Just Scratching the Surface: Scars on 45 Poised for Breakthrough Year

Just Scratching the Surface:
Scars on 45 Poised for a Breakthrough Year

By April Steele april@aprilsteele.com

Up-and-comer, Scars on 45, returns to Boston on Wednesday, February 8^th with a headline show at the Brighton Music Hall.

Fresh from a brief holiday break back home in England, Scars on 45 hits the ground running in 2012 with their first headlining tour and debut full length album due out soon.  If you haven’t heard of this indie-rock quintet yet, it’s just a matter of time.  In the past year Scars on 45 has made several visits to the Boston area, including shows at the Paradise Rock Club, the “RiverFeast” benefit concert for the Greater Boston Food Bank, and last summer’s “RiverFest” in Newburyport.

After “Give Me Something” hit number 3 on Billboard’s triple A chart and “Heart on Fire” was picked as the lead song on the Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack, Scars on 45 spent 10 out of 12 months touring the US with the likes of Matt Nathanson, One Eskimo and Jack’s Mannequin. They were also recently featured as one of VH1’s bands “You Oughta Know.”

While Scars on 45’s sound garners comparisons to Deathcab for Cutie, Keane and Snow Patrol, it is the blended vocals of singers Danny Bemrose and Aimee Driver that give the band its own unique sound.  Their intertwined harmonies reflect the emotional charge of the lyrics they bring to life and may remind listeners of classic Fleetwood Mac.  In fact, Scars on 45’s live performances of their hit “Give Me Something” often give way to a crowd-wowing homage to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”

Scars on 45's lead singer, Danny Bemrose

Scars on 45 Drummer - Chris Durling

Scars on 45 piano player, Nova

Only two of the band’s members started off as musicians.  Bemrose, the band’s founder, was a professional football (soccer) player before a broken toe ended that career.  He learned to play his dad’s acoustic guitar, and then taught former football rival, Stuart Nichols, to play bass. They eventually teamed up with pianist David “Nova” Nowakowski and began playing with various other musicians sitting in.   Nobody knew vocalist Aimee Driver could sing, until her school chum Nova overheard her doing so while making a pot of tea. She was brought in to record a song that required a female accompaniment, but her voice worked so well with Bemrose‘s, she became a fixture.  Nova also recruited drummer Chris Durling after meeting him in a pub. The sixth person you’ll see sharing the stage is live session guitarist, Matt Baxter who rounds out their sound on tour.

Scarrs on 45 singers Aimee Driver & Danny Bemrose

The band released two 4-track EP’s in 2011, “Give Me Something,” which included the chart-topping single of the same name, and “Heart on Fire” which is the tune also selected as the lead song  on this season’s Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack. But the band’s set list is not limited to the music currently available on these EPs.  On stage audiences are treated to a rotation of unreleased music, like “Beauty’s Running Wild,” the song that gave Scars on 45 their big break when it was the music behind an extended closing scene in an episode of CSI: New York.  “Beauty’s Running Wild” is expected to be the first single on their upcoming full length album.  Based on the strength of this song and others like “Burn the House Down,” Scars on 45 has all the pieces in place to be the next big thing on the indie music scene.

Scars on 45 Bass Player, Stuart Nichols

Guitarist Matt Baxter and singer Aimee Driver

As their fan base grows, this may be your last chance to catch Scars on 45 at an intimate venue like the Brighton Music Hall.  The show is sponsored by independent radio station WXRV and tickets are on sale now at http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0100478CD5BECBBA. For more information visit www.scarson45.com  or follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/#!/scarson45 and Facebook www.facebook.com/ScarsOn45