Biography
American Bang emerged from Nashville as a four-piece outfit devoted to raucous, strutting hard rock that blended classic style with contemporary energy and attitude. The musicians set out to demonstrate that rock still had a place in the heart of country music’s capital. Formed in mid-2005, the group drew its members from two earlier Nashville rock bands that had dissolved. Lead guitarist Ben Brown and drummer Neil Mason had previously performed with Llama, whose 2001 MCA album received little attention, while lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jaren Johnston had played drums in the Kicks, whose 2004 TVT release preceded the group’s breakup.
After the Kicks folded, Johnston began composing new material and called on longtime friends Brown and Mason to refine the songs. Adding bassist Kelby Ray, the four began performing in local rock clubs under the name Bang Bang Bang and soon filled 300-capacity rooms. By the close of 2005 they had issued their self-released debut, I Shot the King. Within the following year the band shared bills with O.A.R., Shooter Jennings, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In 2006 Bang Bang Bang secured a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, and the following year the musicians started work on their first album for the label. Before finishing the project they discovered that another act was already using the name Bang Bang Bang, prompting them to announce a change to American Bang in August 2007. That October they issued the EP Move to the Music on Warner Bros. and pressed on with the full-length album, which finally appeared in 2010 after they moved to Reprise.
The album fell short of commercial expectations, and Ben Brown departed to pursue a solo career. Johnston, Mason, and Ray carried on as a trio, first calling themselves the Cadillac Black and later the Cadillac Three. In this new configuration they opened shows for Eric Church and Dierks Bentley, appeared on the television series Nashville, and released a self-titled debut album in 2013.
After the Kicks folded, Johnston began composing new material and called on longtime friends Brown and Mason to refine the songs. Adding bassist Kelby Ray, the four began performing in local rock clubs under the name Bang Bang Bang and soon filled 300-capacity rooms. By the close of 2005 they had issued their self-released debut, I Shot the King. Within the following year the band shared bills with O.A.R., Shooter Jennings, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In 2006 Bang Bang Bang secured a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, and the following year the musicians started work on their first album for the label. Before finishing the project they discovered that another act was already using the name Bang Bang Bang, prompting them to announce a change to American Bang in August 2007. That October they issued the EP Move to the Music on Warner Bros. and pressed on with the full-length album, which finally appeared in 2010 after they moved to Reprise.
The album fell short of commercial expectations, and Ben Brown departed to pursue a solo career. Johnston, Mason, and Ray carried on as a trio, first calling themselves the Cadillac Black and later the Cadillac Three. In this new configuration they opened shows for Eric Church and Dierks Bentley, appeared on the television series Nashville, and released a self-titled debut album in 2013.
Albums
Singles
