Scratch Track

Scratch Track's performance was great. They got the crowd involved and excited, it was a great time. There was a slight miscommunication about the set length, yet, they were great and when we told them they had even longer to play, they ran with it and just kept going. That was really great.
Stephanie Kerber, CPR Member, University of Wisconsin - Platteville, WI


Performance Date: May 5, 2006
Scratch Track was great! They are really nice guys. We had the performance over lunch, in conjunction with an End of the Year carnival. We had a picnic lunch and encouraged people to stop in and eat while watching the show. The students loved the group and I loved them as well. They were great to work with and I and the audience really enjoyed them. Thanks.
Jenni Kiekow, Cardinal Stritch University - Milwaukee, WI


Performance Date: April 27, 2006
Everything went really well. The students that were they really enjoyed it. I had a few studenta come up to me after and say that we really need to bring these guys back because they were fantastic! Thanks for all your help with these guys.
Sarah Botkin, Director of Student Activities, Mount Mercy College - Cedar Rapids, IA


Performance Date: April 20, 2006
The Scratch Track performance went really well. I know I enjoyed it a lot. The guys were very friendly and very easy to work with. We had about 75 people show up for the performance which was really good we thought. The feedback that we received was very positive from everybody. We have had troubles in the past with getting a good response for bands and singers but this was one of our best turn outs.
Bannon Larson, SAB President, Dakota State University - Madison, SD

Performance Date: April 24, 2006
We thoroughly enjoyed the show and the guys were wonderful. In fact, they stayed around after everything was done to visit and talk and even jam with some of our more musically inclined students. While I know it isn’t what we are paying them to be there for, it means something when they take the time to connect with the interested students, and I appreciate that.
Susie Hadrick, Director of Student Activities, Dakota Wesleyan University - Mitchell, SD

Performance Date: April 26, 2006
They were awesome. Super....Super good guys!!!! Normandale apethetic culture and stage location..... they were top notched. A very tight group for two guitar players and a vocalists.
Chris Mikkelsen, Assistant Director of Student Life, Normandale Community College, MN

Performance Date: April 21, 2006
I thought that Scratch Track's performance went very well. They were very good and the crowd really liked them. We didnt have the equipment they needed, so we had to scramble to find some. They guys were really cool and very nice. So, I would say overall Scratch Tracks performance went very well. :o)
Heather Henkel, V-CAB Member, Valley City State University - Valley City, ND

Performance Date: April 7 opening for O.A.R.
Hi, we had close to 2500 people at the concert (sold-out). Scratch Track was well received and the concert overall received rave reviews!
Lee Kramer, Concerts Director, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Performance Date: February 8, 2006
Scratch Track gave a great performance! They were easy to work with and the students enjoyed the music!
Jason Baldwin, Director of Student Activities, Avila University in Kansas City, MO

Performance Date: November 10, 2005
Scratch Track was great! The students really enjoyed their performance. I'm glad they could get to campus. The response I got was that the openers they brought, weren't quite as well-received, but on the other hand, I don't think it took away from the evening. It was just that their style was a lot different from Scratch Track's.
Katie Gieser, Asst. DSA, Wheaton College, IL

Performance Date: November 18, 2005
Scratch Track was awesome! Students really enjoyed them and were are looking into having them again in the spring.
Bob Bergmann, Coordinator of Campus Activities, Muskingum College, OH

Performance Date: November 19, 2005
THEY were phenomenal. WE, on the other hand were disappointed at the turn out. According to my student staff, it was simply bad, even lousy timing. We would love to have them back next spring. Let's stay in touch. Happy Thanksgiving,
RaeShowen, DSA, Malone College, Canton, OH

Scratch Track were fantastic. Their performance was very well received, and they were a pleasure to work with. We had an influx of students from the conference that we had anticipated, so all was great.
Chris Wylie, Assistant Director Campus Activities, Lawrence University, WI

Performance Date: November 15, 2005
Last year, we had Scratch Track in he Fall and in the Spring. Our student's LOVED "EM.... biggest turnout of the year for their show last week! Awesome performers with great talent and stage presence...as usual! Oh, I guess we'll be calling soon for our Spring show.
Dave Donati, Music Chair, Saint Joseph's University

Performance Date: October 20, 2005
We absolutely LOVED Scratch Track. They were even better than what we had expected after seeing them at NACA last spring. The event ran very smoothly overall, though we had hoped for a bit of a larger crowd. As performers, I thought that they really related to and played off the audience well and kept us entertianed and wanting more. I, personally, couldn't get their songs out of my head for the rest of the night. The audience really loved/enjoyed them and started getting really into the show toward the end. (We even had some guys break-dancing in the back of the room!) Aside from the performance, all three of the guys were wonderful to hang out with. They all were so fun and easy to get along with; their personalities were just as magnificent as their performance! I'd give the whole experience an A+!
Jenny Burns, Music Director, Campus Activities Board, University of Iowa

Performance Date: November 5, 2005
All went well. They did a great job. I appreciate that they were such a flexible bunch, especially on a campus this size. We had good attendance (at most 240 people). The campus activities board wanted to try a Saturday night concert just to see if it would fly.
Mary Beth Frechette, DSA, University of Wisconsin at Marinette

Performance Date: November 11, 2005
Scratch Track did an awesome performance. Their show was really entertaining and the audience really enjoyed the show. Overall it was a good show and we were really very happy to have them on campus.
Amy Saito, Music Chair, Hiram College, Ohio

Performance Date: October 11, 2005
The performance was amazing, i had so many people come up to me and were like great job on brining them here they are amazing. Two different fraternities came up to me and were like how do we get in contact with them, we want to bring them in for our Fall Rush. Tell the guys thank you so much. I We deffinately will have to look at having them back here again.
Joey Miller, UPC Music Events Coordinator, University of North Dakota

Performance Date: October 13, 2005
Scratch Track was sooo amazing... they really had a great performance. Talking to them before the show was fun too. We really enjoyed having them on campus!!
Eugenia Janssen, Cultural Programmer, Hastings College in Hastings, NE,

Performance Date: October 14, 2005
Scratch Track was great. we had about 70 people which we were happy with, Including a couple families. It was Family Weekend. Many good comments from the students also.
Sheri Hineman, Director of Student Activities, Morningside College, IA

Performance Date: October 10, 2005
Scratch Track was amazing...a pleasure to work with and everyone has only said great things. Thanks!
Kate Anderson, University Program Council, University of North Dakota

Scratch Track was really great...they got the audience involved. Everyone who went, even those who didn't necessarily like that genera of music, enjoyed them.
Linda Rains, UPC Advisor, UND in Grand Forks, ND

Performance Date: September 23, 2005
Scratch Track was amazing. They had a great style and really good sound. We had a good turn out as I was hoping and these guys put on a great show. I would recommend them to anyone who is interested.
David McGraw, SAC President, Doane College - Crete, NE

Performance Date: September 15, 2005
I just wanted to say we had a good time having Scratch Track come to campus, I know they made a few new fans. I hope they enjoyed their stay.
JJ Miller, Alternative Sounds Coord., University of Wisconsin -Stevens Point

Performance Date: September 8, 2005
We all felt the day went very well. As it was our first major event of the year, stress levels were high. As far as Scratch Track, they were so easy to work with and the entire time they played, one could hear claps and hoots from the audience. It seemed to everyone that the more hip hop they played, especially the songs people knew, the more likely people were dancing and moving.
Nina Borokhim, Madison Area Technical College - Madison, WI

There was plenty of feedback during the show, Scratch Track's performance so extraordinary. These guys were awesome and put on a great show. We had 230 people at the show, and most everyone I talked to thought that it was awesome. Plus, they were fun to hang out with after the show as they took the time to talk with the students who had questions and just wanted to say hi to them..
Dan and Jenna, Sac Spotlight Co Chair, Luther Colllege in Decorah, IA

Performance Date: September 15, 2005
WE LOVED Scratch Track!!! They were great to meet, to work with, and played a great show! We had a great turnout, and from what I heard, everyone else liked them as well! I'm looking forward to seeing them perform again in the future!
Kristin Wroblewski, ACT Vice-President, University of Wisconsin - Waukesha

Performance Date: September 17, 2005
The performance was simply great. everyone we talked to really enjoyed the concert, and we really loved talking to the guys after the concert. The audience was very responsive to them, and had a great time with Scratch Track. People were also very impressed with DJ and his multi talented nature. Overall, we would rate this as an awesome performance, in my opinion. The band was very laid-back and easy to work with, and just a great bunch of guys. I would like to personally thank them for their amenability and friendliness.
Tristan Cook, PAAC Music Chair, Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA

Performance Date: September 23, 2005
Scratch track was awesome. We had low turnout due to conflicts with other events that were scheduled after we scheduled scratch track, but it doesn't matter. Because they rocked. Also, they are great guys and easy to work with. You have a real class act with them.
Buck Breazeale, Director of Student Activities, Doane College, NE

Performance Date: September 8, 2005
Scratch Track was AMAZING! Everyone in attendance was really into their sound and definitely hung around just for their performance. The guys were great and very willing to accomodate our needs. Hopefully we'll be able to see them in the future!
Kristy Radspinner, Vice President: Parkside Activities Board, University of Wisconsin Parkside

Performance Date: September 24, 2005
I’ve forwarded your email to a couple of the students in charge of the event, so you can get their viewpoint. Plus, they were at the concert the whole time. I ended up going in my office and working on cleaning off my desk. :) I did want to let you know that the students that went to NACA last spring were very disappointed that one of the members of Scratchtrack wasn’t performing with the group this weekend. They felt that it meant some of the songs they were hoping to hear didn’t get performed. They wished that they had known ahead of time so they weren’t surprised by the line up on Saturday. I explained that a contract for a group doesn’t specify which members of the group perform and sometimes bands make changes in what they play and/or who is actually playing with them, but I know they were still disappointed. Overall, we were pleased with the concert, but I wanted to provide that feedback. Spence or Cody will get back to you with more concrete information about the show itself.
Shelly Morris Mumma, Director of Story Student Center and The Center for Student Involvement, Nebraska Wesleyan University

Performance Date: September 24, 2005
Scratch Track did awesome! Their performance was just as good, if not better than they were at NACA. We hung out with them afterward--what great guys! We only wish that more students would have shown up to see their show, but we did what we could we publicity! It's their loss though, they really missed out!
Megan Strain, Vice President,Union Programs, Nebraska Wesleyan University

Performance Date: September 21, 2005
The performance was great and Scratch Track was incredibly easy to work with. The audience really seemed to enjoy the show. Thanks.
Brooke Wegner, Director of Student Life, Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI

Performance Date: September 29, 2005
Scratch Track was amazing, as SAC knew it would be! However, we did not have the turn out we wanted! A very talented show by a group of very talented guys.
Nicole Strenglis, Student Activities Committee Coordinator, St. Olaf College, MN

The Scratch Track show at UNO yesterday afternoon was fantastic! The students were really digging their sound. I can't tell you how many people came up to me afterwards to say how impressed they were with Scratch Track. Not only is that good for the group, but it makes our organization look good, too! I really enjoyed spending time with Jason, DJ, and Zeph. It was like I was hanging out with old friends. They seemed grateful for the opportunity to perform at UNO and could not have been more warm and friendly. They were professional, approachable, and charming. Not only did they make my job easier, but I feel like I came away from it all with three new friends.
Megan Nanfito, Student Programming, Rising Star Chair, University of Nebraska at Omaha, NE

Scratch Track's performance went great, everything went well, they were easy to work with and I got great response from the audience. Everyone really had a great them and students just keeps telling me how great the show was.
Megan Moldenhauer, SAC Mainstream Chair, Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA

Performance Date: August 26, 2005
Scratch Track went awesome. We had a lot of students that thought they were awesome and even had faculty there that loved them. However, we did have some technical problems. We do not know everything yet about our new student center yet. The guys (Scratch Track) went on and had a wonderful performance. They did not let those things stop them from having a great time. It went great, I had fun and so did everyone else.
Stefanie Piram, SAC Coordinator, Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN

I wanted to let you know that the show was amazing. DJ, Jason and Zeth were great. They were here promptly when they said they would, put on a great time, had some very funny stories, and took all the time the students needed to get to know them, shake some hands and get some autographs.
Nelis du Plessis, Coordinator of Campus Activities, Concordia University Wisconsin

Just wanted to let you know that we had a great experience working with Scratch Track yesterday...They were timely, professional, and fun to work with. The show was well-received and we would love to have them come back soon! Please pass the word on to the guys and their manager. Thanks again, House!
Shawn P. Sullivan, Student Life Director, Northcentral Technical College, WI

Scratch Track's August 25th performance was excellent! They were a wonderful kick off event for our academic year. The audience was very responsive during there performance. We estimate that just over 300 students attended the event. Please thank the band for the wonderful performance!!
Jason Wiedenhoeft, Student Activities Specialist - Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, WI

It took three songs for Scratch Track to work our fairly conservative audience into a frenzy. People are still talking about Jason's guitar solos.
Rob Erickson, Bethel College

The performance of Scratch Track was great. The vocals were great and the beat box stuff was excellent. I also really liked the guitar playing that was done with the drum like motions. The event was very successful and the guys were extremely easy to work with. I hope we will get to bring them again in the future.
Kory, Assistant Director, Osprey Productions – University of North Florida

Everyone went absolutely crazy for Scratch Track. Thanks a million for bringing them in!! I can't say enough--they had ridiculous energy, amazing crowd connection and crazy talent. They were swarmed with new fans after their set :) We’d love to jump on booking them for next fall!
Kristen Deaton – Case Western Reserve

Scratch Track’s show was great! The boys did really well, and the crowd participation was awesome! There were about 60 people in the audience, which basically filled the coffee house. The boys seemed at ease both during the show, with a smooth performance that got the audience pumped and into the music. I thought the whole event was a big success, and I would love to invite them back sometime.
Liz Skau, Concert Chair, Western Michigan University

We loved the Scratch Track! They were absolutely fantastic, which is all I've heard from anyone here. They have been the best band to work with as well. We have never hosted a more gracious group of musicians.
Charissa Baker, Covenant College

Scratch Track was awesome last night! The guys were all very easy to work with and they kept in good contact during the day as to when they would be arriving. They arrived right on time which is always a plus. Everyone was amazed at their performance and how different their style was, mixing the acoustic guitar and rap. I know it is something other groups have tried to do but have never been as successful at it as I saw Scratch Track was last night. The whole night was very much worth it and I would have them back any time.
Bryan Nye, Den Events Chair - York College of PA

Scratch Track’s performance was fantastic! The response was terrific from the audience, and we’d definitely like to bring them back next semester.
Amy Karaban, Univ. of Michigan at Dearborn

My experience with Scratch Track was very positive. They are a very cooperative and talented group of artists and I certainly enjoyed having them on our campus. I appreciated their flexibility in doing a "nooner," as we are still trying to work out all of the details with that on our end. The crowd loved Scratch Track, not only was our student lounge filled to capacity, we had students standing outside trying to listen through the doors! Thank you for your cooperation in making this another successful event!
Alexandra Sobieski, Indiana University – South Bend

I would say that the Scratch Track show went very, very well. The guys were so kind and nice. I believe it is unusual to find excellent talent that is also very approachable and real. Our students enjoyed mixing with the band very much. Thank you for your good efforts. Please know we would be happy to help recommend Scratch Track any time.
Steve Austin, Director of Student Programs - Taylor University - Upland Campus

Scratch Track had a really good show. Students actually left to get there friends and make them come to the show. I don’t really see that too often. A pleasant surprise!
Tamara Plummer - Coordinator of Student Activities - Siena Heights University

Scratch Track was GREAT! The students loved them, they were charismatic and extremely talented. Everyone was bopping their heads and out of their seats. Thanks again for the recommendation!
Cathy Miller, Coordinator of Student Activities - Regis College

Scratch Track’s show was great! The boys did really well, and the crowd participation was awesome! There were about 60 people in the audience, which basically filled the coffee house. The boys seemed at ease during the show, with a smooth performance that got the audience pumped and into the music. I thought the whole event was a big success, and I would love to invite them back sometime.
Liz Skau, Concert Chair, Western Michigan University

- students nationwide

Jul 27, 2005 / vol 11 iss 51
Xpress' pick: Scratch Track
by Alli Marshall

"It's festivals and things like this that really start the movement," insists Will Gray, just moments before stepping into the studio.

By "movement," the vocalist for indie trio Scratch Track isn't referring to turntables – the group, despite their name, doesn't use 'em.

"Acoustic hip-hop soul" is the best way to describe Scratch Track, the band's press sheet informs us – but Gray seems less interested in defining the group's sound than building on it.

"We're three guys from different areas of the country who met in college," he relays during a phone interview. "We started playing music, just hanging out in the dorms – one guy on guitar [Jason Hamlin], one guy beatboxing [DJ Lee] and one guy on lyrics [Gray].

"When we started writing our own music, we kept that same style. And people responded to it."

Their most recent, independently released disc, Unreleased Sessions (2004), flies out of the gate with the funky, danceable "Come One, Come All," followed immediately by the Lenny Kravitz-flavored "1972" – a portrait of a time from most of a decade before any of the band's members were even born. Each song boasts a big sound, with tight harmonies, powerful vocals, scratchy strings and driving rhythms – a major accomplishment considering they're doing it all with one acoustic guitar and their own voices.

Beyond being acoustic (something DJ Lee shrugged off in a press release, quipping, "I think secretly we're a rock band that's too cheap to buy amps and drums"), Scratch Track is further set apart from other hip-hop acts by their contemplative lyrics. Reminiscent of the positive, empowering voice of late-'80s artists like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, Scratch Track offers raw, real insights into the issues of the day. "Two many wiggas tryin' to be like Jigga/ So come on man how you figga gon' try to pull a trigga cause/ You ain't hard, & I ain't hard,/ And even Pac & B.I.G. had to answer to God," they chant in "I Wanna Know," a song that neatly undermines the pro-violence stance of much commercial hip-hop.

"We've made a choice about who we are as human beings. We are hopeful," Gray states. "With all the things going on, we become a musical newscast. It's very true to life."

He continues: "We're not trying to push anything or be propaganda, but there is a social responsibility to effect change in the world. If we want people and outlooks to change, we have to do it on our own."

But Scratch Track doesn't believe they're really in it alone. There is, after all, that movement Gray mentioned. "In the mid-'90s, there was a surge of great music, from Nirvana to the Fugees," he recalls. In the song "Wake Up," Scratch Track attempts to rouse their predecessors: "So where da Fugees at?/ And why dat Album Black?/ And why the Tribe on a quest?/ When they comin' back!?"

But even if the Tribe doesn't come back, Scratch Track has conscious music fans covered. "I think you'll see another surge, and I hope we can be in the middle of it," says Gray.


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Scratch Track plays the eGlobal stage from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Friday, July 29
- Mountain Xpress

“Scratch Track exists at an intersection of styles, a crossroads if you will, that represents the multigenre polyglot that surely is music’s future. The trio’s acoustic blues-funk-hip-hop blend combines a hip-shuddering jam band-style blues funk, a soulful rock feel that recalls Lenny Kravitz or even at times Chocolate Genius, and a lyrical bent reminiscent of the early ‘90s Native Tongues posse. Did I mention it all acoustic, from Jason Hamlin’s guitar to DJ Lee’s old-school beatboxing?”

Chris Parker
Creative Loafing
March 10, 2005

“I’ll admit it takes a hell of a lot for a live act to impress me. The musical curmudgeon in me almost always refuses to be won over by an unheard act. So imagine my surprise when I had to pick myself off the floor of Manhattan’s legendary venue, The Bitter End, this past December when I caught a set from Scratch Track. You’ve heard it here first – Scratch Track is THE band to watch in 2005. If this band is not signed to a major label in the next few months, then I will have lost all faith in the industry.”

“Mixing equal parts Hip/Hop, folk, rock and soul: Scratch Track is a most welcome blast of inspiration in a static musical climate. Defying categories at every turn…”

“Guitarist Jason Hamlin deserves credit for bringing such a wealth of influences, ranging from Led Zeppelin to Radiohead to Tuck Andress to the band’s sound.”

Marco Passarelli
MusicTAP
March 2, 2005

“DJ Lee, one third of the group, claims the band’s unique sound happened by default while its members were in college. ‘We weren’t like, “Hey! Let’s do something cool and different,’ he says. ‘It just came out.”

Guitarist Jason Hamlin’s heavy plucking is the backbone of the group, providing rhythm and melodies in the absence of any other instruments in the band.

What else would you expect from a group whose influences range from Weezer to Jay-Z, and Led Zeppelin to Miles Davis?

Their official website cites the band’s mission as “redefining the possibilities of contemporary music.

Lee claims this is a common topic of conversation among the group’s members. He declares, “Contemporary music seems to have gotten stagnant and is really formula-driven. We like that what we do is very different, but accessible.”

This musician feels that the majority of modern music is indistinguishable from the same old rock and hip-hop.

“A lot of it isn’t very good,” he says. “It’s stuff that’s been visited by everyone else – another band that sounds like Creed, another Collective Soul, another Dave Matthews. We’re trying to be unique and do what we do.”

Some have compared the group’s ingenuity and willingness to defy the standards of music to Outkast or the Neptunes. Throw in a guitar and more beat boxing and you might come close.

Ontap
September 2004

Whether you’re into Nelly, Ani, Zeppelin, ZZ Top or the Winans, Scratch Track will get your head moving and maybe (gasp) your hips shaking. Scratch Track is an acoustic trio that blends funk, folk, hip hop, rock, and gospel to create a refreshing and terribly unique sound. Be warned – this isn’t your average radio hit group. They’re not wannabe’s. And despite all their differences from current mainstream music, they are incredibly accessible… take this girl’s word for it.

… Three guys and a guitar it is. Peter, Paul & Mary it isn’t. Explosive percussive vocals, meet rapid-fire lyrics, languid harmonies and driving guitars. DJ Lee says “like the blues, our music is a combination of rural and urban influences, of the street and the church, the north and the south. It’s not a black thing, it’s not a white thing, it’s not an urban thing, it not a –y’know… it’s just a thing.”

Scratch Track has played coast-to-coast, and even off-coast. Uprooted from their home down south in Tennessee, the band recorded their full-length debut album on Martha’s Vineyard. They’ve won the infamous Eddie’s Attic Open Mic Acoustic Shootout in Atlanta. They’ve frequented CBGB’s 313 Gallery in NYC, as well as the Mercury Lounge. Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Harrisburg, Nashville, DC, and of course, where yours truly saw them – LA.

It’s impossible not to get involved in a Scratch Track show. Their beatboxing, driving rhythm guitar and presence really demand audience feedback. It’s certainly an experience, rather than the average concert where you are a mere onlooker.

Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for Scratch Track – street-wise and socially aware, set to music. They are among the vanguard of new groups who are redefining the possibilities of contemporary music.

Allison Joy
Blur Magazine
November 2004




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