It started on a porch. Two guys, two guitars and too much time on their hands. Well, it’s all true except for the ‘time on their hands’ part. But it did start on a porch. Mike Woods and John Boyd would get together on Friday nights and jam or play songs they knew. It seemed like there was more time than songs so eventually Mike Woods took up songwriting. It was over the course of several years and dozens of songs later that the two honed their collaborative efforts.

In an effort to polish their developing sound, other musicians were sought out. Bassoon players, Masters of the triangle and even an accomplished spoon player didn’t quite capture the sound they were looking for. So they took a gamble and brought in a bass player and a drummer. John knew the bass player. The bass player knew the drummer. And so on and so on.

The bass player was a talented musician and a temporary driving force in the early days named Jesse Dakins. Jesse and the drummer, Scott Shane, played together in church. John and Mike hoped God wouldn’t mind that they were going to borrow two of His musicians. That was in 2002. He hasn’t made mention of it yet.

With the roster now assembled, they needed a name. Jesse suggested they use a title of a song Mike had written for a friend. The song reflected the freedom and intimacy of a Late Night Drive. With the naming issue settled, the decision was then made to concentrate on original material. The first song they did was a song Mike had wrote for the first practice called “Glass Half Full”. That first practice led to a careful building of their song repertoire, several concerts and eventually the recording of a 5 song EP. It was here that some momentum was lost. We could take literary license here for dramatic effect and say that Jesse’s heart gave out during a torrid bass solo. However, he succumbed to a fate most musicians dread… mortgage payments and job obligations.

Jesse was replaced with bass player John Gossette. John brings a great skill set to the band. In addition to the bass, John plays flute and provides back up vocals. Besides great musicianship, he is also Scott’s roadie. Hey you have to keep the drummer happy!

The story doesn’t end there. With an abundance of new material and added interest from other musicians willing to sit in, there are plans to return to the studio and complete the first album. The story is just getting good. Stay tuned.

 

Mike Woods	Lead Vocals, Rythym Guitar
John Boyd	Lead Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
John Gossette	Bass, Flute, Backing Vocals
Scott Shane	Drums, Percussion