Although Moving Atlas has only been together since early 2005, the roots that make up this band run long and deep. Guitarist Ricky Dansby came across drummer Matt Baker while both were in different projects but playing at the same venue in the mid '90s. Ricky and Matt started hanging out together and eventually started their own band. In the late '90s they had to replace their bassist and contacted Geoff Lucke. Ricky had heard about Geoff from the local scene and knew he was looking for a band. After playing together in several versions of this project and never reaching their goals, each member eventually went in their own direction.
In 2004, Ricky met guitarist Ben Scott. Ben had been working on a lot of his own original music and had several song ideas for Ricky to listen to. The two played together for a couple of months, creating several acoustic songs and learning each other's writing styles. Ricky soon contacted Geoff to see if he would be interested in allowing them to showcase their new music. After hearing the two play, Geoff instantly knew this was the next musical project for him. After spending a couple of months as a trio, the three tightened up their music and polished their new sound.
The band's next step was to find a drummer. Returning to their roots, they contacted Matt Baker. Like Geoff, Matt knew after listening to the three others play that he wanted to be part of this kind of music. With four musical pieces now in place, the band members spent the next couple of months playing together and refining their sound.
In early 2006, Moving Atlas started auditioning singers. From the first moment Dunagin Gaines started ad-libbing to the band's array of music, everyone knew he was the missing piece that completed the evolution of Moving Atlas. After three practice sessions, the band set out to play its first gig and was overwhelmed by the response. Watch for great things to happen for this band!
Read more...