David and Matthew met at a Philadelphia area fundraiser for a friend’s cancer non-profit. Cocktail party banter turned to music and the two realized they were both at the same place in their lives: too far away from playing in a band. In the summer of 2016, Dave and Matt learned a list of covers from their wheelhouse: the nineties and 2000s. U2, Radiohead, REM… It was nostalgic. Fun. But somewhere along the way, covers lost their intrigue and writing songs became a priority. Riffs recorded and texted met lyrics on the other end, Sunday all-day rehearsals became creative sessions. And goals were set: Share music with others. That’s what music is for. This venture needed a name. Dave noticed a sign on his way to Matt’s house in Ardmore, PA. “Ardmore. Formerly Athensville. Renamed… 1873.” An obscure historical footnote and a serendipitous allusion to a shared favorite band’s hometown gave both David and Matt a sense of permanence, of concreteness. Athensville would be a good place to stay. After a screen-shattering ‘launch’ party at Dave’s house, at which the electric/acoustic duo played 30 covers and entertained the invited neighbors and friends, Athensville began playing out. Throughout the summer and fall of 2017, Matt and Dave played The Grape Room in Manayunk, Fergie’s Pub in Center City, The Philadelphia Brewing Company, and a few other local bars. Covers started to make way for their originals as the duo set new goals: record these songs and add a rhythm section. With influences as far-flung as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Smiths, and Rodriguez, and with Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies in their heads (“Remember the quiet evenings,” “Don’t be afraid of things because they are easy to do”), Athensville took five original songs into the studio in March of 2018. Good friend and drummer Tom Mellon of Philly’s own The Parsnip Revolt, along with good friend and singer Jenn Wilkinson of East Branch Revival, joined them to lend their abundant talents to the project. Outside of the studio or, more precisely, in the lobby and hallway of the studio, the BandMix and Craigslist search for a drummer and bassist gained steam and soon made headway. Enter James Farrell, veteran drummer playing with several area bands. As James walked into the rehearsal studio for an audition, the Athensville sound was about to take a massive step forward. Dave and James began the opening instrumental measures to a U2 classic and a genuine rock and roll chemistry revealed itself. James’s precision and acumen were immediately evident and his depth and range were so strong that Dave and Matt didn’t hesitate for a second. Athensville had found a drummer. The fact that he works for the National Park Service, guaranteeing Athensville free entrance to Yellowstone for life, was not a factor. Still “bass-less”, Dave took up the bass and Athensville persisted in the studio; making progress, making decisions, making friends with Grammy Award-winning and platinum record-having recording engineer and producer Glenn Barratt of MorningStar Recording Studios in East Norriton, PA. As final tweaks and harmonies were being added to the EP in early June of 2018, Matt’s son introduced him to the father of a friend. “You should meet this guy, Dad. He’s a musician and a really nice guy.” “This guy” was Abhi Taranath. Music teacher, guitar player, ukulele player, and… wait for it… bass player. Matt, Dave, and James had another bass player audition scheduled for that very day and when that went just about as poorly as it could… Matt was on the phone with Abhi, who auditioned the next week with a seriousness and attention to detail, bested only by his talent and considerable versatility. Bassist, new friend, incredible value added… check, check, and check. As the recording came together, Matt and Dave took a moment to reflect on the flourishing of this project since its conception two years prior. They agreed that this EP was the essence of what they had started; a true manifestation of why they connected on that first night. This EP is the center of Athensville. It’s Athensville, Proper. Athensville Proper is now available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, CDBaby.com, and of course the enduring Compact Disc featuring the impressive artwork of Steve Perry. Join Athensville as they perform throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond.
Scott McClatchy started out as the singer/songwriter/guitarist for Philadelphia's The Stand. McClatchy guided The Stand through a successful run that included being named Best Unsigned Band by both East Coast Rocker magazine & WMMR Radio. McClatchy’s music blurs the lines between all styles of American music. Rock, folk and country are all touchstones of his song writing. McClatchy and his band have worked nationally with acts as varied as Steve Earle, John Hiatt, Confederate Railroad, The BoDeans and Little Steven. McClatchy also performed acoustically with artists like T-Bone Burnette and Corey Glover (Living Colour). McClatchy left his native Philadelphia for New York City to join forces with Scott Kempner and Manny Caiati of The Del Lords. In 2000, McClatchy and Kempner paired up as artist and producer on McClatchy's debut CD: “Blue Moon Revisited”. With follow up CDs; “Redemption” & “Burn This.” McClatchy then partnered up with Nashville songwriter & producer, Billy Lee, and released his 4th CD; “A Dark Rage." Scott McClatchy and Billy Lee have also co-written songs for the Nashville market. McClatchy has just started rehearsals for CD#5, this time, with a 10 piece band that will include a full blown horn section.
McClatchy has toured extensively since the last CD. He has traveled as guitar player for Hall of Fame member, Dion ["Runaround Sue"] and with Dave Kincaid’s [of The Brandos] “The Irish Volunteer” show. Three of Scott's songs can be heard on the soundtrack of the independent film, God, Sex & Apple Pie, which won the Award For Best Picture at the 30th Parallel Film Festival. And, more recently, one of McClatchy's songs: "Take A Walk With Me" was performed, in it's entirety, to close out an episode of the TNT tv show: "Rizzoli & Isles."
Jeff Pettit didn't wait for his parents to buy him an instrument; he began making music with pots, pans, and the garden hose when he was 2. Since then he has toured the country (as a founding member of seminal NY band YOLK), opening for bands such as Steely Dan, Alabama Shakes, Hall and Oates and Violent Femmes; recorded on major label albums, produced music for film and commercial projects such as Nissan, CNN, and NBC; earned two music degrees in music and studio production; built his own studio in which he has recorded three albums by himself. On his latest (Pretty Not Terrible), he wrote, recorded, produced, and sang every note. He has crafted a unique solo show to highlight the songs and his skills as a vocalist, guitarist, saxophonist, flautist, keyboardist, and percussionist.