According to Jason Gleason, ActionReaction's spark and individuality relies not on any single member, but on their combined personality and styles: We're all very different people, but when it comes to the band, those differences are what makes ActionReaction special.
After leaving his post as front man for Further Seems Forever in 2004, Jason left sunny Florida and headed north to New Jersey, joining Bella and Salvatore from the band, Element 101. An intricate web of history, laced with blue-collar bindings, carried them through days of construction work and nights of music-making. It was so satisfying to just create without an agenda or boundaries; ideas would just flow freely, Gleason muses. Moving in together under one roof, the trio started taking their music more seriously and fine tuned their jam sessions into songs. We all have
very different backgrounds in rock, classical, and funk and have been really getting into reggae and soul lately. Every band hopes to do something unique and move beyond what has been done in the past. Hopefully our music is part of this evolution and people can and will identify with it. The three agree on a few bands over the past few years which have influenced them: Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elbow, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Outkast, David Bowie, ELO and Queen.
Lyrically, Gleason asks questions of morality and nature. The world is so challenged right now. We just can't seem to learn from our own mistakes. I wonder what would happen if it ended tomorrow. Gleason still finds hope in nature, I wrote a lot about the sun and moon as metaphors for light and dark. I love the space above. It means everything. You look up and realize that there are some things you can't control, and that you just have let yourself roll with the punches. He also feels that the essence of the band's name is expressed in the lyrics. We live in a technological environment where everyone is so well connected, but at the same time more distant than ever from being face to face. We forget that our actions have bearing on other people and the earth... that's the reaction.
Playing a handful of local shows led to ActionReaction signing with Hope Division Records, a subsidiary of Equal Vision Records. I don't know if we fit in with other bands at the label, Gleason admits, but they give us the freedom to do whatever we want artistically, and that really means a lot to us.
After the self-released ActionReaction EP and a national tour, the band returned to the studio to record their full-length debut, 3 Is The Magic Number with producers Junior Sanchez, Ray Martin (Gorillaz, Bloc Party) as well as Rick Ruben protege, Jason Lader (Nightmare Of You, Men Women & Children, Rilo Kiley). 3 Is The Magic Number further demonstrates ActionReaction's ever-growing musicianship, maturity, and a rapidly developing sense of unity.
Though generally defined as alt-rock, it is difficult to accurately fit ActionReaction into one genre. On stage, Jason's charismatic, marathon vocals, Bella's sultry, commanding presence and Sal's heavy bass coalesce into a striking celebration of the senses, rounded out by an additional three musicians. ActionReaction knows that they have a long road to travel to deliver their message, but can't wait to get in the van and go.
Taken from Equal Vision Records
http://www.equalvision.com/evr/bands.php?band_id=68
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