Line-up: Billy Clifton - lead vocals Paul Grocz - guitar John Scalise - bass Craig Lawlor - drums
ashes.are.nutritious is a progressive/experimental/rock band based out of East Brunswick, NJ. The band was formed in Jan 2004, and is composed of Billy Clifton (lead singer), Paul Grocz (guitar), and the rhythm section of John Scalise (bass) and Craig Lawlor (drums). Influences on the band include Tool, The Mars Volta, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, At the Drive-In, Refused.. Ashes strives to push the boundaries of genre, and self-medicate through musical expression.
Their full length debut Frustration+ was engineered and produced by Billy Graziedei and Danny Schuler of Biohazard in the summer of 2006. They have shared the stage with Biohazard, Suicide City, Streetlight Manifesto; and played The Bamboozle Festival with My Chemical Romance, Thrice, Alkaline Trio, The Bouncing Souls. Recent highlights include playing at the Asbury Music Awards at the Stone Pony, Jersey Shows 5th Anniversary Show at Starland Ballroom, being named in The Aquarian Weekly as one of "The Top Local Unsigned Acts," and having their song "Protrusion Of Truth" featured in the surfing video clip "The Grudge Match." ashes.are.nutritious are known throughout the area as a killer live band who win new, diehard fans with every show.
Lead singer Billy Clifton is a true frontman who owns the stage once the music hits. His striking stage presence and honestly delivered lyrics result in memorable performances night after night. Guitarist Paul Grocz provides the mystique that is a necessary ingredient for any great band. He draws on the trials of his past and channels it into an atmospheric, hypnotic style of guitar playing.
Bass player John Scalise is the son of Italian immigrants from the city of Catanzaro in Calabria Italy. John is known for his superb ear and passionate/frantic live performance. He blurs the lines between bassist, sound manipulator, and ambience painter. Drummer Craig Lawlor is also an accomplished actor and appeared regularly on the soap opera "As The World Turns" (from 1998-2002) as the character Adam Hughes. Thankfully, he found his way to the drum chair and quickly developed into the versatile, stick wielding machine that he is today. His intense/creative beats are another signature of the band.
