Every Direction by The Lash

Recent recordings have been described as Americana or Alt-Country, and some of the newest songs by The Lash could be called World Beat.

The Lash has played on both coasts of the United States, and most points in between. They’ve shared the stage with traditional Irish acts like The Clancy Brothers, chart-toppers like Hootie and The Blowfish, and alt-country icons like The Waco Brothers. The band has never had trouble endearing itself to new audiences. The Lash has performed over 2000 shows, and it doesn’t look like they intend to slow down.

The Lash possesses a repertoire of songs that rivals any of their contemporaries. Along with an impressive catalog of original songs, they are able to cover a broad spectrum of roots based music, from traditional Irish fiddle tunes to Delta Blues, with a little Classic Rock and Country thrown in just to mix things up.

“Celtic Mayhem Live”, their first album, was recorded in 1997. Taped in front of a sell-out crowd, the disc, which cost less than $500 to make, sold over one thousand copies in one week. That might not be a feat of major record label proportions, but for an independent band, it’s the equivalent of a gold record. Rob Klajda is the only current member of The Lash to have played on that album, and is still the principal songwriter for the band.

“Every Direction”, the band’s 2001 offering, not only introduced bass player Tom Beller, but also brought traces of Hip-Hop, Bluegrass, and Cajun music to The Lash sound. “Every Direction” has sold thousands of copies, and is popular on many digital download sites, such as iTunes, Rhapsody, and Napster.

“Fire Under Grace” is the long awaited third album from The Lash. It is the first to feature drummer Murray Stewart-Jones, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Potrykus. Murray was formerly with the Indie/Folk Rock band Half Looking. She joined The Lash shortly after the release of “Every Direction”. Jon spent several years in New Mexico with The Last Mile Ramblers, where he filled the spot vacated by slide guitar legend Junior Brown. Both Murray and Jon have become songwriters for the band, and each has contributed new material to “Fire Under Grace”.

In the end, there’s only one thing that makes The Lash radically different from other bands. It’s not that they don’t follow the rules of music. It’s that they don’t even acknowledge them.

"The Lash represents a traditional music movement that may have escaped the mainstream by virtue of escaping definition." The Grand Rapids Press Grand Rapids, MI

"The Lash- a powerhouse of an act- rocked the vocal crowd. Their music flowed from traditional Irish to Zydeco and Ska; a definite and refreshing change." The Muskegon Chronicle Muskegon, MI

"The Lash has a polished stage act and possesses a repertoire of songs that rival any of their contemporaries. They bring back the best traditions of rock and roll energy, showmanship and good humor and meld them with Celtic lyricism and melody." Chicago Barfly Chicago, IL

"The Lash is that rare band that manages to have it both ways- they bring together the fire and fury of rock and roll with the mysterious, otherworldly joys and sorrows of traditional Celtic music and the results are strong and engaging fun." Capitol Times Lansing, MI

“It's so refreshing when a group of traditional musicians deviate from the predictable path and let their music lead them into new territory. Michigan-based group, The Lash, fuse the framework of traditional Irish music with rock, punk and even techno stylings to create a unique form of music.”

The Minnesota Daily, Minneapolis, Minnesota

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