Edisun

QUESTION – How is the summer going for Edisun?

JK: Good so far. Finished the new record and did a 10 day tour of Singapore and Diego Garcia for the US troops [US Naval Support, Indian Ocean]. No serious touring till fall.

QUESTION – How was it recording your album Collision?

MR: Enlightening and humbling at the same time! Charley Drayton (Producer) gave us a new insight {into the music we were writing]. He opened up our ears to new ideas on songs we had been playing for several months, and help craft them with a whole new vibe.

JK With Charley, We did a few different things. a few of the songs we setup in a live recording situation doing all the main tracks so the band has more of a heartbeat. I feel that makes a record sound more real.

QUESTION – When writing a song, is there such a thing as investing too much time? What’s the shortest time you ever took to write one? What was your strangest inspiration?

JK: A Song can come up over night and the basic idea done in 5 mins. Some songs take years to finish because as a artist you’re never finish. some times you need to tell yourself its done, so you can more on.

MR Sometimes you have to realize when to pull back from an idea or creative process because you have reached a plateau. And then there is stopping yourself from picking and prodding–the hardest part.

EI: I’m like the painter who never feels his work is finished. Sometimes you have to take the brushes out of my hand and hang the damn thing on the wall!

TB: Ethan writes the lyrics generally, and they always tell a story. He’s one of those guys who always paints a picture with his words, but you never know quite what inspired it. Musically, I get inspired by all sorts of drummers from Elvin Jones to John Bonham.

QUESTION – Vinyl is making a comeback. Do you have a personal preference? Is your band producing on vinyl?

EI: We are going to be releasing vinyl for sure, and we did a run of CD’s too. I just read there are still 85 Tower Record stores in Japan and they have an expression I really love: “No Music=No Life!” Ironically, the way we started building in Japan was when Sony Electronics started using our songs Ready to Believe and Silence (front-loaded) in their Walkman Mp3 players– something like 10 million sold since 2010. So we always had fans writing asking when they could buy our music in Japan. People there love collecting music they can hold in their hands. That’s how it was for me when I was a kid.

JK: I love vinyl, I the quality is much better. I feel like If CD’s never came out, the industry would still be booming, Maybe you could say the same about digital, I don’t know. Most people who have vinyl really take care of their collection. I prefer vinyl.

QUESTION – Touring places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait for United States Armed Forces Entertainment is a great accomplishment. Must feel good?

JK: Thank you very much. It is an accomplishment being to travel to these remote areas, a blessing as well. Having military in my family, I feel somewhat connected to what they go through. It feels great to bring a piece of home to them.

MR: This last trip {Diego Garcia- in the Indian Ocean] was incredible. We flew about 54 hours round trip to play two shows for the Fourth of July. And the island is like something out of “Lost,” white sands, blue waters, palm trees, coconut crabs and a runway. It was pretty spectacular, and one of those places you would never get to see. We have some photos of the trip on Instagram if you guys want to check that out.

QUESTION – How many shows do you play per year on average, and how crazy does the schedule get?

MR: Touring gets pretty wild but we do things a lot differently than a lot of bands. We have our own bus that we call Virginia, she’s a 1977 MCI that used to be a Greyhound Bus. So here’s a funny story…we got it from a Christian group and underneath the Edisun wrap there’s actually a big Jesus head on the back– I remember this old man who came up to us at a car wash and he says to Ethan – “Jesus is with you!” And Ethan was like “You’re so right!” You can see Virginia in both our videos for Medicate and Wide Awake. It’s actually driven by our soundman Dan and sometimes Ethan our singer. On our tour to to SXSW (down the east coast and across to Texas) in 2013, Ethan drove the whole tour. He says it kept him sober. All I know is he would drive overnight, sleep for an hour, and then sing his ass off. I had it easy.

JK: I’d say we do about 200 shows a year when we are in the US. Though last year was mostly in the studio and the year before was a lot of flying. We played in China, Italy, Slovenia and US Virigin Islands… all over the map!

TB: I loved touring in China. The wildest part wasn’t the schedule, it was the food. Trust me, there is no General Tso’s Chicken in all of China. We didn’t know what we were eating. I’m probably the most picky eater. I look for McDonalds wherever we go. Joel is the opposite, he eats everything and doesn’t ask questions.

QUESTION – As the band continues to play shows, I am sure you’ve met interesting fans and have good stories to tell. What’s the most interesting thing that’s happened on tour?

EI: For me, the moment that I always come back to was flying into northern Iraq on a C130 and doing what is called a combat landing, when the plane does an extremely fast landing, You’re sitting there, facing sideways, very uncomfortable, no windows, strapped in with body armor and a Kevlar helmet. All of a sudden, you’re experiencing every emotion that God gives you in about three minutes. Then you’re on the ground and it’s 120 degrees in the shade. Our first tour as a band and it’s in a war zone. The soldiers were incredible though. You played for them and you saw their faces, and you knew why you were there. It’s a part of why we are making music today.

QUESTION – Who would be some of your main musical influences today?

JK: I have many from the past, but a few today that I respect are: Incubus, Foo Fighters, Cold Play, Ryan Adams, The Used.

MR: Recently I have been listening to Alt J, new and old Muse. Between the Buried and me, Mastodon have also been on my radar. Its been a metal summer. One of my new favorite bands which really hits on many different levels is Thank You Scientist. Look out for those guys.

TB: People are always surprised to find out I went to Berklee in Boston, and actually graduated. The thing is I love playing rock, but I listen to Jazz all day long.

EI: I really like singer/songwriters who take you somewhere with a lyric and melody. I went to see Lee Dewyze and he blew me away.

QUESTION – How important is it for a musician in this generation to spend time on social media?

JK: Id say its 60/40. Its so saturated now there isn’t a perfect answer. If you don’t have the songs and ability to produce a good show, whats the point? But the catch 22 is its one of the few ways to connect with fans so they come to the shows.

EI: We spend a lot of time on social media, the band and our whole team. It’s really important for a band like Edisun because our fans are spread all over the world. We were really blown away this year when some of our people in France started calling themselves #EdisunFamily. That’s an honor– you know? The thing is to the kids, it’s not “social media.” It’s just hanging out with your friends through your phone. Fan letters come in 140 characters or less.

QUESTION – In your opinion, which album would be essential to have if someone were stranded on a deserted island?

MR: Mastodon – The Hunter

TB: The Best of John Coltrane.

EI: Led Zeppelin IV

JK: For me there’s only one choice: Bob Marleys Greatest Hits… on Vinyl please. - Music Legends Canada

TN Magazine: Let's talk a little about the history of the band. When did you originally form and is this the original line-up?

Ethan Isaac: 2005 is when the band Edisun formed. We initially spelled the name of the band “Edison” with an “O”. We toured under that spelling until 2010 and when we released the first album through EMI we changed the spelling of the name to EDISUN. This gave the band a unique name with an organic feel.

ITN Magazine: Do you remember how the idea of forming the band first came up?

Ethan Isaac: I was in a band at the time called Wooden and Jonathan Svec was in a band called Splender. Both our bands ended at the same time so my manager Arma Andon and Claude Villani suggested we start writing together. They booked us studio time at the Carriage House studios in Connecticut where we completed recording our first EP titled “seven.” This was the beginning of the band--formed around a classic line up similar to Page and Plant, lots of guitar riffs with melodic vocals.

Joel P Kelley: I joined (Edisun) when the Jonathan left for personal responsibilities. I had known Ethan for years, we met through mutual friends in the industry and we have had a great partnership. Todd Budich was already drumming in the group when I joined. Our bass player Michael Russo has been in the band two years. His first tour with us was in Shanghai, China in 2013 and it’s been a solid unit ever since.

ITN Magazine: How long after you formed was it until you played your first live show?

Ethan Isaac: Shortly after we finished our recording of the EP “seven” we were invited by Armed Forces Entertainment to go to South West Asia to tour in support of our troops.

ITN Magazine: What are your memories of the performance?

Ethan Isaac: At first I didn’t know saying South West Asia is the same as calling it the Middle East! I don’t know who wants their first rock tour to include flying through Iraq in a Blackhawk helicopter - but that’s how Edisun started. The tour included stops at military bases in United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait & and Germany. Since the beginning of our career, Edisun has played for US troops in over 20 countries, and that has been an amazing experience.

Joel P Kelley: I remember my first show with the band; three weeks later I was on a plane flying to Germany to play a festival show for US troops. It’s been nonstop ever since.

ITN Magazine: What is your latest album and why should people buy it?

Joel P Kelley: Our latest album that was just released to world is “Collision.” It’s an album that has so many great moments for me when I listen to it. It goes from riff rock to acoustic ballads and there are some new keyboard tricks. It’s definitely a record you can play from start to finish.

Todd Budich: For me, it doesn’t matter if people buy it, stream it, or just share it—I just want our fans to hear it, and hopefully enjoy what we’ve created.


ITN Magazine: Where did you record your latest release?

Ethan Isaac: We recorded at our studio in Connecticut called the Factory Underground. It is an old electronics factory that we turned into a funky, creative space that has a live showcase venue, 3 recording studios, an art gallery & a new record label. “Kill me with your Kiss,” the lead off track was mixed at Ron Saint Germain’s studio in New Jersey. We really happy to work with Ron on (the song)—he has mixed some of my favorite artists of all time (U2, Muse, 311, Soundgarden, etc)

ITN Magazine: Producers are a very important factor in recording a good record. Who did you use to produce your record?

Ethan Isaac: Claude Villani worked closely with the band on producing this record, as he has done since the beginning. We also worked with our friend (producer, songwriter and drummer) Charley Drayton, who is the guy that literally took Steve Gadd’s place drumming with Paul Simon—he’s a monster behind the kit and in the studio. He brought an organic quality to the recording process that we really enjoyed. (Note: Drayton produced three tracks: “Collision,” “Pins and Needles,” and “Vampires and Wolves.”)

ITN Magazine: Tell us about your experience in the studio recording the new record?

Ethan Isaac: This was the first time we worked with Charley (Drayton). He challenged the band and made us all better players and songwriters. Claude Villani has a very different style of producing; he strives for originality and demands a great performance. He doesn’t give you much time to achieve it so we always make sure we are prepared and well rehearsed.

Joel P Kelley: On the songs we did with Charley, we did a few things differently; we setup in a live recording situation, doing all the main tracks together. We went for performances that all felt good so the band had more of a heartbeat. I feel that makes a record sound more real.

Todd Budich: The two (different) approaches gave us the best of both worlds. I think “Collision” has a diverse sound because of it: its rock, alternative, acoustic--and its really hard too. All the songs have their own unique sound, which I’m really proud of.

ITN Magazine: Was the band comfortable in the studio?

Ethan Isaac: The Factory Underground is Edisun-headquarters, so yes it’s definitely home for us when are not on the road. We built an amazing space that is drawing a lot of creative talent together and we have a great team as a result.

Joel P Kelley: We have all been doing this a long time so we are all pretty comfortable in the studio. It’s an intense process, but fortunately, one that we enjoy very much. We have our days though….

ITN Magazine: Do you remember the very first time you heard the final mix of the new record and what you were thinking?

Ethan Isaac: I was thinking way too much. I was very close to the record at that point so I had to step back-trust the ears of the mix engineers and let them do their job. I am like a painter who never thinks the painting is complete. You need to pull the canvas and the paint brushes from my hands and hang the damn thing on the wall!

Joel P Kelley: When I got the record I went straight to the car to listen. The mix was great. It felt good to finally have it done. I remember thinking how far we have come as songwriters. We’ve come a long way to record these songs—about a hundred thousand miles!

ITN Magazine: Does the entire band contribute to the writing process?

Ethan Isaac: Yes we like to create in our space as a band. Getting a vibe, throwing down some drinks and having fun shedding through ideas.

Joel P Kelley: Most of songwriting starts with Ethan and me trading ideas. Then we all get in a room and pull from each other. It becomes an Edisun song when we are all together.

ITN Magazine: How do you feel the band has evolved musically and personally over the last year?

Ethan Isaac: We’ve grown tremendously as a band as writers and players. And now with “Collision,” that is something we are looking for to evolve and develop in our live show.

ITN Magazine: How would you categorize the style of the band?

Ethan Isaac: Jack Douglas (John Lennon producer) is a long time friend of mine I was really fortunate for the chance to work with. He described me as a singer “who goes East, West, North, and South.” This is how I would describe the sound of Edisun.

Joel P Kelley: The things about Edisun is we all come from different backgrounds: hard rock, metal, jazz and even classical. I’d say we are an Alternative Rock band with some classic roots.

Todd Budich: When we first came out (with “Medicate” and “Wide Awake”), we were more of a hard rock band in the “active rock” category. “Collision” brought us back to our alternative roots, and we’ve grown so much into being the band that could put out a record like this.

ITN Magazine: Can you share with us one or two of your favorite moments with the band?

Ethan Isaac: Flying in a C130 (military plane) doing a “combat landing” into Telafar, Iraq. That moment had the greatest impact on my music career. At that moment I felt every emotion God ever gave me in a span of 3 minutes!

Joel P Kelley: For me it was flying back home from Australia to New York City knowing I I had flown around the world to play guitar. A feat-I told myself I'd do when I was 14 years old.

ITN Magazine: How important do you rate the lyrical side of your albums?

Ethan Isaac: For me everything is lyrics and melodies. I love writing and am always pushing to get better. Lyrics must have imagery and are the stories on the album. Without great lyrics you have mediocrity.

Joel P Kelley: The lyrics are very important, but they need to complement the musical side as well. They need to have integrity as well as mystery—great lyrics leave things open for listener interpretation.

Todd Budich: Without great lyrics, it’s all just music and words.

ITN Magazine: Who or what inspired you to become a musician, what is your musical background?

Ethan Isaac: At the age of 13, my biological father Henry Wyatt, a New York City playwright, introduced me to Bruce Springsteen. He has been in charge of Lanford Wilson’s production of “Balm and Gilead” at the Minetta Lane Theater in Greenwich Village-- Bruce Springsteen’s album “Born to Run” album was the sound track for the play. The play starred actors John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, & Laurie Metcalf. I spent the summer working on that production along beside these amazingly talented people—it inspired me to want to get into the entertainment business.

Joel P Kelley: I've had music around me all my life. Being one of 6 (children), we all played something with my Mother on the piano, and my Father on the trumpet. My Dad always had vinyl records playing and my mom would wake us in the morning with her playing something on the piano. Piano was my first instrument and I’ve been singing as long as I can remember.Guitar came shortly after.

Todd Budich: I didn’t come from a musical family at all. But I took to drums at an early age and won some music awards in school. After high school, I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston—and I did actually graduate! A lot of people are surprised I went to Berklee because of the power, how I hit the drums when I play with Edisun. I love playing rock music, but I listen to jazz pretty much all the time.

ITN Magazine: What are your current tour plans, if any?

Todd Budich: Edisun is band that was born on the road. We’ve been very fortunate to build our amazing fan base all around the world--in 24 countries that we’ve been to so far. It’s all about bringing the music to the people—our fans will see us out there very soon.

Ethan Isaac: For those who haven’t seen our bus yet, it’s an old 1977 Greyhound Coach we call “Virginia.” Some people think we got it from Johnny Cash. Sometimes our sound engineer Dan drives it, and sometimes I drive it myself. It’s our home away from home. Believe me, when this thing pulls into town, you know it. Fans will be seeing us rolling into town very soon.

Joel P Kelley: We have been touring on and off right up to the release of "Collision" We just did an incredible trip to the middle of the Indian Ocean, below the equator, to play for the US Naval Support base Diego Garcia. We did that for a special show on July Fourth. It was fifty-four hours of flying to play for some special “out of town friends.” We stopped off for a couple of shows in Singapore, and then back home to release the album. We are planning to go back to Asia in 2016, Japan, China and Singapore again. China is an incredible place to play—we did two weeks there in 2013.

ITN Magazine: Describe your live performance for those who have never seen you live?

Ethan Isaac: Edisun performs with passion and authenticity. This is why we write music- so we can go and perform it.

Joel P Kelley: The band is hard hitting and energetic with big vocals and catchy riffs.

Todd Budich: It’s all about that connection with our fans, being ourselves, and just letting the music flow. Edisun has never been about a contrived show. We just go out there and play from the heart.

ITN Magazine: What one item do you have to have with you out on the road that you can't live without?

Ethan Isaac: My fucking phone… I hate my phone at the moment I can’t live without this digital complicated device. Someday soon when I go off the grid I will no longer need this thing.

Joel P Kelley: A favorite pair of jeans.

Todd Budich: My drums and a pair of sticks.

ITN Magazine: Do you have a favorite song you like to play live?

Ethan Isaac: My favorite is “Wide Awake (Riot In This Town).” We open most of our shows with this song and it always feels good!

ITN Magazine: What's your favorite city/venue to play in the U.S?

Ethan Isaac: Spokane, Washington/Knitting Factory-one of the great rock towns in the United States. I also love playing in Madison, Wisconsin, my original hometown. I’m a die-hard Packers and Brewers fan, and will be to the day I die.

Joel P Kelley: Boy there are so many around the world. In the US, I’d say "The Rave" in Milwaukee and “12th and Porter in Nashville. I love them both.

ITN Magazine: What one CD should everyone have in their collection?
Ethan Isaac: The Beatles/Let It Be
Joel P Kelley: The Beatles/Sargent Pepper

ITN Magazine: Tell us about your thought on your local music scene?

Ethan Isaac: Our local music scene is the Factory Underground. It’s our studio, our label and truly our home. When we recorded “Collision” we invited people into to the studio with us live on “Periscope,” and when we released the single “Kill Me with your Kiss,” we celebrated with an acoustic show that we streamed live to the world. It’s growing into a really cool scene that is drawing this huge amount of talent from all over the world. It’s incredible to be at the center of something so organic and thriving.

ITN Magazine: How can people get involved with Factory Underground? Is it a private studio?

Ethan Isaac: Edisun has our own secret hideaway at the Factory, but Factory Underground is a commercial recording studio as well. We are really lucky to have 7000 square feet of industrial space where we have built an incredible facility. If we didn’t want to go tour the world—we would never need to leave. We work with Kenny Cash, who I started the studio with about seven years ago. He is an incredible engineer-producer that people should definitely go work with. He mixed “Ocean Waves, and Vampires and Wolves” on our album. You can reach out through www.FactoryUndergroundStudio.com

ITN Magazine: Are there any new and upcoming bands that you are into?

Ethan Isaac: So many. One great thing about the World Wide Web is there is so much new music and I really enjoy discovering new music on Deezer, Spotify & Beats Radio.

Joel P Kelley: I’ve been listening to more of my old records latel: Motley Crue, Smashing Pumpkins, and the Rolling stones.

ITN Magazine: Why do you think people are into your music?

Todd Budich: People know that we are about making music we believe in; and that’s something they can believe in. They know that we perform from the heart and that’s always reflected in our live shows and the songs we write.

Ethan Isaac: I think our music is an extension of us as people, and that’s something I hope they like about us.

Joel P Kelley: Some of our fans this year started calling themselves #EdisunFamily on-line—that was a tremendous honor for us. If Edisun is something they feel proud to a part of, then we owe it to them to give it everything we have.

ITN Magazine: What does the next year hold for you and your band?

Ethan Isaac: I guarantee there will be a lot of driving our tour bus back and forth across America, and hopefully some flying as well. We would really like to tour in Japan, South America, Australia and just keep the family growing one show at a time.

ITN Magazine: Last record you purchased?

Ethan Isaac: My wife loves Rob Thomas I took her to the concert and the ticket came with the new album attached to it. I thought that was a terrific idea.

Joel Kelley: I recently went to a vinyl fair and picked up a few great records by Aerosmith, Rolling Stones and the Muse.

ITN Magazine: Would there be any one band or musician that would surprise us that you are listening to them?

Ethan Isaac: Many of them actually…but at the moment I am really enjoying the Scottish band the Chvrches.

ITN Magazine: Where can our readers find your band on the internet?

Ethan Isaac: Just type in the word Edisun on google and you will find us! Our website is www.EdisunMusic.com

ITN Magazine: How has Social Networking (Facebook,Twitter, etc.) impacted your band?

Ethan Isaac: The mystique in music has disappeared with all these new social networking sites-- this is a blessing and a curse. How it has changed for the better is we are quickly able to communicate with all our followers.

Joel Kelley: Our fans are really spread out, which comes from touring in so many different countries. Plus social media allows us to reach so many more people that we can play for in the future. So aside from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, we also write to our fans in about a dozen different languages through accounts specific to different countries—like Russia, Japan, etc.

Todd Budich: Fans know we don’t speak these languages—we use Google Translate—but it’s something different we are trying out. We started experimenting with platforms in other countries like “LINE” and “MIXI” in Japan, “VK and “Odnoklassniki” in Russia, “Weibo” and “WeChat” in China. It’s sort of crazy that we do this—but its part of it now-- being connected with the people that support us.

ITN Magazine: Thanks for answering these questions. Do you have any last comments or words of advice for aspiring musicians and people trying to get into the business?

Todd Budich: It’s really different now for kids. You can learn so much about anything on You Tube from playing music to starting a record company. But at the end of the day, whatever your passion is, that’s what you need to do..

Ethan Isaac: For us it’s been about doing our own thing, blazing our own trail, being really hands-on and DIY. Someone might have said, “You guys need to go get a record deal.” We built a recording studio instead. There’s no right way, just your own. - In The Now Magazine

Four years after their start and numerous shows played, Edisun is finally released their highly anticipated second album “Collision” on July 31st through the independent recording label SRG Records. NC13 Music News finally got their hands on this amazing album and it was literally music to our ears. The nine song album starts out with a track called Kill Me with Your Kiss. Vocalist Ethan Isaac’s voice draws you in from the moment it hits your headphones. Kill Me with Your Kiss has a whopping 6,836 views on youtube, which with well written music like this isn’t surprising!

Vampires and Wolves, along with Ocean Waves, are the two slow ballads Edisun offers us this round. Both songs have the listen and think effect that happens when you hear “that song” for the first time. You know what I’m talking about, that song that when you first hear it every word speaks to your soul, so you play it on constant repeat for the next four months. - NCMusicNews

Even as the area welcomes a slate of musical performers from around the world, a homegrown band is enjoying the release of a new album today.
“Collision” is the second album by the Norwalk-based band Edisun, which has spent the last several years working on this sophomore effort and touring internationally.
“It’s been great to get past this next step, our second album,” said lead vocalist Ethan Issac of Ridgefield.
During the past four years, Edisun, which also includes guitarist Joel Kelly of Bridgeport, drummer Todd Budich of South Salem, N.Y., and bass player Mike Russo of New Haven (guitarist Josh Jones, a Los Angeles resident joins them on the road), has toured 20 countries, visited nearly every state and used their time while not on the road to work on this new album at the Factory Underground studio in Norwalk.
It has been about five years since the band’s self-titled debut album. This time around, they called upon Claude Villani and Charlie Drayton to helm production duties; and Ron Saint Germain, Kenny Cash and John Shyloski for mix engineering. The quintet brought years of experience and success working in the music business.
The new record includes pieces that never made it on that first album, as well as some new material that was tried and tested on the road and created in Factory Underground studio in South Norwalk.
In explaining the inspiration, guitarist Joel Kelly of Bridgeport noted in a recent news release that the record goes “ … deep into our alternative roots, back to bands we loved in the 90’s, and up to the modern rock style our fans know us for.”
The first single “Kill Me with Your Kiss” was released on May 26, 2015, and is available online.
“It was an outstanding honor for us to have Ron (a multi-Grammy Award nominee) mix ‘Kill Me with Your Kiss.’ He has mixed some of my favorite rock artists of all time. To hear his signature style and skill work their magic on an Edisun song was incredible,” said Issac in a recent news release.
The cover, too, has its local ties. It features a painter by Fairfield County painter Carmelo Blandino, whose work can be seen at Galerie Sono in South Norwalk.
In addition to some touring in the fall, Issac expects the group will continue to accept invitations to perform for U.S. troops, something it did this summer, and something it has done since it first formed. So far, 50,000 U.S. troops have heard the band’s music and joined the many other fans around the world.
The record is being released by the South Norwalk independent recording label SRG Records (Sono Recording Group) and will be distributed by the ILS Group, which is a third-party aggregate to Universal Music Canada and Caroline Music Group, according to a recent news release.
Issac said the record may have taken some time, but it was worth the wait. “We were fortunate that we had a lot of great songs and a great team behind this,” he said. “I’m excited about touring in September.” - CTNews

Flying fifty-two hours round-trip to perform for some "out of town friends" may be an unusual way for a rock group in America to promote it's new record release. For the members of Edisun, who got their start touring in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait for United States Armed Forces Entertainment, this is a part of what makes them tick.

Invited to perform for the United States Navy this past July 4, the group first flew to Japan, then Singapore, and finally below the equator to the remote Indian island base Diego Garcia. The whirlwind journey marked a full circle return for the alternative rock group, whose early tours during the Second Gulf War were documented by Rolling Stone Magazine, Wall Street Journal and ABC World News Tonight before Edisun recorded it's first demo.

Now, after four years of performing in twenty countries for over fifty thousand soldiers, and thousands of miles driven across the United States in their band-owned and operated tour bus, Edisun's long anticipated second album Collision is heating up on the launch pad, much to the delight of their stunningly patient fan base.

The 9 song colection is being released by the South Norwalk, Ct-based independent recording label SRG Records (Sono Recording Group) on Friday, July 31, 2015, with international distribution by ILS Group, third party aggregate to Universal Music Canada and Caroline Music Group. The first single "Kill Me with Your Kiss" was released digitally on May 26, 2015. Collision is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Apple Radio, Apple Connect, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and through all major retail and streaming outlets.

Produced by Claude Villani (Edisun I) and Charley Drayton (DeVinyls, Keith Richards, Paul Simon), Collision was tracked entirely at Factory Underground Studios in Norwalk. Mix Engineering was divided between Ron Saint Germain (Muse, 311, Soundgarden), Kenny Cash (Factory Underground) and John Shyloski (Rachel Sage). Edisun members include Madison, WI-native Ethan Isaac, lead singer for the group, guitarist Joel P Kelley of Pottsdam, NY, drummer Todd Budich of West Salem, NY, and Michael A Russo of New Haven, Ct.

Collision is a diverse collection that will take Edisun fans "...deep into our alternative roots, back to the bands we loved in the 90's, and up to the modern rock style our fans know us for," said Kelley. The lead-guitarist cites Led Zeppelin, Jane's Addiction, and the Foo Fighters as some of the pioneering influences on Edisun's musical style.

Of working with multi-Grammy Award nominee Ron Saint German, Ethan Isaac states: "It was an outstanding honor for us to have Ron mix "Kill Me with Your Kiss." He has mixed some of my favorite rock artists of all time. To hear his signature style and skill work their magic on an Edisun song was incredible."

Edisun is expected to tour extensively in support of Collision with the first American leg beginning this September. Edisun is also planning a full tour of Asia in 2016, including the countries Japan, Singapore, Korea, and China. The group has previously toured China in 2013, and showcased for music press and industry on their recent stop in Singapore. There are additional offers being fielded in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, with tremendous interest building in Latin America.

Edisun...twenty countries and counting.

"Collision takes listeners deep into our alternative roots...the bands we loved in the 90's... to the modern rock sound Edisun fans know us for."

Ct-based SRG Records with distribution by ILS/Caroline/Universal Music Group

July 31, 2015 - Fourth Coast Entertainment

Edisun is an American alternative rock band that is preparing to release its second album. The single “Kill Me With A Kiss” has been mixed by Ron St. Germain (U2, Muse, 311, Soundgarden) and produced by C. Villani. Other songs on the record have been produced by Charley Drayton (The Cult, DeVinyls, Keith Richards).
The album is the follow up to their 2010 debut on EMI. Produced by C. Villani and mixed by Jay Baumgardner (Godsmack, Pod, Papa Roach), the album’s singles “Medicate” and “Wide Awake” broke the Mediabase/Billboard Active Rock charts.
Successful videos were produced for “Medicate” and “Wide Awake” that have achieved over 120,000 You Tube views, and were broadcast by a number of national retail outlets.
A number of Edisun tracks have been licensed for television shows, sports-related videos/news clips, and for use by large consumer brands, including the US Army who will distribute the song “Ready to Believe” via 100,000+ USB wristbands beginning in December 2014.
This is befitting for Edisun who got their start touring for the US Armed Forces Entertainment: they are the first rock band to perform for troops on front-line bases of Iraq and Afghanistan, an achievement that was covered by Rolling Stone Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. The band were also interviewed on ABC World News Tonight.
Edisun has toured extensively, performing in 48 states and over 24 countries and have shared the stage with well known bands including Everclear, Sum 41, Vertical Horizon, Nonpoint, and Avenged Sevenfold. They often travel in their own tour bus, a repurposed 1977 Greyhound they have christened “Sweet Virginia,” that has become a key part of the Edisun story.
In 2014, Edisun were able to tour in China, Italy and Slovenia, as worldwide interest in the band continues to develop. This is partly due to their world-wide distribution via licensing by Sony Electronics, as well as the bands own deep social media efforts that include tweeting their worldwide fans in several languages.
Edisun consists of vocalist Ethan Isaac, drummer Todd Budich, guitarist Joel Kelly, and bassist Mike Russo. They are based out of the Factory Underground, a recording studio in Norwalk, Ct. - 365 Radio Network

By now you’ve probably realized that we here at No Country do our best to be the first to bring you all things that rock in Music City. If it’s not on the country charts, we are all over it, whether fans are hip to it or not. Another perfect example of us being a little ahead of the curve was last Sunday’s awesome alt-rock bonanza at 12th & Porter, headlined by road warrior rockers Edisun. Judging by the crowd size, I’m guessing you’ve never heard of them, but you need to get up to speed right now, and we can help.

Read on after the jump for more details, and great photos from staff photographer Michael Brooks, including coverage of the two local bands on the bill, Elora Danan and Telegraph. Adding yet another layer of sounds were Orlando, FL natives Anyone’s Guess. All together, for only $8, we’re willing to bet it would have crushed your typical lazy Sunday night of monotony. Next time, be there!

I got to the venue early, and was disappointed to see the connected pizza joint (Music City Pizza) was dead; always a bad sign for an upcoming show. It was so dead in fact, the few people hanging out were watching AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, with TV sound blaring. It was nothing like it is on a Friday or Saturday with a big name band in town, jam packed with fans and pizza date diners. I’m a season behind on the TV show, so I quickly went into the venue space to avoid spoiling any surprises.

After a smoke break it was time for the main event. I’d talked with Ethan Isaac (vocals) and Joel Kelly (guitar/vocals) of Edisun earlier in the night, and they told me about the genesis of their band. About how some of their first gigs were in Afghanistan and Iraq, touring with the USO. Heavy shit, to be sure, from some heavy alt-rockers you need to get in your life. They’re also completely DIY, touring the country in their very own converted 1977 Greyhound bus, waiting to test the waters of mainstream exposure. Personally, I think it’s only a matter of time until they pack out crowds at much larger stages.

They started their set guns ablaze and pretty much never let up. Hints of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Foo Fighters permeate their sound … you know, the good kind of alternative rock. I particularly liked a new track, “Kill Me With Your Kiss”, a slower number called “Vampires and Wolves”, and they also threw in a Beatles cover, just for good measure. - No Country For New Nashville

From New York City comes the five-piece rock group Edisun. The group is led by lead singer and frontman Ethan Isaac, formerly of the band Wooden and lead guitarist Jonathan Svec. The group came together after a meeting between the two after they realized that they both had very similar tastes in music. The result of their meeting and collaboration is Edisun’s debut album, released through EMI Records. The record was produced by Claude Villani, a long time collaborator and a very well respected producer in the industry. In its short time together, Edison has become particularly popular through performing for U.S. troops stationed around the world and the band also received some massive exposure on a recent tour with Smile Empty Soul. We recently spoke to lead singer Ethan to learn a little more about Edisun and their music.

You’re touring parts of the United States right now with Smile Empty Soul. What are your feelings on the tour so far?
Ethan: Oh it’s been great, we’ve travelled great distances, we started in Boston and then went all the way down to Florida, hit Jacksonville, Tallahassee and the Clear Water area of Florida. Then we headed to the Midwest and then all the way up to the northwest up to South Dakota, Washington State, Montana and then down into California so it’s been a pretty great tour in that way.

Smile Empty Soul has had quite a successful career in the rock n roll industry thus far. How did you get onto this tour?
Ethan: We’re signed to the same record label as Smile so we’re label mates so that’s how we ended up doing a tour with them. The owner of the label thought it would be a good match for us to go out together and he was right, it’s been a great time so far.

Are you finding you’re winning over new fans or are some of your own fans coming out to the shows?
Ethan: A combination of the two, we’re definitely winning over new fans every night, both bands are organic, authentic rock n’ roll music so as you know we’re very different stylistically and it works really well. Our song has been charting really well on the radio so we’ve been getting a lot of new fans too. We did a tour earlier this year with Everclear, Cold and NonPoint, we were out for a while with that so we’ve revisited a lot of those markets and we’ve noticed a lot of fans coming back now.

You’ve done a lot of touring actually for American soldiers overseas, including five stops in Iraq. How did you become so active in supporting and playing your music for the troops?
Ethan: Um, there was a song that I had written, I was right by the World Trade towers when they were attacked, it was a song called “Into the Sunlight” that had reflected that day, I was one of the last people to I guess evacuate or escape or whatever you want to call it, out of New York City and I had written a song about that day. It had gotten some online press and from some different newspapers and somebody from the entertainment division of the military actually had seen it and heard it and thought it would be interesting for us and for me to go do a tour overseas. It started out in Northern Europe and then it just went into doing a bunch of tours. We’ve been out for four or five years now. It’s probably the best musical experience the band has ever had. We’ve done twenty countries so far so the band has built basically a great name and a great career and you know, built a great record off of all those years of just working on our music, seeing the world and meeting tons of people.

Now how did the band Edisun originally come together and where do you take your name from?
Ethan: The band came together, I was introduced to our guitar player Jonathan by our manager and at the time he thought we would be a good match. Jonathan was in a band called Splendor and they thought it would be a good match for us to get together and start writing songs and immediately when we got together it just worked, there was just good chemistry there. And then someway down the line we came up with the name Edison, it’s really a spinoff of Thomas Edison and we just did a little spin on it by changing the “i” to a “u” and give it a more organic feel, something that is a little more our own.

Your self-titled debut album just came out. What are your feelings on the record now that you’ve finally released it to the public?
Ethan: Everybody is really excited, we were in Los Angeles the day and the night before the release, and the night of the release and it’s kind of a long awaited, anticipated record for the band because we’ve been so busy touring overseas that we haven’t really spent much time touring in the United States. We decided to really focus on getting out in the markets here and um, doing our music out here at home and then partway through the Winter we ended up getting signed by with FOF/EMI and um, we immediately went back into the studio and the record’s really a culmination of all our years of touring and working on this music into one great record so it’s a pretty special record for us.

How long did it take to record the record and how many songs did you take into the studio with you?
Ethan: There was probably about twenty songs that were taken into the studio and eleven pieces came out. The record took probably three months but like I said, it really was a culmination of working with producer Claude Villani over the last four years and all the touring that Edisun has done overseas. We’ve been very fortunate to have the experiences we’ve had and put them into our music and then you know, spend time working them out on the road and being inspired by the situations we were put in.

You worked with Claude Villani as a producer on your debut. Why did you decide to work with him? Did he just seem like the right fit?
Ethan: He’s been with the band since the beginning and we’ve been developing and writing music with him since the start of the band so this is kind of the final stop on the train so to speak. The band has been moving forward and he’s been behind us the entire time and you know it’s kind of finally come to the point where we were ready to release a record here and um, it’s happened in a very kind of organic and natural way.

What is the writing and recording process like in the band? Do you all write together or do you (Ethan) do most of the lyrics and song structure?
Ethan: Everybody’s kind of working as a collective in the writing process and um, there’ll be times when I’ll have lyrics prior to the music coming in and times when the music will happen first and the lyrics will come second. Like I said, the songs are really a culmination of all of our experiences overseas and all the touring and playing we’ve done so you know, it’s all kind of happened in a really unique way. A lot of bands don’t get the chance to do this for years, play songs, get a good reaction and go back and work on them again. We weren’t really looking for a record deal the years we were overseas, we were so happy to be travelling the world and doing what we love to do, we weren’t really searching for the “big deal.”

Do you have favourite songs on the album or a favourite?
Ethan: “Voices” is I think I’d have to say, to speak for the band our favourite song to play live and um, probably the most original track for us to listen to on the record. There are a lot of improvisational aspects that happen throughout the show every night and it’s different every night that we play. So it’s just great for the fans, they don’t know what to expect from one show to the next, some people that have seen us and then the song has changed since the last time they saw us so I’d have to say that that’s the one song that really sticks out and is a unique song to Edisun itself.

What are your more long-term plans like after this current tour wraps up? What can we expect from Edisun through the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011?
Ethan: There are a lot of long-term plans. For this year we’re back out on the road, we’re doing a lot of set up stuff you know, interviews, acoustic performances, some TV performances to get the word about our record out now. Then we’re back out on the road starting October 26th in Kansas City, Missouri and then we’re all over the country once again from there all the way through the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So any plans to get to other countries or continents?
Ethan: Yeah we’re going to do another tour for the troops in 2011, we’re not sure where yet but you know we’ve been talking to the Armed Forces entertainment and the people out there and they want to put us out on another tour so now that we’ve spent some time developing in the United States we’re ready to go back over there and do a tour. We’ve done some really crazy, remote spots in like Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Australia, Guantanamo Bay but you know we’re thinking about actually going to an Air Force Base in the northern part of Greeland, we were actually hoping to get up there. They’re really waiting for us and live music up there, they’re really remote and removed, there’s only a flight that goes in and comes out of there every ten days so it’s a good opportunity to get up there. - Pure Grain Audio

In what seems a whirlwind nine months since the alternative rock group Edison quickly bonded together, as one member says, the four-man band has been to Germany, the war zones of Iraq, and other partsof the Persian Gulf on a USO your that exposed these artist-creators of deep, intense songs to an international audience and to legions of American soldiers whose reality is the conflict-ridden terrain of Iraq.
The group, whose hit "Ocean Waves" can frequently be heard on Channel FM 103.1 in Albany, has roots in musical art forms that extend way back into band members' childhoods, and then leading up to major-label bands like Splender, in the case of guitarist Jonathan Svec, and Duncan Sheik, where drummer Time Newton found a place.
And they'll be at today's Hunter Mountain's Telemet Latitude 42 Degrees North Air Assault Festival, cpmplete with numerous bands, plenty of snowboarding prizes, and fireworks. Edison performs from 7:45 until 9 p.m. at Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl.
"We lived with the troops for close to 20 days," singer Ethan Isaac, said Friday of the stint performing for U.S. soldiers in Iraq. The band flew into the bases a hundred feet off the ground in Blackhawk helicopters on "safer" routes, avoiding the "rocket propelled grenade alley" that dot the Iraqi landscape where insurgents are on the offensive.
The Iraq experience was in te same tour of other Persian Gulf and European military bases. There they presented what Michelle Mancuso, the band's press agent, says is a new sound, captivating and mesmerizing.
"It covers the gamut, it's heavy and it's light, some of it is more accessible," Svec says.
Bassist Jay Salley offered a ready explaination of what other rock bands are favorites of the group.
"A lot of the classic rock stuff, like Rush, or Pink Floyd," as well as newer bands, such as Ref Hot Chili Peppers, he said
Newton quickly responds with Led Zepplin as an influence, and the other band members concur.
While Svec and Newton have past recording experiences with Columbia Records, J Records Recording Group, and Atlantic Records, the other members of the group are not afraid of the commerical pressures of the recording industry, one in which they already disabled, producing the single "Ocean Waves."
Recently the group went to New York City for the Emergenza International Music Showcase with a performance at Arlene's Grocery. Edison is still included in the contest, which featured hundreds of bands.
Svec said the band's songs are composed during tours, rehearsals, and actual sessions.
"We strive to write music with integrity but if it has commercial elements it doesn't bother the band." - Alvaro E. Alarcon

Ethan Isaac and the rest of the members of the band Edison are used to performing for rowdy bar crowds who often demand renditions of famous Led Zeppelin tunes and other classic rock legends. That is, after all, the life of a rock ‘n’ roll band in Fairfield County.
But Edison’s most recent shows was in a place that had neither beer taps nor stage lighting; dancing groupies nor alcohol induced sing-a-longs. It has instead a sea of camouflage gear and machine gun toting soldiers in an environment that was almost eerily festive considering the stage was set in the Iraqi theater.
Isaac and bandmates bassist Jay Salley drummer Tim Newton and guitarist Jonathan Svec performed for U.S. troops in the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Germany as part of their “Echo All Over the World” tour.
What led this year-old rock band from Connecticut to follow in the footsteps of performers like Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Henry Rollins, SR-71 and Nick and Jessica Simpson? The answer is in a song written by one of the band members.
After Sept. 11, Isaac sat down with pen and paper and tried to use the medium of songwriting that he had relied on in the past to explain the confusion, negativity and fear he was feeling at that moment.
What came out was a song “Our history and liberty is strewn across the streets/The devil’s ghost inside the souls comes tumbling down these roads” from the song “Gallop into the sunlight”
Isaac sent that song and other songs to Armed Forces Entertainment, the agency responsible for booking acts to perform overseas. The positive reaction samples is the reason why members of Edison were not galloping, but flying, into the sunlight on their way to Iraq for a one month tour June 28.
“It was a really amazing experience for us,” Salley said. “We wanted to do what we could to provide a little entertainment to the troops and we came away with a lot as well.”
Isaac kept a journal of their travels knowing that it was an experience he wanted to catalogue step by step. After their arrival and a mishap with some of their equipment, the band was finally ready to do their first show. Of it Isaac wrote:
“…We had our first show at Aldaphra Airbase. This is the base where all the U-2 Spy planes are deployed.. About two weeks before we arrived at Aldaphra Airbase, one of the U-2 spy planes had crashed just before landing right outside the base. This greatly effected the morale of the base.”
Newton said the experience of being with soldiers who had lost one of their own reminded him they had gone to Iraq.
“It was so surreal to be there because we really realized the importance of lifting the spirits of the soldiers there and give them something from home.” Newton said.
In exchange for their music the member of Edison were shown what it’s like to be stationed in Iraq.
“We slept in the same tents they slept in, ate the same food, flew in Blackhawk helicopters wearing flak jackets and helicopters and helments,” Salley said. “It reallygave us a taste of life there.”
The musicans met soliders met soldiers from New York, New Jersey, Bridgeport, Stamford and other Connecticut towns.
“We met a lot of great people and it really was a life-changing experience.” Newton said. “It was amazing how appreciative they were of what we were doing.”
Isaac said the band plans to go back to Iraq if given the chance but in the meantime will continue playing clubs and bars on the East Coast.
- The Hour

Song Title - Ocean Waves

Overall Comments - Just a few seconds into the song and I can already tell I'm hearing something really special. Hopefully, you won't think I'm blowing smoke up your skirt when I say it, but Edison seems to have all the ingredients of a successful modern rock band. The song you suggested I listened to is killer. The band sounds tight and confident right out of the gate, and the singer has obviously got charisma (and some final vocal chops). When the arrangemen rolls into the chorus I noticed my foot was tapping and I felt like thrusting my first into the air. That doesn't happen all that frequently with new bands I hear these days. In all honesty, I see no reason why Edison's material couldn't be on the radio, or why they couldn't sign to a major label (if they want to, that is). They are obviously the real deal. Thanks for sending this in. I loved listening to it! - Listener ID #79

"Four men create a band of rock 'n roll that is deeply emotional while maintaining musical integrity, blending passion with intelligence and a sense of humanism." - Windham Journal

"Edison has recorded a real strong 7 track EP simply titled "7" with downtuned guitars, atmospheric arrangements and soaring vocals"

"7 songs aren't enough!" - Kaj Roth, www.melodic.net

“Edison truly captures the energy of the Ramones but has a Contemporary
cutting edge sound that keeps you at the front of your seat. Edison
gives the music industry hope that good rock bands still exsist!!” - Upbeat Music, Inc.