Wayne Biography
Not to be confused with a heavy metal band that is also called Wayne, the focus of this bio is a very melodic and accessible alternative pop/rock band from Birmingham, AL. Despite its Deep South roots, this Wayne is not overly Southern-sounding; no one would mistake the Alabama quartet for Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, Black Oak Arkansas, or any other bands that have had a stereotypically Southern sound. The Southern band that Wayne has the most in common with is Georgia's R.E.M.; like R.E.M., Wayne shows a healthy appreciation of the Beatles and British Invasion rock. But not all of Wayne's influences are British Invasion or Brit-pop influences; the artists who have influenced Wayne come from North America (Neil Young, the Beach Boys) as well as Great Britain (Elton John, Radiohead). Wayne is a perfect example of a band that has both Baby Boomer and Generation X influences -- there are plenty of '60s and '70s influences on Wayne's debut album, Music on Plastic, but there are also plenty of alternative rock influences (including R.E.M. and Radiohead). Wayne was formed in 1997, when lead guitarist/singer Michael Swann started working with lead singer/guitarist Rodney Reaves (who wrote all of the songs on Music on Plastic except a cover of Elton John's 1973 classic "Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road). Wayne's two other members are Justin Johnson (bass, vocals) and Jon Hornsby (drums). Playing around Birmingham, AL, and elsewhere in the Southeastern United States in the late '90s, Wayne created a buzz and developed a small regional following. In the early 2000s, Reaves landed a publishing deal with EMI, which funded the recording and producing of Music on Plastic. Thanks to EMI, Wayne had a finished product and began shopping it; TVT liked what it heard and signed the band. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Limp Biography: Alternative pop/rock outfit Limp emerged from the same region that spawned such bands as Neurosis, Fang, Econochrist, and Rancid, building on the roots they planted in the San Francisco Bay Area of...
Little walter Biography: Who's the king of all postwar blues harpists, Chicago division or otherwise? Why, the virtuosic Little Walter, without a solitary doubt. The fiery harmonica wizard took the humble mouth organ in...
Ghostland observatory Biography: Mashing together electro, rock, and funk and taking cues from such artists as Daft Punk and Prince, Ghostland Observatory formed in Austin, TX, and consists of vocalist/guitarist Aaron Behrens and...
Ebony tears Biography: Minor players in the New Wave of Swedish Death Metal of the 1990s, Stockholm, Sweden's Ebony Tears were formed in 1996 by guitarist Conny Jonsson and vocalist Johnny Wranning, following the latter's...
Gene loves jezebel Biography: Twin brothers Jay and Michael Aston began playing music in 1980 when they formed Slav Arian with guitarist Ian Hudson and a drum machine. Though the Astons grew up in Porthcawl, South Wales, they...
Architecture in helsinki Biography: The Australian indie pop ensemble Architecture in Helsinki hails from Fitzroy, Melbourne, and counts multi-instrumentalists Cameron Bird, James Cecil, Gus Franklin, Isobel Knowles, Jamie Mildren, Sam...
Tricky Biography: Originally, Tricky was a member of the Wild Bunch, a Bristol-based rap troupe that eventually metamorphosed into Massive Attack during the early '90s. Tricky provided pivotal raps on Massive Attack's...
Mc lyte Biography: MC Lyte was one of the first female rappers to point out the sexism and misogyny that often runs rampant in hip-hop, often taking the subject head on lyrically in her songs and helping open the door...