Review

January 2000

Dave B
www.dmusic.com

Alternative Powerpop trio Fern juggles the responsibilities of writing, performing, recording and managing to yield a living out of the chaos that is a touring act. The guys, based in Springfield, Missouri, came together in August, 1995 and perform extensively throughout the Midwest, including Kansas City, St Louis, Tulsa, Columbia, Springfield, and many cities in between. From what I've read about this unit, I'm most impressed with their willingness to accept criticism, take that information, apply it to their situation and adapt and change. Moreover, the band is quite balanced as far as personalities are concerned - and possess a healthy esprit de corps that will certainly serve them well on a long tour.

Here is a young band that hasn't missed a detail. In addition to the fact that they sound great they are also savvy in the marketing department. The band looks like they belong together - not that I'm into superficial details, but on a grand scale, it is an important element of a band's ability to "sell themselves" - be it to a manager, label or the public. Fern's campaign seems to be working for them, and media types and music industry folks are taking notice.

Parading their talent to new territories, communicating with fans old and new and life on the road - Fern has confident expectations of creating a buzz and expanding their fan base. Fern is: Jason Gaylor (Lead Vocal and Guitar), Jay Sandidge (Drums) and Brian Snadon (Bass). Good luck guys - I wish you great success!

In Their Own Words: "We all take being in a band seriously, it's not just a hobby for us."