At first glance, you notice something very different about Buchanan.
Unlike many of the recent onslaught of bands with their self-diluted and perpetual illusory ideas of being rock n’ roll superstars, Buchanan strip themselves of all pretense, and almost seem to feel their music rather than play it.
In 1999, Jay Buchanan scraped together his meager resources to create his self-released solo album, Violence. He was able to persuade two musicians he admired, bassist Todd Sanders (from popular Long Beach-based Ruby Diver) and drummer Chris Powell (who’d performed with Jay in a series of Inland Empire blues bands) to play on his album. After the recording sessions, Todd resumed his duties with his then-current band, and Chris moved to Hollywood, where he continued his work as a session-drummer.
In 2000, Jay came across guitarist Ty Stewart, a skilled player who shared Jay’s thirst for action. Before long, the two were grabbing acoustic guitars and amps and performing their guerilla sets all over Southern California, selling copies of Violence to by-standers between tunes.
Fast-forward a couple years. Jay Buchanan, Chris Powell, Ty Stewart, and Todd Sanders now comprise one of the most talked-about bands in Southern California - having seduced fans parking lot by parking lot. Of course, now most of Buchanan’s gigs take place on the stages of premier venues. And thanks to forward-thinking folks Ultimatum Music, Buchanan scored a unique record deal in which the band is supported by a close-knit and hands-on record company - a rarity in these days of cookie-cutter bands with sound-alike records.
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