12*20 Blast

The band first started out as a trio in the late 1980's. Composed of bass player and vocalist Jamie Slote, guitarist Dave Marfisi and drummer John Kingsnorth, the group played many stages in the local area and recorded several preliminary projects under various band names. Among them were Admiral Dott and Absolute Strangers. The nineties saw the band trying several different members, but always keeping the core trio of musicians.

Shortly after the turn of the century, the group added frontman vocalist Andy Walton. Walton gave the band that distinctive rock n' roll voice and added an infectious energy to their live performances. A few years later, the band picked up young gun guitarist Daniel Pinelli. Together with Marfisi, the guitaring pair gave the group a colourful contrast of lead and rhythm sections as a result of their naturally different playing styles. Although the five piece was still developing as a whole, all the fundamental pieces were there for the collective musical success that was later to come.

From 2007 to 2010, the band played almost every gig, stage and venue in the greater Haldimand Norfolk area. From pubs in Port Dover for Friday the 13th to the Sanderson Centre in Brantford, the group kept busy playing bars and corporate gigs. Bringing an original cover blend to their shows, the performance was always well received and leaved many crowd members and band followers asking when 12*20 Blast would release an album of their own.

After experimenting with original music for several years, the time was finally here for 12*20 Blast to make a name for themselves in the original music scene. The band spent the first half of 2011 writing the framework of what would soon become their debut album. Combining over ten years of half finished songs and lyrical ideas with new sounds and insights from the newer band members, the group soon had a host of tunes that were ready for studio recording.

In the summer of 2011, the band spent an incredible weekend at Jukasa Media Group in Oshweken, Ontario. The result was their first full length studio album. Working with world renowned engineer Nick Blagona and producer Rob Lamothe, the entire album was recorded in just three days. Even the studio staff were surprised at how quickly the album came together, showing that this was something that 12*20 Blast had needed to do for a while. The band closed out 2011 by registering and copywriting their music and playing several shows with other local artists.

2012 was even bigger and better than expected for the band. They began by tearing up every original music venue in the greater Hamilton area, as well as scoring some major publicity on local radio stations and indie shows. The summer was a complete blur for the band, playing multiple times a week and selling hundreds of copies of their recently released album. The climax of the year came in October when the group was hired by ILDC (International Long Drive Challenge) to play a corporate event in Mazatlan, Mexico. Never had the band felt more like rock stars then when they boarded the plane for what was surely one of the best weeks of their lives.

In the new year, the band set their sights on getting back into the studio. With a host of new musical ideas, the second record promises to be even better than the last. Thinking about topping the year that the band had in 2012 is a little ridiculous, but not in the eyes of these five musicians that finally have the chance they've always wanted.

2013 saw the band back to the studio with industry legend Nick Blagona producing and engineering. This time with Nick brought these guys into tune to their true essence as musicians. Strange Universe was recorded at Psychotropic studios and digitally released in October. Things just kept getting better as their debut album "home" was nominated for Alt Country Album of the year at the 2013 Hamilton Music Awards.