AutoVaughn

Though their original meeting took place on a college campus, the gentlemen that would make up AutoVaughn took their music endeavors seriously. This was never a bunch of kids jamming together in order to blow off steam on a Thursday night. From the beginning, this was a career. As it goes, drummer Andrew Grooms and singer/guitarist Darren Edwards were in one band, gigging on the Anderson University campus and lead guitarist Stephen Wilson was in another. This was – no joke! – a serious cross-campus rivalry wherein the two parties didn’t even talk. After Wilson’s band broke up, he went to Australia for a semester abroad, only to hear upon his return that his former rivals had left school and moved to Nashville. Band-less, Stephen decided to meet up with Darren and Andrew for a drink and shortly thereafter assumed the position of guitarist for the group. As luck would have it, Andrew was working at the Hard Rock Café alongside a terrific bassist named Ben Graham. Quickly adding him to the line-up, AutoVaughn was launched. And the name? Well they just liked the way it sounds. A self-described fledgling democracy, the band members bring a wide variety of influences to the musical table. With the ability to combine incredible vocals with an original songwriting aesthetic, AutoVaughn rock with an awareness that is at once timeless and unmistakably modern to create a sound all their own. AutoVaughn’s talent did not go unnoticed. As winners of the Fender Road Worn competition, the group beat out 6,000 bands nationwide. Receiving a car, gear and 15 grand to get them “road ready,” the band had millions of online votes to land them at the top. After winning, Fender followed the band as they rocked their way across America, collecting new fans who spent time on the site watching band videos, leaving comments and rooting for AutoVaughn. Having now spent the better part of the last two years on the road, touring with acts such as Cage the Elephant, VHS or Beta, Chevelle, The Kooks, They Might Be Giants, Rooney and more, the band are ready for what comes next. Having placed music on shows such as The Vampires Diaries, One Tree Hill and various MTV shows, AutoVaughn is excited to tour behind their upcoming release, Science of our Time. For the members of AutoVaughn, this is the record that matters. According to Darren, “There are definitely some recurring themes throughout the album. The idea that negative and positive, dark and light, yin and yang are equally dependent on one another. We explore concepts within science & technology, love, control, religion, politics, humanity and more. We were able to take our time with all the aspects of making the album. From the writing and recording to the mixing, we tried to be as intentional as possible. Now I’m excited to release it upon the world’s consciousness. “ The Nashville scene plays a proud part of AutoVaughn’s sound. Acknowledging that while years ago the town was best associated with country music, it’s now recognized for much more. With rockers like Kings of Leon paving the way, AutoVaughn are pleased to let people know Nashville is their musical home, “For a long time Nashville was only known for country music and there was a very limited rock scene. In the recent past there has been a rock n' roll revolution and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It's all about progression and the people of Nashville have been on this journey with us from day one.” says Darren. Drawing on their varied backgrounds, each member contributes to the band's distinctive sound. “The songs coalesce well together and generate a good rhythm throughout. There are many sonic elements from guitar, bass and drum sounds, to piano, cello, and a small dose of Americana,” says Stephen, “This is our largest record, and it's an actual thought-out body of work, rather than our previous records, that were demos made into records. This release is finally a solid representation of our band. “ On Science of our Time, the four musicians that make up AutoVaughn come together with a willingness to push musical boundaries. Together they have forged a new sound that is as revitalizing as it is convincing. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.