Ahnabith Gish
Ahnabith Gish ('anna-bith gish') is a progressive-rock band from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and is one of five bands chosen by X92 to play their showcase at Canadian Music Week '09 in Toronto
Ahnabith Gish's first album, the ep locus brought, speechless pathetic'' was released independently in 2006 and was followed up with their debut full lengthAre Wakeours Leep'' in 2008. Their music is inspired by the amalgamation of their individual influences ranging from Radiohead to Sepultura and has been referred to as dramatic-prog-rock.
History
The moniker Ahnabith Gish came to from four possible pseudonyms, misspelled and re-arranged into its current form. It represents The amalgamation of personalities. It should also be noted that the name has no intended connection to; the silver screen actress' Lillian Gish, Annabeth Gish of the X-Files or the debut studio album by The Smashing Pumpkins.
The Beginning
The roots of Ahnabith Gish's sound began with the acoustic writings of Hudon-Verrelli and cemented with the drumming style of Andrew Ulicki. After meeting Ulicki in late 2004 with the intention of joining a friends band and then again the following spring, they played out IDeaS from Hudon-Verrelli's Masbar'm dolls demo, and eventually started Ahnabith Gish.
Ahnabith's direction shifted with the additions of Dwayne Alhakone on lead guitar and Chris Webb on Bass, and in early 2005, recorded a demo at The Outhouse Studios1 which was unfortunately destroyed in its digital form, of which, none of the raw tracks were salvaged.
In this incarnation they play all of 2 shows before Alhakone and Webb leave the project in the fall of 2005. Fact: All members of Ahnabith Gish, past and present, attended the second show.
Locus Brought, Speechless Pathetic
In November 2005, the band was back down to 2 members when Hudon-Verrelli met Aaron MacInnis. MacInnis joined the band and introduced Masashi Hisataka on bass. This second incarnation departed from the bands acoustic roots due to the driving force of Hisataka's bass. Within 3 months the band learned of Hisataka's looming return to Japan and pulling all their resources, recorded the ep locus brought, speechless pathetic in Ulicki's bedroom with the help of Russ Porosky, also known as The Indy Army Network.2
On the eve of the ep release show (May 6, 2006), Porosky's server, containing both masters and raw tracks, crashed and the entire ep was lost. A quick demo was thrown together and distributed in lieu of the final masters, but the recovery was never completed and the release left a sour taste in the bands mouth. After re-establishing the tracks to their former glory, another fatal crash claimed all the raw tracks and the band was again left with nothing. Somehow, miraculously, early versions of the ep were found floating on Porosky's server, yet the band pulled away from the prospect of properly releasing the ep due to duress.
During this time Hisataka returned to Japan and a replacement effort took place. This role was filled by Benjamin Middleton who created the fourth incarnation of the band and learned the ep in 2 weeks by playing it through a summer of shows. He quickly becomes an integral part of the project.
After consideration, the band decided to bring the tracks to local engineer Mark Senicki, and had them re-worked and mastered for the 3rd time. 1 year to the day, on May 4 2007, the ep was finally sold at a show.
After a tumultuous ride of both setbacks and in-fighting over artistic direction, Aaron MacInnis called it quits in the spring of 2007 and pursues his solo career asLesssound.
Are Wakeours Leep
Reluctant to continue as a fifth incarnation, the band brings in Cian Haley, an old friend to join and solidify the lineup for good. Helping to write the 2nd album, an amalgamation of the past and present sound of Ahnabith Gish, Haley tours Central Canada with the band in the summer of 2007.
In the spring of 2008, 3 years after its founding, Ahnabith Gish returned to the studio to record their full length Are Wakeours Leep with Mark Senicki. 5 months after, on October 14, 2008, they officially release the lp to respected reviews
Members
Dario Hudon-Verrelli was born and raised in Montreal, QC. He moved to Calgary several times while backpacking across Canada and Europe before settling there. He is considered the principle songwriter in Ahnabith. He married Jacqueline Hudon, a children's book illustrator in 2007.
Andrew Lawrence Ulicki was born in Calgary and was raised between there and New Zealand. An avid metal aficionado, he is also a part of several other Calgary bands, most notably Ost Est Ima3, an Old School Death Metal project.
Benjamin Middleton was born in Edmonton, Ab and raised in Calgary. A graphic designer by trade, music instructor by profession, Middleton was not a bass player prior to joining Ahnabith, having learned the instrument while touring locus brought, speechless pathetic. He grew up within Calgary's burgeoning punk scene as a guitarist in the now defunct O.C.S. (Our Common Struggle)4.
Cian Rafferty Haley was also born in Calgary but was raised in Johannesburg, SA. Haley honed his musicianship while in Ahnabith and began several side projects with Benjamin Middleton including Open City ( whos line up also included Aaron Macinnis ) and Oak Mot. Haley is currently working with Mount Analogue of which Hudon-Verrelli is also a member.
Discography
- locus brought, speechless pathetic - 2006 - Independent
Produced by Russ Porosky and Ahnabith Gish, engineered by Russ Porosky, mastered by Mark Senicki
- Are Wakeours Leep - 2008 - Independent
Produced by Mark Senicki and Ahnabith Gish, engineered and mastered by Mark Senicki