Old Union
These five musicians deliver tremedous energy and fire with each song and performance. Their hard-hitting shows have grabbed a variety of listeners including the classic-rock-lovin' generation, the jamband-dancin' generation, the straight up rock n' rollers, as well as the lyric-listeners. Despite the extremely competitive nature of Nashville, Old Union placed 2nd out of 70 bands in the highly publicized Battle of Nashvegas, hosted by 3rd & Lindsley this past spring. On the score charts they scored higher than all in "originality". The band was also invited this spring to be among a handfull of regional acts to play at the Suwannee Music Festival with the likes of String Cheese Incident, Gov't Mule, and the North Mississippi Allstars in Live Oak,FL. Their first recording "Forgiveness And Permission" is a showcase for their talents, and includes guest spots by some of their friends and fans in the industry - including the legendary Bonnie Bramlett.
Imagine a musical road trip through Memphis and Muscle Shoals with side trips to Texas and Detroit, ending up in Macon and you have a idea of the distinctive American rock and roll of Old Union. With musical influences as varied as the individual members, the music of Old Union has been described as fresh and new, yet with a cool retro vibe.
Old Union was formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2001 by Chuck Foster (keyboards and lead vocals), Johnny Zvolensky (guitars), Steve ÒSpottyÓ Swertfeger (guitars and vocals), David Bryndal (drums) with the recent addition Professor Jason Williams (bass). The strong, well-crafted songs and soulful, gritty vocals of Foster remain the heart and soul of the band. With additional songwriting from Zvolensky, Swertfeger and Old Union has acquired the reputation as one of the best song-oriented bands working today. With superb musicianship from the timeless songwritting of Foster, the twin guitar work of Swertfeger and Zvolensky and the locked in, solid-as-a-rock rhythm section of Bryndal and Williams, Old Union hits the stage with an aggressive rock edge drenched in Southern soul.
Old Union's debut CD; Forgiveness Or Permission, released in December of 2003, drew favorable reviews from "Hittin The Note", "An Honest Tune", "Glide" and numerous newspapers around the country. The CD, which featured guest vocals from rock legend, Bonnie Bramlett led to a successful Bramlett/Old Union Northeastern tour including a critically acclaimed appearance at the Edmonton Folk Festival. Their non-stop touring schedule has taken them from coast to coast with appearances at such high profile festivals as Bonnaroo, High Sierra Music Festival, Blue Ridge Harvest Festival, Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival, Nashville's Riverstages and Dancin in the District, Terrapin Hill, Down On The Farm and Uphonia. They have appeared with such artists as Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, North Mississippi All Stars, Ratdog, Govt. Mule, Allman Brothers Band, Black Crowes and The Charlie Daniels Band. The intensity of their live shows has earned them a loyal fan base that is growing with every show. Their hometown Nashville club shows are legend, drawing a who's who of musicians on stage to jam including former Allman Brother Jack Pearson, rock and roll Hall Of Famer Steve Cropper, Bonnie and Becca Bramlett, Jimmy Hall, Tony Futado, members of The Charlie Daniels Band and numerous others.
Old Union began working on their second CD in the fall of 2005 with producer John Carter Cash, who was drawn to the band by their songwritting ability and called their sound; "lyrically poignant, sonically explosive, emotionally charged and culturally significant. The best new rock music I've heard in years."
When it's all said and done, Old Union are just five guys trying to write songs that honor their heroes and play good music for good people. They are simply carrying on the grand tradition of celebrating the glorious joy of American rock and roll at its purest.
Forgiveness or Permission
2003 Stonewall Music Inc.
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