Mad Tea Party
Asheville, North Carolina, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
If the White Stripes and Southern Culture on the Skids mated, had fraternal twins and raised them to rock out with ukulele accompaniment, we would have Asheville, NC's Mad Tea Party. The newly-minted duo's new release FOUND A REASON is playful old school rock that is both straightforward and wonderfully melodic. It's B-52s meets Buddy Holly with a lot more thump; Americana with a funky fire underneath the plaintiveness of Jason Krekel's smooth vocals and Ami Worthen's jukebox-era delivery...FOUND A REASON shows Mad Tea Party to be a band with more to offer than retro artifices. The group takes traditional styles of playing and puts a good, fresh coat of paint on it. - Southeast Performer
Hipsters rejoice...Mad Tea Party, made up of Jason Krekel and Ami Worthen, offer up good ol’ raw rock ‘n’ roll. This Ashville, North Carolina duo really hit the mark on their new album FOUND A REASON their fourth overall. Krekel has the chops on electric guitar, fiddle, bass and foot drums. Worthen’s sweet voice goes with her steady acoustic guitar and ukulele. Think classic rock/blues riffs. - On Tap Magazine
Worthen jump-starts the beat on soprano ukulele while ace musician Krekel fortifies the groove on electric guitar, plus two drums and a cymbal he plays with pedals. The results will have listeners up and dancing. - WNC Magazine
Percolating sounds of 1950s roots rock, mountain music and blues through an interesting array of instrumentations and interpretations, Mad Tea Party creates a rather sly sound rich with an energetic curiousity and a deviously fun flavor. - Escape Magazine
Discography
Rock 'n' Roll Ghoul EP (2010) produced by Greg Cartwright
Zombie Boogie EP (2009)
Found a Reason (2008) on Nine Mile Records
Big Top Soda Pop (2006)
73% Post-Consumer Novelty (2004)
Photos
Bio
Mad Tea Party brews up rock 'n' roll, garage-pop and honky tonk to create a fresh and intoxicating sound. "It's B-52s meets Buddy Holly with a lot more thump." Musical conspirators Ami Worthen and Jason Krekel serve up an exciting live show to music lovers thirsty for upbeat, original refreshment. Delicious harmonies glide over electrified ukulele, juke-joint guitar, scratchy fiddle and pulsing foot percussion. Catchy songs are steeped in raw rockabilly with shreds of doo wop and devilish blues. Drink deep - Mad Tea Party concocts a musical recipe that will make you boogie.
The band's dynamic show has been catching people's attention across the country. Metro Santa Cruz described it this way, "More a spectacle than a traditional two-person band, Mad Tea Party consists of vocalist and ukulele strummer Ami Worthen and guitarist, fiddler and drummer Jason Krekel. As Worthen reels out charming and quirky songs with an arch sense of humor, Krekel does double- and triple-duty, creating the illusion of a much bigger band with only two arms and two legs. It's a sight to behold...but Mad Tea Party's unique sound is just as worthy of note. A bubbly amalgam of juke-joint blues, pop, tiki exotica and rockabilly, the band has honed an approach that is unique and affecting without being too precious."
Based in Asheville, NC, Mad Tea Party maintains a rigorous touring schedule.
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