Sceneazine.com
released it with seven because we
felt it was more important to put
out quality over quantity.”
The EP was recorded three years
ago, and the band went on hiatus
before they could properly promote it. Being in a band
can be rigorous and put incredible strain on its members, even at the local and
regional level. Byers said
that’s what was behind the
band’s absence from the
scene for the past two and
a half years.
“People don’t realize
how much pressure there
is, behind closed doors,
on a band. And that’s basically the reason we hung
it up for a while,” Byers said. “We were really all at a
breaking point with each other and we just needed a
break. That’s really how the name Ashes to Airwaves
was born. It’s a metaphor for what we’ve been through
as a brotherhood. When the band called it quits, we left
the friendships and relationships in ashes. As most families do, we took some time to ourselves and eventually
repaired the bridges that had been burnt between each
other and decided it was time to turn those ashes into
music. Thus, Ashes to Airwaves came about.”
Understandable. But if
the band had already established itself as Obraskai, why not just resurrect
the name?
“To be honest, we
were going to come back
as Obraskai and call
our album we are writing, Ashes to Airwaves,“
Byers added. “But one of
our founding members,
[bass player] Greg Bolton,
ended up moving to L.A.
and we just didn’t feel it
was right performing as
Obraskai without him.”
The new Ashes to Airwaves album is at the top
of the band’s to-do list for
this year. “[We] hope to
hit the studio sometime
in early 2015 to put out a
new song or two while we
finish writing the album,”
Byers said.
He emphasized that
the songwriting for the
new album is definitely
a group effort, and one
that takes a considerable
Ashes to Airwaves: The Name Says It All
By John Huiett
W
hen Ashes to Airwaves took the New
Brookland Tavern stage on December 13,
2014, it was a triumphant return in more ways than
one. Formerly known as local hard rock powerhouse
Obraskai, the band rebranded itself Ashes to Airwaves
after a two-and-half-year absence from the music scene.
The West Columbia, SC, club was packed with enthusiastic fans, family, friends and supporters. Many in the
crowd literally shrieked with joy during the band’s set
of melodic heavy rock, and cheered wildly between the
songs. It was not the type of reception most local bands
receive, let alone a band that hasn’t been active for years.
But the real happiness was on the stage. Bassist Joel
Hilly stomped, swayed and jumped through the set
with a menacing grin on his face. Guitarist Chris Byers
moved with an animated confidence that mirrored his
rich array of guitar tones – from sweet and calming to
razor-edged and brutal. Drummer Matt Warren kept
the band on a steady, thumping track, never wavering
or missing a beat. And, at center stage, vocalist Jeff Eargle held the crowd with his tenor-driven melodies that
he punctuated with screams and dirty vocals. He didn’t
jump around. He didn’t have to. With one foot planted
on a stage monitor, he made eye contact with the crowd
and held them in his hand of calm assurance. Between
songs, Eargle didn’t rely on posturing or “rock star”
bravado for stage banter – such as constant “F bombs,”
sexual innuendo, or boasts of how much his band could
drink. Instead, he spoke with a laid-back charm sweetened with a slight southern drawl as he welcomed the
crowd and thanked them for their support. When a
beautiful young woman in the crowd screamed between
songs that Eargle was a “sexy beast,” his only response
was a shy smile.
That chill Eargle charm is at the heart of what sets
Ashes to Airwaves apart. The band’s sound is driven by
dynamics, not bombast. An intro of shimmering guitar
arpeggios could easily give way to a thick mix of melody
and menace. It’s a radio-ready sound, filled with gooey,
almost pop-like hooks protected by a crunchy shell of
distorted guitars and grooving backbeat.
Byers said it’s always difficult when he is asked to
described the band’s sound, but that it’s reminiscent of
some heavyweight alternative and modern hard rock
mainstays