the Merediths
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the Merediths

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Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Rock this Town - The Merediths are young and bristling with pop energy"

Rock 'n' roll — it's a young man's game. What with all the lifting of amps and dodging of panties, you have to have the knees of a spry youth to succeed. And the Merediths have youth in spades. With all five members younger than 25, the Merediths are one of a handful of bright, young bands revitalizing the local music scene. It's morning again in Louisville, and the Merediths are a big reason.

Background

These kids and their bands. The beginnings are always so damn convoluted.

To summarize: Bassist Jesse Lucas, 22, and keyboardist Jonathan York, 24, played in Audio/Video Club together. York left the band and drummer Brian Haulter, 24, replaced him. Also, Lucas had played some acoustic gigs with singer/guitarist Joe Meredith, 21, in Lexington. In early December, the four of them, along with guitarist, Mike Pfaff, played a handful of shows and recorded a seven-song EP. When Pfaff left to fight evildoers with the Army National Guard in the spring, the band tried to make its way as a four-piece but, admittedly, struggled.

"After a while we realized we needed it (another guitar) for that sound," Haulter said.

The first replacement didn't take, and York remembered a high school friend from Elizabethtown. With little more than high school marching band performances on his stage résumé, Mark Bryant, 22, came on as the second guitarist.

Sound

The Merediths don't sound like a band comprised of hardcore punk castoffs from Louisville satellites such as Elizabethtown, Rineyville and Leitchfield. Meredith writes melody-heavy pop extravaganzas in the vein of the Anniversary, T. Rex and the Pixies. While he still plays bass and writes some music in the hardcore band Ten To Midnight, Meredith finds writing for the Merediths' sweeter sound, "more fulfilling."

Outlook

As an engineer at Downtown Recording, Haulter gets the band free studio time, but it has to squeeze in when the space isn't booked and gets booted when paying customers show up.

But the band takes advantage, having recorded a three-song EP to give away at shows.

"I think we sold like three of them for a dollar," Lucas joked.

In a few months, a split EP with Cabin will be available, and there are plans for a future full-length.

Until then, the Merediths will continue to wrangle shows and fans through its popular MySpace.com profile. The Friendster-like website, on which the band has loaded MP3s of its songs, blossoms with gushing testimonials from adoring fans.

"MySpace has been huge for us," Lucas said. - Velocity Weekly


Discography

A Closed Universe (Debauchery Records)

Sunshine Saved My Life (CD Demo)

Radio Airplay:

Marmalade Maggie
Cruel Kind of Love
Homo Erectus

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

The Merediths
Sunshine Saved My Life
515 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 432-2834
booking@merediths.org

Though in their early twenties, the members of The Merediths have collectively been involved in the Louisville music scene for over fifteen years in local bands such as Ten to Midnight, the Lynnwoods, and the Audio Video Club. In their first six months together, the band self-engineered, self-produced and self-released a seven song EP garnering praise from reviewers and fans alike. They toured regionally while developing a 29 song repertoire, with over 20 of their songs already recorded and pre-mixed at Downtown Recording and in their home studio.

Bringing a fresh face to indie rock, the band gained momentum with all original music and a crisp four piece accompaniment. Their initial EP received airplay on the University of Louisville radio station, helping to secure local venues and build up the fan base. As a regular name on the MySpace Top Artists listing, the Merediths are now spreading beyond
the Midwest, with enthusiastic fans from across the United States and Canada.

The Merediths are Joe Meredith (vocals, guitar), Jesse Lucas (bass), Jonathan York (keyboards) and Brian Haulter (drums). They are passionate about all music and will concede their love for classics such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and T-Rex. At the same time, they can’t get enough of contemporary acts like Radiohead, the Pixies, Sparklehorse, and Grandaddy, and are not afraid to reflect their influences while defining their own unique sound.

Their second release, the three song demo Sunshine Saved My Life was a watershed event for the band. With greater focus on production and arrangement, the songs on Sunshine... represent a tighter direction and higher standard of musicianship. It opens with Marmalade Maggie, featuring the Merediths at their most melodic, an homage to their classic roots. Cruel Kind of Love harkens back to the band’s original style, with the vocal calls of insanity that helped them break out in the local scene. Studio musician Mark Noderer provides cello and additional string arrangement for Homo Erectus, crafting a surprisingly mature and delicate sound for a young rock band.

The Merediths can be contacted on the web at http://www.merediths.org/
or by emailing booking@merediths.org.