EDISUN
Following in the footsteps of his NYC playwright father, Ethan Isaac left his home in Madison, WI with one thing in mind: a career in music. Landing a lucky internship in the studios of S.I.R. he found himself in a very fortunate position--working along side a legendary "who's who" gallery of artists and industry veterans. It wasn't long before he became a sought after studio engineer in his own right.
This famous studio is where Isaac may have launched a successful career as an engineer if not for his dogged pursuit of a life making music. Ethan left S.I.R. in 2001, but not before attracting the attention of veteran producer Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Aerosmith) and singer/songwriter/producer Linda Perry (Four Non Blondes/Christine Aguilera/Pink), who were both taken with Isaac's voice and determination.
Ethan caught their attention while performing with his band Wooden, and may have gone on to work with Douglas and Perry if not for the unfortunate timing of 9-11. Greatly affected by his experiences on that fateful day, Isaac decided to move the band, and found themselves at the top of the Catskills Mountains, settling on an old dude ranch they rented in East Jewitt, NY. It was here they would build their own recording studio they called "The Ranch." By all accounts it was a gloriously creative period, one that would take Wooden as far as Germany to perform for US troops stationed overseas. A song written by Isaac about his experiences on 9-11 caught the attention of Armed Forces Entertainment, an association that would continue with Edisun to this day.
With members of Wooden finding the rigors of the music business difficult to handle, an undeterred Isaac would eventually find himself in Norwalk, Ct-- forming a new band with guitarist Jonathan Svec (of ex-Splendor fame). Later joined by second guitarist /vocalist Joel P. Kelley, who would eventually take over as the sole guitar player for the group, hard hitting drummer Todd Budich, Edisun were born, as Isaac found himself called on once again by Armed Forces Entertainment.
They say the road to rock stardom is never quite as easy and overnight as people think it is. But no band ever imagines their first tour to be in a war zone. But that is exactly how it happened for Edisun, their first four years spent performing for American military in 24 countries, including two tours of forward operating bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE. As video of the band shot on the ground in Iraq shows, it was Kevlar helmets, body armor, and Blackhawk helicopters from show to show. Footage of the band from these tours were pitched as an episode of "Tour of Duty," and clips were used in their first music video for the song called "Fly."
"Looking back, I can't help but wonder what might have come from working with Jack (Douglas) or Linda (Perry)...but that experience (playing for the the troops) is the reason this band is still making music. What we found performing for those soldiers was a reason for making music deeper than any dream we ever had about being in a band."
It was not an accomplishment that went unrecognized: the band were featured on ABC World News Tonight, interviewed by Charles Gibson; covered by Rolling Stone Magazine ("Between Iraq and a Hard Place); as well as written about in the Wall Street Journal: Major press for a relatively unknown band without a major record deal.
The long sought after major record deal through EMI would eventually come in 2010, and the band finally found their way into a proper recording studio, reunited with producer Claude Villani. An associate of music industry veteran Arma Andon (Godsmack) Vilanni helped shape the band's self-titled debut that would break the Billboard Active Rock Top 40 and Top 50 with songs "Medicate" and "Wide Awake (Riot in this Town)."
Taking full advantage of the lessons they learned in the desserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, the band pushed hard across the country, criss-crossing several times in a recommissioned 1977 Greyhound bus they affectionately call Virginia. They filmed two successful videos for these songs, which have resulted in combined views of 100,000+ The song "Medicate" still receives national airplay; it went to #1 on The Buzz 104.3 FM in Puerto Rico and the USVI in 2014. The song "Ready to Believe" has been featured in several clips on ESPN, and it was featured by US Women's Speed Skater Kelly Gunther in her "Road to Sochi" pre-Olympic promotional video.
Edisun are going strong today, still working with Claude Villani through his independent label SRG (Sono Recording Group). in the process of completing work on their second EP out of their new studio called Factory Underground Studios, in Norwalk, Ct. They have finally found the bass player they had been long searching for, as solid in rhythm as in membership, Mike Russo. They are working with producer Charley Drayton (drummer of Paul Simon and Eric Clapton), with the record expected in October, 2014.
Tour dates are expected to run through the end of 2014 with a full radio, social media, and promotional campaign propelling the band well into 2015.
This famous studio is where Isaac may have launched a successful career as an engineer if not for his dogged pursuit of a life making music. Ethan left S.I.R. in 2001, but not before attracting the attention of veteran producer Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Aerosmith) and singer/songwriter/producer Linda Perry (Four Non Blondes/Christine Aguilera/Pink), who were both taken with Isaac's voice and determination.
Ethan caught their attention while performing with his band Wooden, and may have gone on to work with Douglas and Perry if not for the unfortunate timing of 9-11. Greatly affected by his experiences on that fateful day, Isaac decided to move the band, and found themselves at the top of the Catskills Mountains, settling on an old dude ranch they rented in East Jewitt, NY. It was here they would build their own recording studio they called "The Ranch." By all accounts it was a gloriously creative period, one that would take Wooden as far as Germany to perform for US troops stationed overseas. A song written by Isaac about his experiences on 9-11 caught the attention of Armed Forces Entertainment, an association that would continue with Edisun to this day.
With members of Wooden finding the rigors of the music business difficult to handle, an undeterred Isaac would eventually find himself in Norwalk, Ct-- forming a new band with guitarist Jonathan Svec (of ex-Splendor fame). Later joined by second guitarist /vocalist Joel P. Kelley, who would eventually take over as the sole guitar player for the group, hard hitting drummer Todd Budich, Edisun were born, as Isaac found himself called on once again by Armed Forces Entertainment.
They say the road to rock stardom is never quite as easy and overnight as people think it is. But no band ever imagines their first tour to be in a war zone. But that is exactly how it happened for Edisun, their first four years spent performing for American military in 24 countries, including two tours of forward operating bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE. As video of the band shot on the ground in Iraq shows, it was Kevlar helmets, body armor, and Blackhawk helicopters from show to show. Footage of the band from these tours were pitched as an episode of "Tour of Duty," and clips were used in their first music video for the song called "Fly."
"Looking back, I can't help but wonder what might have come from working with Jack (Douglas) or Linda (Perry)...but that experience (playing for the the troops) is the reason this band is still making music. What we found performing for those soldiers was a reason for making music deeper than any dream we ever had about being in a band."
It was not an accomplishment that went unrecognized: the band were featured on ABC World News Tonight, interviewed by Charles Gibson; covered by Rolling Stone Magazine ("Between Iraq and a Hard Place); as well as written about in the Wall Street Journal: Major press for a relatively unknown band without a major record deal.
The long sought after major record deal through EMI would eventually come in 2010, and the band finally found their way into a proper recording studio, reunited with producer Claude Villani. An associate of music industry veteran Arma Andon (Godsmack) Vilanni helped shape the band's self-titled debut that would break the Billboard Active Rock Top 40 and Top 50 with songs "Medicate" and "Wide Awake (Riot in this Town)."
Taking full advantage of the lessons they learned in the desserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, the band pushed hard across the country, criss-crossing several times in a recommissioned 1977 Greyhound bus they affectionately call Virginia. They filmed two successful videos for these songs, which have resulted in combined views of 100,000+ The song "Medicate" still receives national airplay; it went to #1 on The Buzz 104.3 FM in Puerto Rico and the USVI in 2014. The song "Ready to Believe" has been featured in several clips on ESPN, and it was featured by US Women's Speed Skater Kelly Gunther in her "Road to Sochi" pre-Olympic promotional video.
Edisun are going strong today, still working with Claude Villani through his independent label SRG (Sono Recording Group). in the process of completing work on their second EP out of their new studio called Factory Underground Studios, in Norwalk, Ct. They have finally found the bass player they had been long searching for, as solid in rhythm as in membership, Mike Russo. They are working with producer Charley Drayton (drummer of Paul Simon and Eric Clapton), with the record expected in October, 2014.
Tour dates are expected to run through the end of 2014 with a full radio, social media, and promotional campaign propelling the band well into 2015.