Audea

Catchy hooks. . .accessible songs. . .amazing and energetic live show. . .lyrics that speak to all of us. . .these are some of what Audea’s growing legions of fans are saying about this alt rock band and their music. The line you see forming at their merch table as soon as their show ends is a testament to the band and their music. Jordan Hamilton (lead vocals, keyboards, guitars), Will Martin (bass, keyboards, background vocals), Grady Waugh (lead guitar, background vocals) and Eric Schanie (drums, percussion) are more than happy to stay well into the night posing for pictures, signing autographs and just chatting up their ever growing fan base.

Who are these guys and what makes their sound so unique, so different, yet so familiar? Jordan and Eric have been playing together in a variety of bands and church worship teams since their early teens. In early 2010, Will Martin joined Jordan and Eric and formed the original version of Audea. You can hear the Dave Matthews Band, Switchfoot, John Mayer and Mutemath influences in their music then and now. The trio began playing shows around their native Bradenton/Sarasota, FL area to rave reviews from audiences and music business insiders. They were quickly signed to an indie label (after their first show!) and immediately hit the road touring from Pennsylvania to their native Florida. They received rave reviews everywhere they went, but the band felt there was something missing from their sound. They parted ways with their label and, by early 2011, were back playing shows around their hometown while searching for that missing ingredient.

By the summer, they found what they were looking for. Grady Waugh has been friends with some of the guys for years, but a fortuitous jam session brought it all together for the band. With Grady providing new guitar lines and melodies, a more unique, yet catchy and accessible sound was created. The band continued to rehearse and, in short order, wrote 6 new songs that were released in November 2011 as their digital EP entitled, “A is for Autumn.” The EP was produced by former Underoath and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster guitarist Kelly Scott Nunn.

Audea continues to play large and smaller venues throughout the Tampa Bay area and have been adding fans of all ages to Audea nation with each show. They are preparing to leave on their fall tour of the Southeast sponsored by WOB. The band will be playing venues all through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi.

The band is currently writing and rehearsing songs for their initial release on Reckless Grace Records with veteran producer Bruce Ferber. The CD is scheduled for an early February 2013 release.

And, in case you’re wondering, where does the name Audea come from? It comes from a combination of Audi (the band’s favorite automobile) and audio. Listen to Audea or watch them live and you’ll see why the name fits them perfectly!