Subshine began in September of 1998 as Trance Lucid, after Mike and Andy decided to leave their previous band, The Warren Commission. They decided early on to seek out women musicians to complete the group, in order to compensate for the decidedly male-dominated local music scene. Beth Kampschror, a journalist by profession, was approached at a man Ray 19 show to drum. Posters were put up seeking a female vocalist, and Melissa Brown responded almost immediately. The band purposefully did not set upon a predetermined musical style, instead letting the music develop as they played. Most songs result from band members bringing in ideas, tweaked in jam sessions to work out the kinks. In November, Ashley Baldridge joined the group, replacing Beth, who was leaving soon for Brazil. Ashley, formerly of Skokopelli, lends a welcome complexity and experience to the drum slot. In January we changed our name to Subshine, in order to avoid any Imperial entanglements. We put out our first album in May called "Subshine", yep, we had to work hard for that title. It was recorded in the Suburban Exchange under the tutiledge of Mr Nik Enright. If you are interested in picking one up, let Mike know at Mcouling @yahoo.com. Just a warning though, it may take a while as there is already quite a backlog of customers waiting. After the album was complete, the band was rent asunder by distance, but we may reconvine at some point in the near future.
Band Members
Andy Sewell - guitar:
26, previous member of The Warren Commission (bass) and The Combs (guitar). Andy was raised in Hancock, Michigan, but moved to the outskirts of Detroit to attend Oakland University, recieving his Batchelor's degree in Anthropology in 1994. Although unsuccessful in forming a band while living downstate, Andy feels that his musical identity was forged there. He moved back to Hancock in 1995 where he became involved in the local music scene through volunteering at the SubUrban Exchange and playing guitar in an eclectic five-piece, The Combs. After the demise of The Combs in 1996, Andy became more involved with the SubUrban Exchange, distributing flyers and working the door. In 1997, he retutrned to school, attending MTU's Industrial Archaeology Program for his masters in science. He plans to make a career out of playing in the dirt. It was also in 1997 that Andy received the offer to join The Warren Commission. He began playing bass for this six-piece goth/noise band, allowing singer Mike Couling more freedom to flail about on stage. Also in this group were Matt Bradley and Dove Dewey of Senator Dexter. Andy recently finished his master's thesis, a report of fieldwork conducted at the Carp River Forge site in Negaunee. He recieved his doctorate in Industrial Archelogy in May. Andy is also a card-carrying High Priest of the CHURCH OF THE SUBGENIUS and holds a Doktorate in the Forbidden Sciences. Andy has performed short duration marriages and is available for blessings, smitings, ranting, and the casting out of False Prophets, for a small fee (of course). Andy is a frequent contributer to both the Dysfunctional Family Circus and It's a Dysfunctional Life, under his church name, Semillama.
Influences: Killing Joke, Hum, Yo la Tengo, pigface, The Police, Dub and Ambient music, reggae, etc.
Andy plays an Ibanez xr series guitar through a Digitech xp-1 and Crate amplification.
Michael Couling - bass:
23,previous member of The Warren Commission-bass and vocals, Mosoh-vocals, Pastoma-vocals, The Jesus Crispies-vocals andFishlift-vocals. He also has a sometimes side project called M.C Honkey. He was raised in Dewitt, MI and moved to the Upper Peninsula in 1989. He went to Northern Michigan University for two years, and this is where his first band was formed. After many, many mistakes and adventures he finally settled in the Houghton area. He is an avid reader, a bad typist, has a good sense of humor and no sense of direction. Mike hopes to someday go back to college and is working as a sportswriter. He plays a MX-N bass and uses a Hartke amp. He also uses Badass speakers, custom modeled. If he just disappears someday, don't worry, maybe he has finally reached enlightenment.
Influences: Faith No More, Sepultura, NIN, Sisters of Mercy and Tori Amos. He also likes to listen to Barry White and Issac Hayes, when he pretends he is a pimp.
Melissa Brown - vocals:
Melissa was born at St Mary's hospital in Hancock, MI. After moving all throughout Michigan, her family settled in Lansing. There she started her first musical endeavours. At the tender age of five she beagn playing the piano and the violin and was in the orchestra program at Winan's Elementary school. In fifth grade, she started her very first band, an elementary jazz band with fresh grooves called the Brown Bag Lunch Band. She and her classmates entertained the cafeteria crowd once a month. They were never signed. Following the breakup of the Brown Bag Lunch Band, Melissa changed her musical focus and joined a rap group. Melissa and her three best friends, LaToya, Janell and Alexis became "Le Jam" and premired at a party in homeroom. From there they reached the big time and started performing at middle school dances and on the playground at lunch time. In tenth grade Melissa left Lansing and her dreams of making it big in hip-hop. She settled in Traverse City where she played with a couple of punk and ska bands that never really did anything. Now in Houghton, Melissa is singing with Subshine and dee-jaying on 91.9 WMTU on Monday nights. She is studying biomedical engineering at MTU, but she hopes one day to drop out of school and become an actress.
Melissas dream job: Biomedical engineer on General Hospital
Favorite color:blue
Astrological sign: Aquarius
Dream date: Spider-Man.
Ashley Baldridge - drums:
After a long and fulfilling career on the family sitcom, Full House, Ashley Kate decided to give up acting and move on to music. She was
forcibly introduced to the drum set in 10th grade when her band teacher
pointed to her at a pep band performance and said, "Ashley, no one else is
here, you have to play the set...first song up, Wipeout!" Her first
"jam session" took place in her enclosed back porch. Her posse managed to
piss off the neighbors. Her first actual "rock" band experience was with
"Skokopelli", a ska band initiated by Seth Ex. Then Ashley took a break from
music for almost 1.5 years, turning down numerous (2, I think) pleads for
her to be the backbeat in other peoples' bands. Then she got sad that she was
not creating music, or any type of noise. Then she was invited to become a
member of a shiny family. Then she accepted. Then she started hitting
things. Feel the love...
Influences/Inspiration: Sister Kakeface, Ed A., Drew P., Mom, Bernie L.,
Oren K.,
Dad, HHS Pepband, Me
Contents
Burning News: Band Happenings.
