgrimage out to LA a couple of months back where they attracted the attention of MJMG Managements Jeff Peters, who signed the group after seeing them play at The Highlands and again at the famous Viper Room.

They're a pretty huge management company, says guitarist Julian Mandrake. He says MJMG's artists include Papa Roach, Megadeath, and Type O Negative. They have a lot of new acts that are coming on that got like huge record deals, you'll probably hear from them soon.

With the help of a good management team and a legend of a producer, Mothers Anthem is preparing to record their debut full-length, which they will shop to record labels in the new year.

We're going into the studio Jan. 3 with David Castel who did the last Blue October record, the Burden Brothers, and Deep Blue Something, Mandrake says. We're shooting for [March] . . . we're going to record it in January; do a DVD; do a video?

The band has already amassed a good-sized collection of solid original music in their short time together. Hell, they had an impregnable set five months ago when San Angelo saw them the first time at Rock the Rio.

It comes in batches, Mandrake says of the song producing process. The first batch, I wrote all the music and then Kirk came in and did all the vocals, and the second batch was kind of a collective thing. The third batch was all collective as well.

Somebody will have a riff and then we complete it in the room, or we write the music; we just write it to a certain point, just so long as it has a great chorus."

When it comes to new bands, Mothers Anthem is like the dream team. They've got well-rounded experienced musicians, good contacts, and big hearts. All of them are known for their roles in previous bands like Canvas, and Blue October.

And there may not be another frontman on the planet who is as sincere, sweet and genuine as Kirk Baxley. The group as a whole has a sort of glowing majestic aura about them; they're grounded, rather than detached like a number of bands their caliber. The boys shine in a positive light.

Mothers is supposed to be the world and Anthem is a positive message, and we just feel like the world at this point needs something like that, Mandrake says.

Given the lyrics to some of their songs and the intent of their message, many have misconstrued Mothers Anthem as a Christian band.

We are not a Christian band, we just write what we feel, Mandrake said. We keep our faith to ourselves, we just like to inspire a positive feeling.

With an album on the way, a new management deal, and the drive, focus and ambition carried by the band, Mothers Anthem is anticipated to break on the music scene like the waves on the north shore of Hawaii: it's going to be huge, so wear your life jacket.

We're going to do what we need to do for the band; if we need to go out and do a tour or something,? Mandrake says. None of us are tied into like these major 9-5 jobs.

Tune in to 101.9 The Fire and 94.7 Kixy Friday between 4 and 4:30 p.m. for an in-studio performance and live interview with Mothers Anthem, and be sure to make it out to the Steel Penny (
2400 College Hills Blvd, San Angelo
) on Friday night to see them live.



For more information on Mothers Anthem, refer to myspace.com/mothersanthem - Chelsea Schmid

Remember this name: Mothers Anthem. This Austin based band has the future lying beneath their feet, this 5 track EP produced by David Castell (Blue October) is just the beginning of something big. Kirk Baxley's voice is phenomenal, he truly took me by surprise with his emotional touch on the melodies and his way of expressing the words making you believe in every word he sings. They've go a cool sound, Mothers Anthem ain't your average modern rock band caught in the mainstream, oh no - you will find elements of classic rock in there as well as atmospheric pop. The songs breathes longevity and there's not a single dull moment on this EP, "Awaiting The Fall' has a special place in my heart but the other 4 are just as great in their own way too. Head on over t their myspace site and download these songs for free, you're a fool if you wont! - Melodic.Net Review

Musical Influences: "Nowadays, my favorite singer -songwriter is Ray Lamontagne. There are a lot of great bands in Texas that have inspired me.
Kirk Baxley is my favorite singer/performer of all musicians. - American Idol.com

In a town dominated by unshaven, kids-next-door indie bands, Mother’s Anthem oozes rock star in every way. Aesthetically, audibly, and stylistically, the Austin quintet is built for the big stage. From the first chords of the group’s sprawling, climactic sound, it becomes evident that Mother’s Anthem is more interested in the epic, spine-tingling aspects of the genre, utilizing skyscraping choruses and tight musicianship to reach a darkly-tinged sound that is both affecting and headbanging.

All the necessary elements are present: the structures are ambitious, the bass is tight, and the guitar chops are dense and sharply produced. Mother’s Anthem layers all these ingredients over an emotive, accessible element of dark arts, relaying their impassioned lyrics through dark coats and convincing outfits. Still, Mother’s Anthem is a variable within rock. Just as soon as you think that this is Austin’s answer to emo, the band unveils a furious guitar solo.
Just as they seem like abrasive alternative rock, they break things down into an accessible, pop-laden climax. In truth, Mother’s Anthem is all these things. They are part alt-rock, part emo, part metal and all larger-than-life.

Mother’s Anthem is also a story of contrast. The band balances a raw edge without compromising a polished, ambitious sound that is accentuated by high-arching vocals. Similar to like-minded dark rock acts such as HIM or AFI, the music carries a sense of bravado and gravitas while still maintaining a degree of sensitivity. Though dealing with themes of heartbreak, darkness, and conflict, there is something strangely uplifting in the rising choruses of Mother’s Anthem, as if their pain is meant to be universal, to inspire rather than dwell.

It’s as if the band members were born for this. Though relative newcomers to the scene, the group’s refined sound and demeanor would lead us to believe that Mother’s Anthem is a seasoned veteran of sold-out shows from here to Europe to Asia. Those shows aren’t too far away, but, for now, the group is still sneaking in a few smaller venue tours within Texas, including a Friday night slot at The Parish (June 5th with Meriwether). See them now on the small stage while you still can, because Mother’s Anthem, driven by powerful melodies and obvious potential, is meant for the big time.

- Elliot Cole of Launch 787