In 2003 VCU classical guitar student Joe Evans began playing with drummer Stu Hutton on a leisurely basis in Richmond, Va. They met through a mutual acquaintance at the university. But it wasn't until they both finished their studies that they decided to get serious about making music. Previous iterations of the band didn't last very long until they acquired bassist (and D.C. native) Leo Mairena in 2008. Songs were written, a demo recorded, and shows were played under a different band name as well as a different vocalist. Merrin Karas truly wasn't born until 2010 when Christine Golden joined the lineup, bringing with her a fresh set of pipes as well as keen songwriting ability to compliment the others in place. What we have here now is a rock band with various different genres influencing their writing; to the point of which we really can't decide on what genre to belong to. Hopefully our fans will decide that for us.
http://www.reverbnation.com/merrinkaras
Brockway was conceived in the Spring of 2011. Dan Lee had been writing songs for years and never really did anything with them. One day he decided they should be shared among fiends and family... and anyone else who would listen. Brockway is a project based solely on the music, for the music. With driving melodies and story telling Brockway strives to produce music that emmulates the essence of what can be, the heart of it - the emotion and feeling that can be derived and experienced. Brockway's first EP, where blue meets green, gives out a taste of a hallow acoustic style as well as the inspiration and beginning of a deep and meaningful project. It is a three song EP that tells a story of pain and restoration. Each songs speaks to a different piece of tragedy and dealing with the aftermath of suffering. This album is only the begning for Brockway. This year will see more shows and a full length album, so be on the lookout.
http://brockway.tumblr.com/
Sprung from the hills of rural West Virginia, Logan Venderlic weaves his own brand of modern, indie-infused hooks and applies it to contemporary Appalachian folk, dubbing the creation "Folk Wave." Logan's self-titled debut long player follows his 2010 breakout, Manic EP, which illicited the quick and telling quip from the likes of The Wall Street Journal: "Tom Petty meets Appalachia." Venderlic delivers magnetic songs that swing on a temperamental pendulum between the mania of childhood's purity and the depression of adulthood concession, growing as an individual along with his music and coming to terms in appreciation of his humble upbringing. Since exploring beyond his home state while on tour, Venderlic shared stages with a diverse array of artists from The Spring Standards, American Aquarium, and Professor Louie (of The Band), to Marcy Playground, Ume, and Hawthorne Heights.
http://loganvenderlic.bandcamp.com/
