From the beginning...
Volaré was started by Pat Strawser (keyboards) and Steve Hatch (guitar) in Athens, Georgia, in December of 1993. While students at University of Georgia, Pat and Steve met through a "musicians wanted" ad placed around town. They were joined by Brian Donohoe (drums) in February of 1994, and then later with Joh Friedrik-Nielsen in the spring.
The quartet began jamming and writing in Pat's bedroom, and had their first gig in the fall of 1994. By January of 1995, they were gigging regularly in and around Athens, most notably at local venues such as the Atomic Music Hall, Sneakers Philly Sub shop, and the 40 Watt Club. In 1995, Jon was replaced with Dave Denkman on bass, and then Marc Kesler on bass and saxophone in the early months of 1996. They were also joined by multi-instrumentalist Rob Sutherland (cello, trombone, ocarina). With this newer 5-piece lineup, the band recorded and released their first self-titled cassette demo in July of 1996, just in time for their appearance at the Eclectic Electric Event, a modest-sized progressive rock festival held in Louisville, Kentucky.
From there, Volaré continued to write and built their audience, though still playing mainly in and around Athens and Atlanta. After the departure of Rob Sutherland in the summer of 1996, the quartet came to the attention of Ken Golden at Laser's Edge records, who signed a recording deal with them. In the spring of 1997, they recorded their first full-length record, The Uncertainty Principle, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the help of Fred Schendel and Steve Babb of Glass Hammer. This record helped garner the attention of the progressive rock press, and gave the band international exposure and distribution.
The band's last gig was in September of 1997 at ProgDay in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In 1999, with the help of Geoff Logsdon and Pleasant Green Records, the band was able to remaster and re-release the first album (with three additional tracks) as "Memoirs."
The quartet began jamming and writing in Pat's bedroom, and had their first gig in the fall of 1994. By January of 1995, they were gigging regularly in and around Athens, most notably at local venues such as the Atomic Music Hall, Sneakers Philly Sub shop, and the 40 Watt Club. In 1995, Jon was replaced with Dave Denkman on bass, and then Marc Kesler on bass and saxophone in the early months of 1996. They were also joined by multi-instrumentalist Rob Sutherland (cello, trombone, ocarina). With this newer 5-piece lineup, the band recorded and released their first self-titled cassette demo in July of 1996, just in time for their appearance at the Eclectic Electric Event, a modest-sized progressive rock festival held in Louisville, Kentucky.
From there, Volaré continued to write and built their audience, though still playing mainly in and around Athens and Atlanta. After the departure of Rob Sutherland in the summer of 1996, the quartet came to the attention of Ken Golden at Laser's Edge records, who signed a recording deal with them. In the spring of 1997, they recorded their first full-length record, The Uncertainty Principle, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the help of Fred Schendel and Steve Babb of Glass Hammer. This record helped garner the attention of the progressive rock press, and gave the band international exposure and distribution.
The band's last gig was in September of 1997 at ProgDay in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In 1999, with the help of Geoff Logsdon and Pleasant Green Records, the band was able to remaster and re-release the first album (with three additional tracks) as "Memoirs."