Young band rocks out

On the radio, the only teen musicians you’ll usually hear are Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers, and their Disney pals.

But look a little closer to home, and you find the band Athens. Its members are all under 17, but their dedication and focus on music sets them apart from mainstream teen pop stars.

“All those people, like Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers, they don’t have to worry about ages at clubs and stuff, because they’ve got Disney getting them in arenas,” said Chase Brown, the band’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist. “I think that [they] missed out on a lot of the work that you have to do.”

Named for their hometown, Athens is working hard to make a name for itself in the music scene. The band played their first show in December 2008, and released their first EP exactly a year later.

Athens began when Chase, now 15, wrote four songs in one day with his friend Beau Anderson, now 12. The two decided to form a band and sought out more members.

They overheard Zak Smith, now 16, playing drums at the Guitar Center in Atlanta, and asked him to join. After trying several bassists, they found a good fit for the band in Justin Granados, now 15.

“At first, it was really just us three and our bassist,” Chase said. “And then once [Justin] came along it was really just a family.”

Athens is now working on recording rough tracks for a demo, in the hopes of finding a record label.

“Our old EP doesn’t sound anything like what we sound like now,” Chase said. “They all say my voice, on the first song we recorded, I sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks…You can hear my voice go through puberty.”

But the band works hard on the quality of their performances, in addition to the quality of their songwriting. With the help of Jimmy Anderson, their manager and Beau’s dad, they’ve learned both the musical style and performance style of classic rockers.

“That’s kind of what separates us from being another kids’ band – that we have confidence on stage,” Justin said.

Josh Jordan, the nighttime manager for the 40 Watt Club, where Athens recently shot a music video, had good things to say about the band.

“I just think it’s great,” he said. “If you haven’t seen them, go see them…A little kid in leather pants – you can’t beat that.”

Although they’re young, the members of Athens made it clear that their age is not a gimmick.

“I feel like the Runaways, sort of, except young and not female,” Beau said. “But see, everyone thought they weren’t serious because they were all female, but they could rock. Really amazingly.”

Whether they’re performing for a small group or a crowded room, the guys of Athens are enthusiastic performers. At the end of one show, Beau smashed his guitar on the stage.

“I love seeing the reactions on their faces when they see something different or hear something different,” Zak said. “The hype and the excitement onstage is just what does it for me.”