Kelly Shaefer - Vocals Migwell Przybyl - Bass Shawn Bowen - Guitars Jason West - Drums Chris Rollo - Guitars
In an era defined by trendy rap-rock, candy-coated pop, and hopelessly homogeneous hip-hop, NEUROTICA (Kelly Shaefer - Vocals, Shawn Bowen - Guitar, Chris Rollo – Guitar, Migwell Przybyl – bass and Jason West - drums) sticks to its guns and churns out blistering hard rock. "We're influenced by emotions and the power of music," singer Kelly Shaefer declares. "We're hooked on it like a drug. We love to play live, love to record, we love it all. We're eager to get out and conquer."
Despite the band's energy and enthusiasm, not to mention the support of industry insiders and hometown fans, NEUROTICA has taken time to build up their following. Formed with guitarist Shawn Bowen in 1995 after Shaefer left his previous project, Metal Blade death metal act Atheist, NEUROTICA spent two years slugging it out in Florida clubs before they were noticed.
How fitting, then, that the band was discovered by long-time AC/DC front man Brian Johnson, who happened to be having a beer at a bar where the Floridian rockers were playing a low-profile but high-energy gig. Blown away by their performance, he introduced himself to them after their show and offered whatever support he could, then convinced his friend Doug Kaye to sign them to his indie label.
"I just wanted to help," Johnson told Metal Edge magazine about producing NEUROTICA's 1998 indie debut album Seed. "It was not so much producing, I just went in and tried to help them as much as I could. It was [done at] a little sixteen-track studio. They had some great songs, but I was basically showing them how to arrange [them] and just make them exciting by having highs and lows and drama. They're great kids; I think they've got a big future."
Their self-titled sophomore effort will be released by KOCH Records/ Smackdown! on June 25, 2002. The record was produced by Doug Kaye and mixed by Kevin "Caveman" Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Soil) and is full of body-slamming energy and mile-wide hooks. The first single, "All My Friends Crush You", proves it. The album features eleven hard-rocking tracks including "Ride of Your Life" (currently being heard by hundreds of thousands on the recent Columbia Records release WWF Forceable Entry), "Stars in My Eyes", "Touch the Sound" and more. Singer Kelly Shaefer says, "This is not a kiss you on the cheek record, it's a kick you in the teeth hard rock record."
NEUROTICA's motto has always been "ten is restricting", but its more than sheer volume that has helped to cultivate a strong regional fan base. The group has played the annual Florida rock festival Livestock for four consecutive years, performing alongside the likes of Creed, Limp Bizkit, Fuel, Kid Rock and Staind to audiences as large as 35,000 people.
And then World Wrestling Federation Entertainment decided they wanted to get into the music business with Smackdown! Records. "What we found was an unprecedented situation," remarks Singer, Kelly Shaefer. After nearly seven long years, NEUROTICA is due for a big rock 'n' roll payoff. The band has always been hungry for success, and the theme of trying to make it has surfaced on both of their albums. "There are definitely lyrics that involve my personal feelings towards trying to make it as a musician and trying to pursue my dreams," remarks Shaefer. "I like writing music that gets people off. I want to write a song that the whole world can sing."
