All Together Separate

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All Together Separate consists of guitarist Andrew Shirley, drummer Ben Rayls and vocalist Dex Alexander. The trio met in college and began forming their own musical style, which incorporates funk, blues and rock elements. All Together Separate released their self-titled debut album in 1999 on Ardent Records.

The energy and the music are exceptional. If you just look at their outer shell of heavy guitar riffs and Dex's energetic stage presence, you might miss what these four guys are really about. They love to make music.

Soulful - funk - innovative - rock - jazz, all these words would easily identify the new band All Together Separate, but one of them, without the others, would never do. They have performed with Big Tent Revival, Audio Adrenaline, Third Day, Jennifer Knapp, Rebecca St James, The Supertones, and Crystal Lewis. Their self-titled debut album from Ardent Records, produced by Skidd Mills (Skillet, Clear, Sister Hazel, Robert Cray), received wide critical acclaim. The single 'On and On' reached #4 on the listing of top Rock songs for 1999. Their next single, 'Paradigm' went to #1.

In their formative years, the band invested a lot of energy toward developing their skills as musicians and their sound as a group. The result, musically speaking, is as varied as the lessons learned - a hybrid of funk, rock, jazz and blues. Influenced by the likes of Miles Davis, Sting, Herbie Hancock and The Dave Matthews Band, among others, All Together Separate is nothing if not eclectic, choosing to allow the message to dictate the musical style. There are surprises at every turn, from the funk-infused Earth, Wind & Fire feel of "No Condemnation," to the smooth, jazzy "Something Electric" to the straight-up pop-rock "On and On." Around one corner, you¹ll get an R & B bass groove guaranteed to make you move; around yet another, you¹ll find a little Hornsby piano segue.

Hopefully, we'll continue to influence people with the realness of our lives, and I think that comes through in the music as well." Although ATS takes their music and the platform the music has created seriously, they have cast their dreams with a larger vision. What sets them all together apart in a sea of new bands? Their vision and mission, perhaps. Their diversity, yes. Their unique gifts and experiences as a band, yes. Their simply incredible live performances, definitely yes. These things and more. "I'm realizing that there are three strong facets to ATS," John Hampton (producer, Gin Blossoms), who mixed a song on the ATS album, says. "Their recording, their live performance and their primary focus. I love the record we made, but to see them play live is amazing." New bands will come, and new bands will go. But All Together Separate is just that. www.alltogetherseparate.com