Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition

"...And this is just one more reason why I love Chris Aytes and the Good Ambition: their love and appreciation for music that matters. And until I have time to write the definitive dissertation on why I believe Chris Aytes and the Good Ambition are one of the most important bands on the Topeka music scene (or any scene, for that matter), this portion of text which was inadvertently deleted from a 5Q piece I wrote on the band a few years ago, will have to suffice :

“With the melodic bass playing and background vocals of the frequently barefoot Josh Hartranft, as well as the rock solid drumming of Chris’ lovely wife, Renelle, backing his Edgy guitars and Bono-esque shouts of joy, Chris Aytes’ heart literally flies off his sleeve when he sings his optimistic anthems of hope and encouragement for the entire world to hear.”

And I wrote this after witnessing a rehearsal in the basement of the Aytes’ home." - seveneightfive.com

"...And this is just one more reason why I love Chris Aytes and the Good Ambition: their love and appreciation for music that matters. And until I have time to write the definitive dissertation on why I believe Chris Aytes and the Good Ambition are one of the most important bands on the Topeka music scene (or any scene, for that matter), this portion of text which was inadvertently deleted from a 5Q piece I wrote on the band a few years ago, will have to suffice :

“With the melodic bass playing and background vocals of the frequently barefoot Josh Hartranft, as well as the rock solid drumming of Chris’ lovely wife, Renelle, backing his Edgy guitars and Bono-esque shouts of joy, Chris Aytes’ heart literally flies off his sleeve when he sings his optimistic anthems of hope and encouragement for the entire world to hear.”

And I wrote this after witnessing a rehearsal in the basement of the Aytes’ home." - seveneightfive.com

Chris Aytes & the Good Ambition brought rock music to downtown Topeka on Wednesday as the Noontime Brownbag Concerts series made its season debut.

The Topeka-based rockers — composed of frontman Aytes, bass player Josh Hart and drummer Renelle Aytes — performed in an alcove area on the west side of the 600 block of S. Kansas Avenue.

Several dozen people gathered to watch as the band played a variety of hard-driving rock songs. Many more people enjoyed the music as they walked along the avenue during their lunch hour.

“I’m enjoying it,” said Arch Ecker, of Topeka, who had a front-row seat on a bench directly in front of where the musicians were playing. “They have a nice mix of original and cover songs.

“They’ve got good energy. They’re fun.”

Ecker said he is helping book talent for the Noontime Brownbag Concerts series and hoped attendance will grow as the musical programs continue.

Among future Noontime Brownbag Concerts acts will be: May 29 — Ric Barron’s Acoustic Synergy; June 5 — That Damn Blues Band; and June 12 — Kirk Drager. More concerts in the series will be released shortly.

The Noontime Brownbag Concerts series will move to a different location each week between the 600 and 900 blocks of S. Kansas Avenue. The only Wednesday a noontime concert won’t be held is July 3.

Additionally, open air concerts will be featured every Friday night through August.

Stacie Torrez, of Visit Topeka, said the concerts are a way to attract people to the downtown area.

Once the word gets out, she said she expected the concert attendance to “build and build and build.”

For more information, visit www.downtopekainc.com. - Topeka Capitol Journal

Chris Aytes & the Good Ambition brought rock music to downtown Topeka on Wednesday as the Noontime Brownbag Concerts series made its season debut.

The Topeka-based rockers — composed of frontman Aytes, bass player Josh Hart and drummer Renelle Aytes — performed in an alcove area on the west side of the 600 block of S. Kansas Avenue.

Several dozen people gathered to watch as the band played a variety of hard-driving rock songs. Many more people enjoyed the music as they walked along the avenue during their lunch hour.

“I’m enjoying it,” said Arch Ecker, of Topeka, who had a front-row seat on a bench directly in front of where the musicians were playing. “They have a nice mix of original and cover songs.

“They’ve got good energy. They’re fun.”

Ecker said he is helping book talent for the Noontime Brownbag Concerts series and hoped attendance will grow as the musical programs continue.

Among future Noontime Brownbag Concerts acts will be: May 29 — Ric Barron’s Acoustic Synergy; June 5 — That Damn Blues Band; and June 12 — Kirk Drager. More concerts in the series will be released shortly.

The Noontime Brownbag Concerts series will move to a different location each week between the 600 and 900 blocks of S. Kansas Avenue. The only Wednesday a noontime concert won’t be held is July 3.

Additionally, open air concerts will be featured every Friday night through August.

Stacie Torrez, of Visit Topeka, said the concerts are a way to attract people to the downtown area.

Once the word gets out, she said she expected the concert attendance to “build and build and build.”

For more information, visit www.downtopekainc.com. - Topeka Capitol Journal

After releasing its first full-length album this past spring, Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition, a vintage-themed rock ’n’ roll band, has been playing shows across the Midwest.

Now, the band — which consists of Chris Aytes (lead vocals and guitar), his wife Renelle Aytes (drums) and good friend Josh Hartranft (bass) — is set to release its new EP, “Rockin’ & Rollin’ ”, on Saturday.

“A lot of songs (on the EP) we recorded at the same time as the album, and a couple of them were recorded in a different session,” Aytes said. “They are these old, vintage-sounding 1950s, early ’60s-sounding rock ’n’ roll tunes that we’ve written as deliberate tributes to a lot of our heroes.”

The EP encompasses styles taken from such artists as Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and the Beatles. The band also is releasing a cover of “Rave On” originally released by Buddy Holly.

“The EP is a celebration of the roots of rock ’n’ roll — songs written so we could almost study those styles,” Aytes said. “I wanted to challenge myself to write a song like Chuck Berry.”

To celebrate the release of the EP, which features the band and three members of the Capital City Crushers roller derby team on the cover, the trio will play during halftime of the Crushers game Saturday at Sk8away, 815 S.W. Fairlawn. Afterward, the band will move to Tailgators, 2025 S.W. Urish Road, for a Crushers after-party/CD release show featuring another performance of their EP.

“It’s going to be this really cool celebration of “Rockin’ & Rollin’ ”, Aytes said. “Something about the vintage, old-school vibe of this collection of songs just went real well with the idea of roller skates and roller derby. So it’s all working out really well in this nice, little package.”

A free pass to the after-party can be obtained by attending the roller derby game, which starts at 6:30 p.m. The after-party will start immediately after the game between 9:30 and 10 p.m.

The band’s EP is available for purchase online at www.thegoodambition.com. - Topeka Capitol Journal

After releasing its first full-length album this past spring, Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition, a vintage-themed rock ’n’ roll band, has been playing shows across the Midwest.

Now, the band — which consists of Chris Aytes (lead vocals and guitar), his wife Renelle Aytes (drums) and good friend Josh Hartranft (bass) — is set to release its new EP, “Rockin’ & Rollin’ ”, on Saturday.

“A lot of songs (on the EP) we recorded at the same time as the album, and a couple of them were recorded in a different session,” Aytes said. “They are these old, vintage-sounding 1950s, early ’60s-sounding rock ’n’ roll tunes that we’ve written as deliberate tributes to a lot of our heroes.”

The EP encompasses styles taken from such artists as Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and the Beatles. The band also is releasing a cover of “Rave On” originally released by Buddy Holly.

“The EP is a celebration of the roots of rock ’n’ roll — songs written so we could almost study those styles,” Aytes said. “I wanted to challenge myself to write a song like Chuck Berry.”

To celebrate the release of the EP, which features the band and three members of the Capital City Crushers roller derby team on the cover, the trio will play during halftime of the Crushers game Saturday at Sk8away, 815 S.W. Fairlawn. Afterward, the band will move to Tailgators, 2025 S.W. Urish Road, for a Crushers after-party/CD release show featuring another performance of their EP.

“It’s going to be this really cool celebration of “Rockin’ & Rollin’ ”, Aytes said. “Something about the vintage, old-school vibe of this collection of songs just went real well with the idea of roller skates and roller derby. So it’s all working out really well in this nice, little package.”

A free pass to the after-party can be obtained by attending the roller derby game, which starts at 6:30 p.m. The after-party will start immediately after the game between 9:30 and 10 p.m.

The band’s EP is available for purchase online at www.thegoodambition.com. - Topeka Capitol Journal

Chris Aytes, lead singer of the band Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition, aims to have fun with the goal of getting people out to dance to rock ’n’ roll.

In addition to Aytes, who also plays guitar, the trio includes his wife Renelle Aytes on drums and their good friend Josh Hartranft on bass.

As a songwriter, Aytes has perfected his craft while experimenting for years, and has compiled various demos of himself trying every style with a harmonica and acoustic guitar. Aytes eventually figured out what felt genuine.

The Aytes have been married for 10-plus years and have slowly evolved together musically. The original Chris Aytes band started in Springfield, Mo., five years ago, lasting only a few shows before the bass player called it quits. The couple then moved to Topeka, where Chris Aytes met Hartranft three years ago while working at PT’s Coffee House. Hartranft also is originally from Springfield.

“It’s rock ’n’ roll with a little bit of uplift, with a smile on our face, so you can dance to it,” Chris Aytes said.

The band released a new album in March titled “Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition Just Want To Rock ’N’ Roll,” which is made up of 11 tracks. The band generates mostly original music but also is known to do a few cover songs from such artists as The Who, Nick Lo and Elvis Costello.

“I always tell people who don’t know our music, if you can imagine Elvis Costello leading the early Who in a Bruce Springsteen tribute act that was in the style of the Ramones, that’s about what we sound like,” Chris Aytes said.

The album was recorded in less than two days, as though they were playing a live set. They recorded all the instruments one time, the same process used in the early 1960s .

“We wanted to make a ’60s rock ’n’ roll, garage rock record, and I think we did. We’re pretty stoked about it,” Chris Aytes said.

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition’s first album was titled “The Movement,” but it was made before Hartranft joined the trio, so the band considers its latest effort — which features everyone in the current lineup — to be its debut album. The record is available at the band’s live shows and online at www.thegoodambition.com.

The band will participate in the Rock 4 Charity Battle of the Bands fundraiser tonight at Tailgators, 2025 S.W. Urish Road. The lineup features Monk’s Wine (8:30 p.m.), Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition (9:40), Invisible Bike (10:50) and Dead Sevens (midnight). The fundraiser continues Saturday night with a different lineup.

“That Friday night show, just the four of the bands, it’s going to be incredible. It’s an awesome lineup,” Chris Aytes said. “We have played shows with all of those bands and we love all those bands. It’s going to be pretty great.”

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition also can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thegoodambition. - Topeka Capitol Journal

Chris Aytes, lead singer of the band Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition, aims to have fun with the goal of getting people out to dance to rock ’n’ roll.

In addition to Aytes, who also plays guitar, the trio includes his wife Renelle Aytes on drums and their good friend Josh Hartranft on bass.

As a songwriter, Aytes has perfected his craft while experimenting for years, and has compiled various demos of himself trying every style with a harmonica and acoustic guitar. Aytes eventually figured out what felt genuine.

The Aytes have been married for 10-plus years and have slowly evolved together musically. The original Chris Aytes band started in Springfield, Mo., five years ago, lasting only a few shows before the bass player called it quits. The couple then moved to Topeka, where Chris Aytes met Hartranft three years ago while working at PT’s Coffee House. Hartranft also is originally from Springfield.

“It’s rock ’n’ roll with a little bit of uplift, with a smile on our face, so you can dance to it,” Chris Aytes said.

The band released a new album in March titled “Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition Just Want To Rock ’N’ Roll,” which is made up of 11 tracks. The band generates mostly original music but also is known to do a few cover songs from such artists as The Who, Nick Lo and Elvis Costello.

“I always tell people who don’t know our music, if you can imagine Elvis Costello leading the early Who in a Bruce Springsteen tribute act that was in the style of the Ramones, that’s about what we sound like,” Chris Aytes said.

The album was recorded in less than two days, as though they were playing a live set. They recorded all the instruments one time, the same process used in the early 1960s .

“We wanted to make a ’60s rock ’n’ roll, garage rock record, and I think we did. We’re pretty stoked about it,” Chris Aytes said.

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition’s first album was titled “The Movement,” but it was made before Hartranft joined the trio, so the band considers its latest effort — which features everyone in the current lineup — to be its debut album. The record is available at the band’s live shows and online at www.thegoodambition.com.

The band will participate in the Rock 4 Charity Battle of the Bands fundraiser tonight at Tailgators, 2025 S.W. Urish Road. The lineup features Monk’s Wine (8:30 p.m.), Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition (9:40), Invisible Bike (10:50) and Dead Sevens (midnight). The fundraiser continues Saturday night with a different lineup.

“That Friday night show, just the four of the bands, it’s going to be incredible. It’s an awesome lineup,” Chris Aytes said. “We have played shows with all of those bands and we love all those bands. It’s going to be pretty great.”

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition also can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thegoodambition. - Topeka Capitol Journal

Implementing the time-honored, stripped down, guitar-bass-drums format made popular by such greats as Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Cream, the Police and the John Mayer Trio, Chris Aytes and the Good Ambition play passionate no-frills Rock and Roll music from the heart.

Josh Hartranft [bass/vocals] • Renelle Aytes [drums] • Chris Aytes [guitar/vocals]

1Q: What genre of music do you consider your music to be?
Chris: Rock and Roll! I love the history of rock and roll and we play stuff that sounds just like Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Tommy James and the Shondells, the Who, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, it all mixes in for us. So we are Rock and Roll.

2Q: Where is your hometown?
Chris: We all live in Topeka now, but Renelle and I are originally from Great Bend, Kansas. Before that I lived in Concordia, and before that she lived . . .
Renelle: . . . in Oberlin, Kansas, way out northwest.
Josh: I came here from Springfield, Missouri. My quote, unquote hometown, is Poplar Bluffs, Missouri, but we moved there from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when I was 11.
Chris: But we’re now in Topeka. I’m really starting to enjoy it and finding it a good place to start a band. Not a whole lot of people making music similar to what we’re making, so we can stick it out and not be just another fish in the pond. And it’s not too big of a music scene so there’s no pressure. We can have some time to kind of germinate. It’s a good incubating town so far, it has been good to us.

3Q: What influences you most: Literature or Music?
Chris: Music.
Renelle: Music.
Josh: Music has this way of taking over your entire soul . . . just takes you off somewhere. You have to actually sit down and put yourself into something, get into reading something in order for what you’re reading to take you somewhere . . . with music as soon as it’s on you’re in a world of greatness.
Chris: I do read, but it’s usually a biography of John Lennon or somebody like that . . . most of my reading has to do with music, which inspires me in the first place. Most of the films I watch have to do with music.

4Q: What is your favorite movie?
Josh: “The Jungle Book”
Chris: I’m a huge fan of “That Thing You Do.” It’s great, it really kind of captures a time period of music and what the industry was like at the time, what it was like to have a band with a hit record. I adore the film “Stranger Than Fiction” . . . “High Fidelity” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” We watched this old film from like the 30s, a young Jimmy Stewart was in it . . . “You Can’t Take It With You.” After we got through watching this movie with some friends, I said, if anyone asks me what my favorite film is, this is my favorite film, and Renelle just reminded me of that.
Renelle: When I think of favorite movies, I think of the “Bourne Trilogy,” but then I think about movies that really tie a lot of meaning to them, and that speak to my life; I can think of tons of others.

5Q: What’s the ultimate direction for your band?
Renelle: Making a living off of our music. People always say, find something you love, and get paid to do it. Well, we love doing this, and so we want to be able to support our families doing this, and hopefully other people’s families that will be on board with us.
Josh: It will be very nice to not be living on a minimum wage all my life, but still be playing music. I decided with myself a few years ago, especially after high school, even if I have a crappy run-down car and I just live in a one room apartment by myself, if I continue to play music and that’s what I do regularly, my life would be fulfilled. - SevenEightFive Magazine

Implementing the time-honored, stripped down, guitar-bass-drums format made popular by such greats as Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Cream, the Police and the John Mayer Trio, Chris Aytes and the Good Ambition play passionate no-frills Rock and Roll music from the heart.

Josh Hartranft [bass/vocals] • Renelle Aytes [drums] • Chris Aytes [guitar/vocals]

1Q: What genre of music do you consider your music to be?
Chris: Rock and Roll! I love the history of rock and roll and we play stuff that sounds just like Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Tommy James and the Shondells, the Who, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, it all mixes in for us. So we are Rock and Roll.

2Q: Where is your hometown?
Chris: We all live in Topeka now, but Renelle and I are originally from Great Bend, Kansas. Before that I lived in Concordia, and before that she lived . . .
Renelle: . . . in Oberlin, Kansas, way out northwest.
Josh: I came here from Springfield, Missouri. My quote, unquote hometown, is Poplar Bluffs, Missouri, but we moved there from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when I was 11.
Chris: But we’re now in Topeka. I’m really starting to enjoy it and finding it a good place to start a band. Not a whole lot of people making music similar to what we’re making, so we can stick it out and not be just another fish in the pond. And it’s not too big of a music scene so there’s no pressure. We can have some time to kind of germinate. It’s a good incubating town so far, it has been good to us.

3Q: What influences you most: Literature or Music?
Chris: Music.
Renelle: Music.
Josh: Music has this way of taking over your entire soul . . . just takes you off somewhere. You have to actually sit down and put yourself into something, get into reading something in order for what you’re reading to take you somewhere . . . with music as soon as it’s on you’re in a world of greatness.
Chris: I do read, but it’s usually a biography of John Lennon or somebody like that . . . most of my reading has to do with music, which inspires me in the first place. Most of the films I watch have to do with music.

4Q: What is your favorite movie?
Josh: “The Jungle Book”
Chris: I’m a huge fan of “That Thing You Do.” It’s great, it really kind of captures a time period of music and what the industry was like at the time, what it was like to have a band with a hit record. I adore the film “Stranger Than Fiction” . . . “High Fidelity” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” We watched this old film from like the 30s, a young Jimmy Stewart was in it . . . “You Can’t Take It With You.” After we got through watching this movie with some friends, I said, if anyone asks me what my favorite film is, this is my favorite film, and Renelle just reminded me of that.
Renelle: When I think of favorite movies, I think of the “Bourne Trilogy,” but then I think about movies that really tie a lot of meaning to them, and that speak to my life; I can think of tons of others.

5Q: What’s the ultimate direction for your band?
Renelle: Making a living off of our music. People always say, find something you love, and get paid to do it. Well, we love doing this, and so we want to be able to support our families doing this, and hopefully other people’s families that will be on board with us.
Josh: It will be very nice to not be living on a minimum wage all my life, but still be playing music. I decided with myself a few years ago, especially after high school, even if I have a crappy run-down car and I just live in a one room apartment by myself, if I continue to play music and that’s what I do regularly, my life would be fulfilled. - SevenEightFive Magazine

"Rock n' Roll with a little punk and new wave mixed in," said guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Chris Aytes of one of Topeka's fastest rising local rock bands, Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition when describing his sound.

The band was born via the influences like The Beatles, Elvis Costello, U2, The Ramones, The Cars and rock n' roll pioneers Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard.

"We're a mixture of things, but it's all rooted in older stuff," said Aytes.
It's a stylistic combo that seems to be catching the ear of many in and around the Topeka area, where Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition have been building a following since relocating in 2009.

Anyone who has caught this band live is fully aware of their upbeat and energetic performance and undeniable onstage chemistry, which could easily be accredited to the fact that the band's drummer also happens to be Aytes' wife, Renelle Aytes. High school romance led to wedding bells in college, where the two studied music together.

Always known as the "girl drummer," Aytes quickly found the means necessary to hang with the boys after being exposed to legendary drummers, such as Keith Moon (The Who) and Max Weinberg (Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band.) A healthy dose of encouragement and confidence from her husband and band leader didn't hurt either.
"Now she's one of the best rock n' roll drummers I know," said Aytes.

The story of Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition began in 2006 in Aytes' hometown of Great Bend, Kan. It wasn't long after that the couple uprooted themselves and began to lay the groundwork for what would become their 2010 self-released debut album, "The Movement." Work on the album began when the Aytes' were living in Indiana and gigging around with various different lineups. Soon, the head of St. Louis-based Twelve Bar Productions, took a personal interest in the band and offered to bring them into his studio and produce their recording himself.

This was just the first of many steps in a long journey that eventually led Aytes and Renelle to Topeka, where they hooked up with bassist Josh Hartranft, who became what Aytes considers "the piece of the puzzle that's been missing since we started Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition."
It was when Hartranft entered the fold that Aytes' vision for the band started to come to fruition.

"He's added a lot to the energy of the band," said Aytes. "For awhile, I always felt that we would be called Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition, regardless of who was in the band and that this was sort of my John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band concept. Now that he's in the band, I really feel like this is what Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition is supposed to be, and if he left, I would probably change the name. That's how vital he is to the process right now."

The motives behind what Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition are doing with their music are simple and personify the very essence of what rock n' roll has always been: to get up on stage and have a good time.

"Ultimately, we want to have fun with rock n' roll, which doesn't happen much anymore," said Aytes. "There are a lot of rock bands that are very serious and brooding and angry and full of angst and rage. We just want to get up there and do "Roll Over Beethoven" and have fun. We want to help you forget about your problems and worries and even find some encouragement. If you're going to pay attention to the lyrics, maybe you'll be encouraged or uplifted in some way. Otherwise, we're just a toe-tappin' good time."

For those who want to explore the band's message a little deeper, Aytes elaborated on it.

"Our songs are mostly just exhortations on encouragement, life and how to live it," said Aytes. "We want to give people hope and have them realize that, whatever their problem is, it's not the end of the world. We just try to be a positive thing. I want to write the kind of music that, if you're having a horrible day or a rough time in life, you can listen to us and we'll help encourage you through it, rather than music that helps you brood and allows you to be a party to misery. That's healthy and necessary sometimes, to listen to something that's down and helps you grovel for awhile. When you're ready for the uplift, we want to be the band that does that."

Those interested in experiencing Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition are encouraged to go see the band live at the winter installment of LOUDsoftLOUD, a showcasing of local bands and singer/songwriters that is set to take place on Friday, Feb. 17th in the basement of The Kansan Grill at 705 S Kansas Ave.

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition will be joined by Jeff Toda, Joey Desch, Aaron Lee Martin (Wic - Washburn Review

"Rock n' Roll with a little punk and new wave mixed in," said guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Chris Aytes of one of Topeka's fastest rising local rock bands, Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition when describing his sound.

The band was born via the influences like The Beatles, Elvis Costello, U2, The Ramones, The Cars and rock n' roll pioneers Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard.

"We're a mixture of things, but it's all rooted in older stuff," said Aytes.
It's a stylistic combo that seems to be catching the ear of many in and around the Topeka area, where Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition have been building a following since relocating in 2009.

Anyone who has caught this band live is fully aware of their upbeat and energetic performance and undeniable onstage chemistry, which could easily be accredited to the fact that the band's drummer also happens to be Aytes' wife, Renelle Aytes. High school romance led to wedding bells in college, where the two studied music together.

Always known as the "girl drummer," Aytes quickly found the means necessary to hang with the boys after being exposed to legendary drummers, such as Keith Moon (The Who) and Max Weinberg (Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band.) A healthy dose of encouragement and confidence from her husband and band leader didn't hurt either.
"Now she's one of the best rock n' roll drummers I know," said Aytes.

The story of Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition began in 2006 in Aytes' hometown of Great Bend, Kan. It wasn't long after that the couple uprooted themselves and began to lay the groundwork for what would become their 2010 self-released debut album, "The Movement." Work on the album began when the Aytes' were living in Indiana and gigging around with various different lineups. Soon, the head of St. Louis-based Twelve Bar Productions, took a personal interest in the band and offered to bring them into his studio and produce their recording himself.

This was just the first of many steps in a long journey that eventually led Aytes and Renelle to Topeka, where they hooked up with bassist Josh Hartranft, who became what Aytes considers "the piece of the puzzle that's been missing since we started Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition."
It was when Hartranft entered the fold that Aytes' vision for the band started to come to fruition.

"He's added a lot to the energy of the band," said Aytes. "For awhile, I always felt that we would be called Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition, regardless of who was in the band and that this was sort of my John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band concept. Now that he's in the band, I really feel like this is what Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition is supposed to be, and if he left, I would probably change the name. That's how vital he is to the process right now."

The motives behind what Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition are doing with their music are simple and personify the very essence of what rock n' roll has always been: to get up on stage and have a good time.

"Ultimately, we want to have fun with rock n' roll, which doesn't happen much anymore," said Aytes. "There are a lot of rock bands that are very serious and brooding and angry and full of angst and rage. We just want to get up there and do "Roll Over Beethoven" and have fun. We want to help you forget about your problems and worries and even find some encouragement. If you're going to pay attention to the lyrics, maybe you'll be encouraged or uplifted in some way. Otherwise, we're just a toe-tappin' good time."

For those who want to explore the band's message a little deeper, Aytes elaborated on it.

"Our songs are mostly just exhortations on encouragement, life and how to live it," said Aytes. "We want to give people hope and have them realize that, whatever their problem is, it's not the end of the world. We just try to be a positive thing. I want to write the kind of music that, if you're having a horrible day or a rough time in life, you can listen to us and we'll help encourage you through it, rather than music that helps you brood and allows you to be a party to misery. That's healthy and necessary sometimes, to listen to something that's down and helps you grovel for awhile. When you're ready for the uplift, we want to be the band that does that."

Those interested in experiencing Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition are encouraged to go see the band live at the winter installment of LOUDsoftLOUD, a showcasing of local bands and singer/songwriters that is set to take place on Friday, Feb. 17th in the basement of The Kansan Grill at 705 S Kansas Ave.

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition will be joined by Jeff Toda, Joey Desch, Aaron Lee Martin (Wic - Washburn Review

In the stylings of Elvis Costello, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eddie Cochran, these Topeka, Kansas boys bring it to us as if we were watching them play some school gymnasium in the 50s.

Now lets look at their track "Before Too Long", the vibe is turned up, giving the Buddy Holly era a face lift. Some serious rock n' roll occurring here, making these guys the band to watch in 2013.

Innovation is the root of every track, without a doubt, these guys gave major thought into every aspect of their songs. The lyrics also offer something that you don't hear much of anymore. A lot of classic rock artists currently have a need to write songs about being this rock n' roller getting @ss on the road, and drinking beers before a show, you get the point. These guys bring you back to the time when music was about how it makes you feel, these guys are giving you an emotional, poetic journey of their love for true rock n' roll.

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition give you some true rock with honest lyrics and a positive message, showing you don't need to sacrifice a message to "Tell Your Story Well".

This track "Tell Your Story Well" gives you a Meat Loaf meets Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. A nice mix styled punk track, a real mind blower though, to realize how versatile these guys actually are.

So check these guys already! -LD - Ru1ns Magazine NYC

In the stylings of Elvis Costello, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eddie Cochran, these Topeka, Kansas boys bring it to us as if we were watching them play some school gymnasium in the 50s.

Now lets look at their track "Before Too Long", the vibe is turned up, giving the Buddy Holly era a face lift. Some serious rock n' roll occurring here, making these guys the band to watch in 2013.

Innovation is the root of every track, without a doubt, these guys gave major thought into every aspect of their songs. The lyrics also offer something that you don't hear much of anymore. A lot of classic rock artists currently have a need to write songs about being this rock n' roller getting @ss on the road, and drinking beers before a show, you get the point. These guys bring you back to the time when music was about how it makes you feel, these guys are giving you an emotional, poetic journey of their love for true rock n' roll.

Chris Aytes & The Good Ambition give you some true rock with honest lyrics and a positive message, showing you don't need to sacrifice a message to "Tell Your Story Well".

This track "Tell Your Story Well" gives you a Meat Loaf meets Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. A nice mix styled punk track, a real mind blower though, to realize how versatile these guys actually are.

So check these guys already! -LD - Ru1ns Magazine NYC