Sudden Impact

What makes someone want to be a musician? Why do we write songs and play them? Is it for the love of the music or is there some other reason? Is it to be cool? Is the hope to somehow appear more desirable or popular? Is it the lure of possible fame and fortune? Maybe we should start with three simple questions.

What would you do if there was no audience?
What would you play?
Would you even bother?

Those were the questions that faced the core members of Acidmyers (Mark Smith on guitar, and Mike Myers on bass and keyboards) when they decided to leave their respective bands and essentially leave the music scene at the time. After countless years in various bands, all trying to “make it”, they realized the emphasis no longer seemed to be on the music; the focus seemed to have shifted to image and presentation (How do you look? What clothes are you wearing? How are you moving on stage? Do you stand with your legs far enough apart while playing guitar? – an actual critique aimed at Mark during his band days). The music seemed to be merely an excuse for getting up on stage. It had become almost a necessary evil, and one that surely wouldn't matter if everything else was right and properly choreographed, but that was never what inspired them to pick up the guitar and bass in the first place.

So what WOULD you play? Would you play all the same songs you have learned through the years and know so well? Would you play all the same licks you've played a million times before, or would you be willing venture out on a ledge and jump into the unknown musical abyss - head first, without a net? If there’s no audience (no witnesses), why not?

Acidmyers came together in Southern California during the early 90’s with the sole objective of exploring unknown musical horizons, and to create music as diverse and eclectic as their individual tastes. They set out to reclaim their love of music, and were determined to make music that celebrates the creative process that can be both invigorating and inspirational when not forced through the rigid, debilitating filter of the music industry. Originally, the band worked on the practice of coming up with completely brand new songs every time they got together: start with a drumbeat, and then jump in and come up with a song on the spot. The intent was to create music simply for the love of music, with the hope of achieving the magic that sometimes happens when musicians get together and improvise. Every once in awhile there’s a musical spark that unlocks a door that can lead to sonic transcendence.

After a number of years, along with hundreds of songs never to played or heard again, the band decided to use this process to find the sparks and then work on molding them and refining them into structured songs that might someday find an audience. The band Acidmyers has never been about the quantity of material it can amass, but more about the quality of that material. The goal was to put every effort into just a very small number of songs, but put everything into those songs to make each one the very best it could possibly be with the realization that most people don’t want to wade through a bunch of songs by a band they are listening to for the very first time. Most people will listen to one, MAYBE two songs if you’re lucky, so there better not be any filler material, because that could very well be the one song the listener chooses. After a few years, they had accumulated ten songs that they were really proud of, and they released those as their first CD.

Paint the Sky is the Sophomore album by Acidmyers, and the follow up to their debut, World Unknown. Whereas Worlds Unknown, was a collection of their ten best songs at time, Paint the Sky was planned out from the very start, paying strict attention to feel and mood of each song and how each song would fit together and flow as a collective whole. The intent was to grab the listener and hopefully keep them fully immersed from start to finish. The music of Acidmyers is an adventurous, wide-ranging mix of Rock, Blues, Jazz, Metal, Fusion, Acoustic, and whatever else floats through their un-tethered, willing hands.

Thank you for venturing out on the ledge with us and taking some time to listen!