Jim and Carolyn Werking drove their van from California to Austin based on the advice of stranger in a bar. When they arrived in Austin they did not know anyone, did not have a place to live and most importantly did not have jobs. Only a few years earlier Jim had been a member of Tao Jonz, a very successful band out of Southern California. Tao Jonz's mix of rock, ska and reggae earned praise from Bill Locey in the L.A. Times; "For my money (and I get in free), the Mudheads out of Ventura and Tao Jonz out of Santa Barbara were the best two local bands of all time." Carolyn was also singing in a band. Their bands broke up, and soon the Werkings got tired of chasing the California dream. So they drove to Austin to jump on the technology boom.
Jim landed a high tech job where he met Mike Shapiro another newcomer to Texas. Mike had played drums in various bands in Miami with rock, reggae and jazz influences. They started jamming together and were soon talking about a band. Carolyn, who found a computer job, was singing. Alan Goldberg, another Austin tech immigrant, joined the trio after a year. Al had already released solo disks of organic keyboard music. That style was meshed with the melodic pop writing Jim was now doing. The final ingredient was bass player Adam Diskin, yet another new transplant to the area. Adam also played in Southern California band and Seattle bands, and he brought a beach and party feel with him.
By day the members of the band worked their jobs through Austin's boom and dot com bust but at night they played just for the joy and release of making music. After three years of jamming (and changing employers), the Damage Project has found a style and sound that combines these elements into their own unique style, now known affectionately as "Texas Hill Country Surf Music".
Track List:
1. When You Were Free
2. Ruby
3. Simple If
4. Kick Back
5. Trouble
6. Another Day
7. Take Me Madonna
8. I've Fallen Again
9. Even Superheroes Get the Blues
Suggested CDs:
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