Artist Spotlight – PASSAFIRE

There are a lot of bands that have been discovered in small bars or clubs in places like The Warehouse, a small bar in Savannah, Georgia, where the beer is cheap and the music is local. These bars along the banks of the Savannah River are places where both locals and tourists discover some great bands that merge a diverse collection of musical genres to create sounds that are unique. Known to locals as the Hostess City of the South, Savannah has its own home-grown history of successful bands that originated from the city.

Perpetual Groove, The Codetalkers, Black Tusk, Kylesa and Passafire are just of few of the prominent bands that have been fortunate enough to call Savannah their home.

Passafire as a band came together in 2003 while its members were students at Savannah College of Art and Design. They initially began to play local gigs around Georgia and quickly gained a following that led them to record and release their first studio album, Passafire, in 2006. Passafire’s original lineup consisted of guitarist/lead vocalist Ted Bowne, drummer Nick Kubley, keyboardist Adam Willis and bassist Tom Heet. After reaching some early success with their debut album in 2006, bassist Tom Heet decided to leave the band and was quickly replaced with Will Kubley, brother of Nick Kubley, and had been a successful bassist in another band.

In 2008, Passafire hit the road on the Here Comes the Law Tour that was an 18-stop tour across the U.S. Headlining the tour was experienced road band Pepper along with supporting band The Supervillains. The work on the tour led to Passafire being signed to LAW records, which paved the way for the release of the band’s third album, Everyone on Everynight, a fitting title for a band that brings their best each night to every show.

Start from Scratch became Passafire’s sixth album and also marked the departure of original keyboardist Adam Willis from the band in 2010. The band found keyboardist Mike DeGuzman, who had been on tour in Chicago with The Expendables.

Ted Bowne would tell you that a band with the type of perseverance that Passafire has continues to stay relevant with a steady touring pace that keeps this band in the forefront and on top of a stage near you. Bowne says,

“Touring is the best way to keep the buzz about the band going. What keeps it fun and exciting is the people we meet and places we get to see. We are in a new city every day so there’s always something to go see or do.”

The band has gained notoriety not only through its music but also by touring with some big names in the music industry including 311, Slightly Stoopid, Matisyahu, Michael Franti, and The Wailers.

Passafire is not defined by one particular sound or genre; this dynamic band has gradually morphed itself into a variety of genres including reggae, rock, and hip hop and continues to be a band not limited to a specific music style.

Perhaps the most appealing characteristic of Passafire is that the quartet genuinely has fun during their live performances. Regardless of the venue, this band delivers a healthy dose of music to those who come to share in their passion. The on-stage presence clearly sets this band apart and has created a devout group of fans who follow their every move.

Touring is the band’s secret to longevity. If a band does not produce new music or continuously tour, eventually what usually happens is that no one listens to their music and no one goes to their shows, and then they fade into oblivion. Passafire’s ninth studio album Longshot was released in mid 2017. It was said to be a collection of songs that were inspired by the experiences along with the people and places they encountered during their collective time in the band.

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