Ransom Jack
San Marcos, Texas, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Totally Dedicated to Writing Music - ATX Music Mag
Their sound is polished and purposeful - San Marcos Mercury
Carrying the party-punk torch along the I-35 Corridor - INsite Magazine
Posted on August 5, 2008 at 1:22 pm • Print • Share
Local band Ransom Jack may just be starting out, but they already sound like a group that has been hitting the stage for years. Their sound is polished and purposeful, from their many melodic original songs to the crowd-pleasing covers they mix into their sets.
Ransom Jack consists of Zach on vocals and lead guitar, Jrod on the bass and backup vocals, and J.C. on the drums. Their influences are wide-spread and include bands like 311, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Jimmy Eat World.
“We started out in the punk world,” explained Zach, “and then we kind of picked up on reggae and went through the blues styles.”
“I write the original songs,” Zach said. “I usually write it on an acoustic guitar and then they [Jrod and J.C.] give their input and we mesh our sound. It usually turns out a lot harder than I originally planned but I love it. We do acoustic and rock.”
Sometimes Ransom Jack has their friend and fellow talented musician James Barkley join them onstage. “We grew up with him and we’ve been playing with him forever so we try to involve him as much as possible,” said Zach.
Zach and Jrod have been playing together since high school, and about six months ago, drummer J.C. was the last member of the band to join, forming the Ransom Jack that plays today.
J.C. started out in Houston playing drums at his church. “I grew up going to Buzzfest and Warped Tour every year,” said J.C.
“A good drummer is hard to find,” commented Zach, “someone who is actually willing to put in the hours. You know we put in more than 40 hours a week starting out.”
“We just dropped everything for about six months, and basically locked ourselves in a room just playing music and getting really sick of each other,” laughed Jrod, “but we really love each other so it worked out. We still have a long way to go but it has been a good start.”You can find out more about Ransom Jack and their upcoming shows at www.myspace.com/ransomjack. For more info on James Barkley go to www.myspace.com/guiltyaction.
- Sarah Stevens, Newstreamz magazine
Discography
Self titled album 'Ransom Jack'
Streaming songs:
'Wild Turkey' on xtremeiradio.com
'Ashamed' on 99.5 KISS San Antonio Texas Traxx
Photos
Bio
It was November of 2007 in San Marcos, TX when Zach Taylor (guitar/vocals), Jarrod Nall (bass) and JC Alvarez (drums) decided to take their music seriously and commit to a project by the name of Ransom Jack. Their first 3 months as a band were spent locked in a jam room, and writing music. To kick it all off, the guys got together with some good friends, transformed an old barn in to their own personal venue, and threw some legendary parties. Now, after over 4 years of playing hundreds of gigs in bars and venues across Texas, Ransom Jack is going strong with their full length self titled album and a fresh one in the oven.
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