Ever/After is currently made up of guitarist Reggie Wu and drummer Jim Drnec. They’re calling it a recording project. Originally there were two more members, Mark Evans on bass and vocals along with John Dennis on guitar. Reggie and Mark are members of Heavens Edge, and Jim drummed for The Dead End Kids, Network, Cinderella and the list goes on.
When I was a youngin’, I would go see these bands. As early as 13 years old going to The Menagerie to see Billy Lomax playing drums for The Dead End Kids with his kit between two huge gargoyles. I simply loved The Dead End Kids from the first time I saw them, and I continued to deceive the powers that be to see them at my age. When I was probably 16 or 17 came the time that I was seeing the last line-up of The Dead End Kids that I really remember, and that was Jim Drnec on drums, Paul on bass, Georgie and Kelly (of course) and Bill Mattson. Some of my pictures ended up in their fan magazine. A couple years later I started seeing Heavens Edge, and weren’t they so much like the Dead End Kids? I took my girlfriend to see them all the time, and she (and her girlfriends) preferred to be on Steve’s side while Reggie’s was my side (as I attempt to play guitar at times).
Anyway, so Facebook comes along and behind a computer screen we friend people that we think we’d like to keep up on or know from the past. Wonder what these guys have been up to? I did see that these guys were playing out but I couldn’t get out to see them due to working at the same time or whatever. But, I was able to see that they’re all still getting together in one way or another, for a cause or something or just to simply play and have a hoot of it. Sadly, I just never wasn’t able to connect or get motivated enough to actually go to a show.
In July of 2012 I saw this article posted by several friends http://www.communitypub.com/features/x634672882/Wilmington-attorney-Jim-Drnec-to-bring-glam-metal-elements-to-World-Cafe-Live-at-the-Queen and at the end of the article it said:
Ever/After is currently in the “recording process” for its first album, Drnec said. Since each of the guys have recording equipment at their home studios, they’ve been able to create tracks piecemeal by recording their individual parts and emailing them to one another. However, the gang still hasn’t found a producer and engineer for the project. At the least, the band intends to release an EP this fall, Drnce said.
So, I took a stab in the dark and sent a Facebook message to Jim Drnec on July 10, 2012. I don’t know how long it took for me to stop calling him “Jimmy” … ? So from that message I got the information about Mark and John moving on from the project (well, not immediately, somewhere in the back and forth) and that they’ve been having people take stabs at mixing but hadn’t heard anything they liked. So after sending samples of my work and stuff, I finally got a shot at the files September 7th, 2012. I asked for the other mixes and was denied. Jim said he wanted to hear what I did with the original files. To mix it like a modern (2012) mix, so that’s what I did. I sent my “final” September 17th.
On September 19, 2012 I got the gig.
I got to work with and mix these guys that I used to go out and see 25-30 years ago. For me it’s a big deal as well as my wife who was there with me. So working on the Ever/After project, when Reggie would call the house, I would let the CallerID say his name a couple times before answering. My excitement is mixed with frustration when I’ll be telling someone “I’m working with Jim Drnec and Reggie Wu” and they’re like, ‘Who?’ … Regardless … Wait til they hear the tunes!
Rounding out the void left by Mark and John, Buddy Cash covered the bass duties and Christopher Thomas from Denver, CO the vocals. I tracked drums and bass, Reggie his guitars and Chris recorded at Denver Grown in CO with Tyler Duffus.
Today is July 8, 2013 so it’s been almost a year for me that this all started. Today Ever/After posted the first song from the CD “A Beautiful Lie” on Facebook via Reverbnation. Check them out at http://www.facebook.com/everafterrocks
I’ve been working with EverAfter as a stage tech since day 1. I was sorry to see Mark and John leave as this meant the end of a live working stage band that I absolutely loved. When Jim told me he and Reggie were moving forward as a studio project, I couldn’t wait to hear everything. Some songs remained close to the versions that I fell in love with but the ones I loved most, most notedly “Lie” changed radically. I love what you did with the mixes. You have a new fan in me and I would most assuredly direct all of my musician friends in your direction.
DAVID! How did it take me so long to stumble across this on the internet? We were so thrilled at the job you did with our music! You absolutely CRUSHED these tunes and brought them to life the way we had been hearing them in our heads all along, if not even better. Thanks so much for making our project a reality. WOMBAT rocks.
Well, that went right to the Testimonials page. Thanks!