Waking Ashland was formed in November 2003 by singer/keyboardist Jonathan Jones, guitarist Ryan Lallier and drummer Thomas Lee, all of which were at that time music majors at California State University, Northridge. Robert Teegarden — a friend of the band — temporarily helped out to fill the vacant position on the bass guitar. Their band name stems from the aspect of connecting people through music, paired with a reference to the town of Ashland, Oregon.[1] Influenced by as diverse acts as Joe Jackson, Coldplay, The Pixies and Hüsker Dü, Waking Ashland combines emotional piano melodies with sonic distortion guitars, creating a unique sound among their genre.

In early 2004, they self-recorded and released their debut EP I Am for You. Simultaneously, the line-up was completed by guitarist Nick Rucker and bassist Derek Vaughn, replacing Teegarden. However, the two soon left the band, and a permanent bassist was found in Andrew Grosse, frontman Jones’ former bandmate ... read more »