coley kennedy+ pete javier+ jeremy barrett+ sherrlia bailey
Influences
The Smiths, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Rolling Stones, Marc Bolan & T-REX, JohnPaulGeorgeRingo, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Bennies, Liam & Noel, sundresses, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Jesus and Mary Chain, the Clash, The Undertones, Blur, Generation X, Spacehog, Magnetic Fields, Psychedelic Furs, Mekons, Gene, motorcycles, Rod Stewart & The Faces, Big Star, Elvis Presley, Thin Lizzy, The Cure, The Jam, Graham Coxon, Mick Ronson, cocktails & hangovers, The Replacements, The Tears, autumn, Bernard Butler, Suede, The Who, Material Issue, Cheap Trick, The Housemartins, The Kinks, Shane MacGowan, The Pogues
Sounds Like
EPONYMOUS LP
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THE CATBIRD SEAT EP
"If you threw the best new wave CD’s ever in a blender and poured the contents into a mold, popping out a band the embodied everything you loved about The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Clash- you’ve created Welcome To Ashley; a band even Q101 called among the best of 2008.
Their sound is not dated, yet gives polite nod to its predecessors, and feels Midwestern rock despite its birth in Nashville. WTA stays refreshing where others with similar technique fall off the radar after a song or two. Unlike other Chicago bands clinging to familiar territory, WTA challenges with semi depressing lyrical content without jumping the line into emo territory to cry among the others. Instead they blend intelligence to the glamish swagger reminiscent of every old Brit band I wished I could have been old enough to see perform. Until time machines are invented, WTA fills the void by writing songs those old bands would have been proud to write themselves."
- Jyn Radakovits, The Indie Music Examiner
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"In a climate where indie bands are becoming more experimental, drawing different influences, and applying newer sounds/instrumentation, up-and-comers like WTA can be somewhat refreshing. Welcome to Ashley are regularly being compared to bands like The Smiths, The Replacements, and Echo & the Bunnymen. While they cite these groups as influences, the band delivers a fresh sound that isn’t dictated by the music its members grew up listening to"...
"While I can dig what bands are doing with their laptops on stage these days, I never get sick of an old fashioned rock show. The band plays with a raw intensity without swaying too far from the sound they project on their records. Loud, attention-grabbing, and an overall good time, this is a Chicago set you should definitely catch."
- Aemmp Records, Chicago, Oct. 2009
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"Nothing But Grey Skies Ahead" reminds me a bit of the really good alternative bands that were around in the eighties. A bit of The Smiths with a dash of PiL, and throw in some Athens, GA bands.
- Dead Billy's Steaming Pile of Vinyl, Oct. 2009
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"Welcome To Ashley is a band that deserves to be famous...provided, of course, that they wouldn't have to sell their souls and relinquish control of their destiny. "Absent Man" continues WTA's creative upward trajectory from their very impressive 2006 s/t debut and its astonishing 2007 follow-up EP "The Catbird Seat," which made a true believer out of me." ...
"Granted, their recorded output is superb, but Welcome To Ashley is a band that also must be experienced live.
Clocking in at 15 minutes and some change, "Absent Man" is the 200-proof distilled essence of everything I love about WTA. It's a brief hit from the bottle that leaves you thirsty for more.
Buy this album...hell, buy 10 copies and pass them out to your friends. Then buy 10 copies each of the previous releases and do the same. Hound your favorite independent radio station or indie music blog to add WTA to their playlists. Make requests to Sirius XMU...whatever it takes. Welcome To Ashley is a great band, period. They deserve their props.
- Jeffery Jones, WOJB, Sept. 2009
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"Welcome to Ashley’s new EP Absent Man has quickly stirred a buzz with press and music fans alike. Their influences are well rooted in their music. If the Clash & the Smiths had a baby it would probably sound like WTA. Lead Singer Coley Kennedy’s haunting voice and depressing lyrics are complimented with his solid band."
- ZME Music "Bands to Watch", Oct. 2009
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“Top 5 Picks for This Week’s Show’s (10/21/09)”-RedEye, Chicago
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"Don’t believe Welcome To Ashley when they say Nothing But Grey Skies Ahead because its not true...Sounds like classic, midwestern punk-n-roll like the Replacements to me, albeit with a bit more flamboyant singer."
- The Interzine, Oct. 2009
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**** "ABSENT MAN" EP REVIEW - Oct 3 2009 ****
Welcome To Ashley's music combines the melancholy pop influences of bands like The Smiths and The Bravery with an Urge Overkill style alt-rock swagger.
This new 4-track EP follows a 2007 EP ("The Catbird Seat") and the band's 2006 self-titled full-length debut. Singer Coley Kennedy has a distinctive voice and a way of turning a phrase that keeps this CD memorable. The band also keeps the production lean (there is none of The Bravery or Echo & the Bunnymen's "layers upon layers" of sound) which gives focus to the jangling guitar and melodic bass sounds and keeps the music uplifting over the somewhat melancholy lyrics.
- Brooklyn Rocks
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Welcome to Ashley's new EP, Absent Man, charted at 15 on the New Music Weekly College Charts, 8/7/2009. - http://www.newmusicweekly.com/chart.php?chart=College
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**** "ABSENT MAN" EP REVIEW - Aug 6 2009****
"A little bit David Lowery and a little bit Jello Biafra, Coley Kennedy displays a variety of sounds on the new four song ep, Absent Man from his band Welcome to Ashley. Originally formed in Nashville in 2002, WTA brings a slightly southern but still pure indie sound to the Chicago scene. There is a grit and determination in the collective sound of the band, and the urgency and focus in Kennedy’s voice is tangible. The band’s self-titled debut LP found some local critical success, but the band despite having the sound and ability to break through is still searching for the path. Absent Man may be the launching point and a way for all of their hard work to finally pay off."
- The Deli Chicago
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"This band can go from dark to cheerful in an instant, staying propulsive all the while...
A terrific full record is surely in their future, as is a growing legion of fans."
- KONSTANTIN BEZZUBOV, Lumino Magazine
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"Chicago’s Welcome To Ashley aren’t emo in case the name was confusing. They’re black-clad power-poppers and that’s all right with me. Citing influences from The Smiths to the Rolling Stones to the Pogues (in order of attractiveness), they’re busting out a Brit-mod take on American power pop."
- Brian McKinney, Chicago Snacks
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"Among the years Best Bands of 2008!" - Q101 FM, Chicago IL
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"...Great sound, look, attitude, stage presence. {WTA} definitely have that something that made so many of the bands that straddled post-punk and Brit-pop great."
- August Forte, JMA (April, 2009)
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****"NOTHING BUT GREY SKIES AHEAD" SINGLE****
"The local combo's forecast may be gloomy, but it eases its way out of seasonal affective disorder with the ultimate cure-all: breezy, evergreen power-pop."
- TimeOut, Chicago
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..."Relatively straightforward pop rock gives way to Clash-like guitar creations, but a significant vocal hook seems to always be on the band’s mind. You can’t fault the band for wanting to firmly plant its choruses in your head, and to Welcome to Ashley’s credit, it doesn’t get too annoying after hours and hours of “Wild Blue Yonder” giddily hopping up and down like a kid in a Jumpin’ Jack inside your brain."..."Welcome to Ashley’s endearing deliveries make the band better than the average four-piece-that-wishes-it-were-The-Smiths, and that keeps the material afloat. Also, it helps that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be The Smiths.
- Tom Lynch (New City Chicago) Feb. 2009
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"Of course the "sounds-like" folks have been busy drawing comparisons to Echo & the Bunnymen, The Psychedelic Furs, The Smiths, The Clash, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Big Star, The Faces, etc. It's all in there, for sure, but Welcome To Ashley is much more than the sum of its acknowleged influences. Frontman Coley Kennedy combines smart, uniquely personalized songwriting with some of the meatiest power-pop hooks and edge-of-the-razor production this side of "London Calling."...
"Kennedy’s vocal style recalls, by turns, Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie and Ian McCulloch of 1980s post-punk icons Echo & the Bunnymen."...
"guitar parts that are lush and nearly orchestral, yet retain an unmistakable pop hook."...
"Jeffrey Jones, a Park Theater volunteer event coordinator who booked Welcome To Ashley for the May 31 concert, describes Bailey as “a great, in-the-pocket drummer, powerfully propulsive, yet tasteful ... no gratuitous showboating. It’s a similar spirit and talent that Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, Max Weinberg of the E Street Band or Topper Headon of The Clash, three of the greatest rock drummers, bring to their roles behind the drum kit."...
"Jones added that Barrett “evokes the spirit of Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, or Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett of Bob Marley and the Wailers, or maybe even Reginald Workman of the John Coltrane Quartet."...
"Adds Jones, “From my vantage point as a music lover, or rather a music-obsessive, their approach to the music they create seems to be informed by both disciplined study and by what they love about music. They’re just a great band, period."
- Sawyer County Record, Hayward WI, May 28 2008
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****THE CATBIRD SEAT EP REVIEW, 2008****
"a nice mix of Smiths-esque pop and a boozy, dirty swagger. The songwriting’s strong—any time you say to yourself "Smiths" or "Clash" while listening to something new, it can’t be all that bad—and while the band keeps it relatively simple, it’s remarkably infectious work. "Madame O’Leary" has Strummer all over it, but my favorite is the sprawling, woozy "Heaven & High Time," which moves like the wind in a wicked, thrilling way, weaving guitars and stretched vocals flowing freely. Pop-rock-giddy "Good Star" gels too. We’ll see where this goes, of course, but it seems like Welcome to Ashley might be on to something."
- Tom Lynch (New City Chicago)
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"Welcome To Ashley dives into its perfect record collection, zipping between British and American power-pop like some magic, transatlantic van your cooler older brother built."
- Time Out, Chicago
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"...For a band so quick to list their influences - The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Faces, Big Star, The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Clash - when whatzup [magazine] begged for some insight, Chicago's Welcome to Ashley sure do sound unique. Curious? Try to imagine The Killers in an indie club - but much less glamorous and produced, and, frankly, quite a bit smarter (or so their lyrics would imply) - and you'll have a good idea of what to expect...Viva la lo-fi!"
- Greg Locke, Whatzup, Fort Wayne IN, November 2007
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****THE CATBIRD SEAT EP REVIEW, 2007****
Regular WXRT listeners may have caught Welcome To Ashley’s 2006 single “Thursday Afternoon,” though the band’s hoping to prove it wasn’t a fluke on "The Catbird Seat" EP. The title cut could easily chart a similar course, once again merging flavors of The Jesus And Mary Chain with Echo And The Bunnymen. “Wild Blue Yonder” dips back even deeper in the rock annals to recall vintage Clash with alien-era Bowie vocals, adding intrigue to an already appealing retro rock offering.
– Andy Argyrakis, Illinois Entertainer, October 2007 ___________________________________________________________________________
****EPONYMOUS LP REVIEW, 2007****
"Welcome To Ashley singer Coley Kennedy has clearly studied Echo & The Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch, while his bandmates also appear to be fans of that band, The Replacements, and Jesus and Mary Chain."... "its self-titled eight-song album combine the best of all worlds, plus a little attitude of its own."
- Illinois Entertainer, Sept. 2006
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****Welcome to Ashley;s "Welcome to Ashley"
Release date: 2006
4 (out of 4) Flames****
It's almost scary how similar the latest from Welcome to Ashley sounds like so many other bands. There is something about the singer, Coley Kennedy, which leads the band to be compared to the likes of The Clash and also The Smiths. It can be hard to make a name for yourself when others simply see you as a mix between other bands. However, Welcome to Ashley, regardless of their comparisons and similarities, is truly one of a kind. The song "Thursday Afternoon" speaks for itself and the band with its smooth sound and heartfelt lyrics. The album stays strong throughout the tracks which includes "Cheap Champagne" and "Adeline." The chemistry in the band can truly been seen in their music. Welcome to Ashley is certain to keep fans happy with their music and keep rock music true to its alternative roots.
-Eli Ortiz, Chicago Flame
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"Coley Kennedy sounds like David Bowie with a soul. And even if Bowie hadn't sold his soul to Beelzebub, he couldn't sound as worthy as Kennedy's band, Welcome to Ashley"
-Time Out, Chicago
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"Great tunes and the perfect dose of self-assured swagger."
-Cyrus, Astral Planes
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"WTA have a glam-rock swagger that you haven't heard in most pop bands since Jim Ellison's day".
-Time Out, Chicago
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"A terriffic tune (Thursday Afternoon)... One of the finest I've heard this year... Psychedelic Furs, The Smiths, The Cure... any of those bands would be proud to call this song their own."
-Richard Milne, 93 WXRT
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****WE WILL FIND THE SUN EP REVIEW, 2005****
"Incredibly organic and fearless pop. WTA's driving drums and walkabout bass lines are topped with jangly guitar riffs, borrowing some high end sheen from brit-pop guitar heroes, and vocals that roam between Morrissey and Michael Stipe."
-City Beat, Cincinnati 2005
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"Welcome To Ashley idle steadily at an intersection between The Stones and The Smiths."
-The Onion
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"A tough live act to follow."
-The City Paper, Nashville 2004
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****WE WILL FIND THE SUN EP REVIEW, 2005****
Yes, Welcome to Ashley knows music and knows it well. One has to wonder if Casablanca –n- co. would have been able to rap endlessly on all things Roxy Music. Well, not for long, because, unless they were spoon-fed it by that zany, old “Master Splinter” character—you know, the one who taught them how to hold their guitars--they most likely wouldn’t know it from regenerated pabulum.
Welcome to Ashley knows it. And they know Nick Lowe. And the Jam. No, they probably have few feelings for Nirvana, Oasis, or The Libertines. But they love the Damned, Buzzcocks, and the Real Kids. They know the source, not its recycled, watered-down imitation so many bands are stealing their riffs from nowadays.
One small EP has just been released as testament to the band’s chops. We Will Find the Sun kicks off with superb jagged guitar hooks that shift and squirm through Coley’s intriguing vocals. An Ian McCulloch presence distorts through a Jim Reid delivery, lending gravity to poignantly contrasting lines about sun, waves, summer, and rain.
Cheap Champagne follows with not only a superb guitar lines, but an ultra-sensitive rhythm section solidly amplifies the whole affair. Barret’s bass is beyond punchy and Bailey’s drums keep time in a solid, confident manner that requires no flash to impress.
Adeline rounds out the EP with Coley’s best Richard Butler homage on vocals—Adeline is lies, but he loves loving her. What could make someone more cynical, more world-weary? What better way to express it than: “it’s gonna tear me apart!” and then cue economical half-chorus of expressive guitar solo. A few moments later, the EP ends, but this kind of thing, thank goodness, goes on and on.
You see, for all of us fans of pop, power, punk, and the punchy—that genuine expression amid an irresistible presentation we’ve come to expect from the best of rock ‘n’ roll…well, it’s all emotion. We feel certain things about it that will never truly die. Long live modern rock with verve and shattering emotion. Long live John Peel. Long live Welcome to Ashley.
-Alan Jacobson, Third Coast Press, Chicago 2005
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"Oasis meets The Smiths ... definitely worth seeing."
-Centerstage Chicago
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"WTA have a natural talent of weaving sincere, self-reflective lyrics into the motion of tension and release. No doubt that when you leave the house you will be taking their hooks with you."
-Rich Seng, Cherry Bomb
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