Biography

Formed in the Summer of 2006, Suburban Soul has played extensively in venues throughout the southeast, steadily building a grassroots following.
The band entered the studio in 2007 to produce “The Basement Sessions EP”. This first offering from the Athens 4-piece made it’s way to hundreds of eager fans and the ears of Nashville producers Jon Denney and Mike Farona. Jon and Mike led Suburban Soul to Nashville where they began recording their first full-length effort in the fall of 2008.

With a new record under their belt and a polished new sound, Suburban Soul is catching ears in the music industry and picking up new fans every time they play. With their cleverly crafted songs filled with witty lyrics and catchy hooks, you’ll be singing Suburban Soul to yourself for days after your first experience.

Andy Greene Ball

The son of a banjo player/father and a studio singer/mother, Andy Greene Ball grew up in a very musical household. He began playing the trumpet at 12 and continued with it into high school in the marching band. At 14, Andy’s mother showed him a few chords on the guitar and the rest he learned for himself from the Internet.

Between marching band rehearsals and playing cymbals for his school’s indoor drumline, Andy formed a rock band, Later, with three classmates. Andy began writing music at 17 as Later played at school functions and friends’ parties and eventually at the Gwinnett Arena in front of 7,000 people.

In 2003 Andy attended the North Carolina School of the Arts for filmmaking and wrote several songs that would appear in various student films. In 2006 several of his poems were published in the literary magazine, Political Dogma, and in 2007 he placed 4th in the famous Eddie’s Attic Acoustic Open Mic Singers & Songwriters Shootout.

Zane Ball, one of Andy’s two brothers, is also a musician and plays keyboards and sings backup on several Suburban Soul tracks.

Gram Wire

Born in Snellville, Georgia on March 2, 1987. His first exposure to music was the early 90’s grunge era which influenced him to take up an instrument at a very early age. Bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Rage Against The Machine, Sublime, and Pearl Jam pushed him to want to learn guitar – but his parents suggested he learn a “quieter” instrument, so, at 7, he began taking piano lessons.

In middle school, at 13, he got his first guitar – a $99 Fender acoustic, and started to take formal lessons from classical guitarist Jeff Griffin.

At the same time he learned to play mandolin from his grandfather, a bluegrass musician. He became proficient in many styles, including blues, reggae, and hard rock and looked to start his own band.

By high school he had played in numerous garage bands, most of which never made it past the garage. But in his senior year he started his first serious band, Cicero. By 2005 Cicero had a substantial local following, opening up for Cartel and State of Man. Creative differences broke up Cicero in 2007 and some members went on to form Sunset Soundtrack. Gram opted to do home recordings of guitar for local rappers, heightening his appreciation for hip hop and giving him ideas for starting a non-genre specific group with a mixture of styles.

He met Andy Greene Ball at a house party in 2006 and asked to audition for the already formed Suburban Soul. He now holds the lead guitar chair where he casts a big, chop-heavy shadow.

Drew Simon

Originally from Akron, Ohio, moved to Athens, Georgia with his metal band Kaligo. [Pronounced (Kuh-lee-go]. Kaligo were honored to share the stage with such acts as: Mushroomehead, Killswitch Engage, Meshuggah, God Forbid, The Black Dahlia Murder, Everytime I Die, and many more. Originally a guitar player, Drew was the creative force of Kaligo. The band worked vigorously on their long awaited record in their own home studio until inevitable decay saw the band to their final breath.

Discovered by Kaligo’s bassist, Kurt Blankenship, at a burrito shop in Athens, Andy Greene Ball and his band Suburban Soul came to record tracks for “The Basement Sessions” at Kaligo’s studio, Odd Squad Entertainment, run by Kaligo’s drummer, Dylan Roth.

Through a series of changes Drew was asked and agreed to play bass for Suburban Soul, a group he had grown to admire.

Once a metal guitarist, now playing rock bass, Drew enjoys the fun of a simple song format and approaching music from a new angle. He has learned a lot switching from guitar to bass and from metal music to pop-rock. Eager and impatient, Drew cannot wait to achieve with Suburban Soul the goals he had with Kaligo – touring through the states, opening for major label acts, radio interviews, and blowing up a die-hard fan base.

Also be sure to check out Drew Simon’s sister, Cassie Simone, a pop recording artist making her way in L.A.

Dylan Roth

The son of a professional drummer, Dylan began gigging on drums for pay at the age of 14. He soon got the recording bug and began dabbling in music production in 1999. He produced a friend’s first band’s EP from his mother’s basement in Northeast Ohio. That work quickly opened doors and for the next several years he saw a dramatic increase in his capabilities, visibility, workload, and quality of product.

In late 2006, Dylan relocated to Athens, Georgia, bought a house and set about realizing a dream – to own and operate a professional digital recording facility: Odd Squad Entertainment Studios.

In 2008 Dylan relocated to Nashville, Tennessee to be closer to the mainstream recording industry.

Dylan brings his considerable experience and talent as a percussionist and touring musician to Suburban Soul.