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Acoustic Junction is back with a new record label, a new release, and a few healing war wounds to show from their recent battles. They are at heart the same band that has made a name for themselves touring the country relentlessly and cultivating a large grassroots following from coast to coast. Their music spans over a decade and is better than ever as their newest album Strange Days (Omad Records) will affirm. Strange Days is a serendipitous record that has been two years in the making. It is a record that has many stories to tell.

Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, duets with Reed on "Dancin' For You." Actor Nicolas Cage co-wrote the hauntingly beautiful "Melt." Morhpine's drummer, Billy Conway, contributes as does T-Bone Wolk, former member of the SNL band and long-time bassist for Hall and Oates. Kenny Aronoff, drummer for John Mellencamp and session man extraordinaire, also plays on several tracks. Bob Clearmountain, known for mixing Grammy Award winners Bruce Springsteen and Shawn Colvin, among many others, lends his touch to a handful of tracks.

Graham Nash literally walked onto the record. Reed recounts: "It was the one moment I was by myself on the whole tour. I was outside of the Sweetwater, a club in Mill Valley, CA. I was singing a song called "Dancin' For You" which I had written for my unborn son the night before. After I finished the song I heard a voice say, "Did you write that?" I looked up and there he was, one of my childhood heroes, and someone who the press had been comparing my band to for years: Graham Nash staring me in the face." The two discussed the music business and touring for a few minutes before Nash disappeared down the street. Two years later, when the Junction was recording Strange Days, Reed contacted Nash and he not only remembered meeting him, but was also thrilled to lend his voice to the song. The two sound beautiful together and "Dancin' For You" is one of the albums highlights.

Songwriter Phil Roy also plays a major role on this record. Roy has written songs for Ray Charles, The Neville Bros., and Widespread Panic, as well as co-writing several songs with Nicolas Cage. When Roy played Reed one of his Cage collaborations, "Melt," Reed immediately fell in love and wanted to record it. The bittersweet "Melt" has so far made quite an impact on the few people that have heard it. KCRW, the public radio station in Los Angeles, played the song on its morning show and immediately received a fax from a listener that had most of the lyrics typed up with a note that read "who wrote this song? I must own it!"

The Acoustic Junction journey began ten years ago in Boulder, CO. The first six years were spent relentlessly touring as the band crisscrossed the country logging on thousands of miles and building a following from coast to coast. They amassed a mailing list of 20,000 names and they sold over 50,000 records. Capricorn Records came calling in 1997 after a victorious show at the High Sierra Music Festival in Bear Valley, CA. Shortly after signing, the band decided to change its name. The new name decided upon was Fool's Progress.

The name change turned out to be a disaster. "Six months into the new name, I wanted the Acoustic Junction moniker back." Reed says. "Our draw at shows was cut in half because our fans didn't know what had happened to us. At first we didn't notice because we were playing radio shows and label showcases. But, when we went back to our usual touring circuit, promoters were asking if we could change our name back just to play in their clubs."

"I think of it like when your favorite restaurant changes it's name; the food can be exactly the same, but somehow, it's just not the same. People associated our name with memories from high school and college, from specific and personal times in their lives, and by changing our name, we wiped away their associations."

The band stuck it out as Fool's Progress for another year. They did enjoy a lot of airplay on AAA stations and appeared on several VH1 specials. But still, Acoustic Junction was far more popular. At the end of his rope, Reed called the president of Capricorn and asked if he could change their name back, explaining that without their name their livelihood was gone, and the name was put back into place. Unfortunately, soon thereafter there was an industry merger and the label dropped them shortly after they finished recording their second album. Strange Days will now be released on Omad Records, a New York City Indie label.

So now that the band has opened a new chapter of their lives, Reed reflects: "I wish I knew then what I know now. Getting dropped from a label is something a lot of bands have gone through and many of them do not survive." But survive, Acoustic Junction has and their spirit is still strong. "It feels good to come back home." Reed says "I just want to get the record out there and please the fans who have supported us through the years."

"We are just a hardworking band that has been on quite a rollercoaster ride, but we are back to live and die by the name Acoustic Junction. This is good music with strong lyrics that make you feel something. I just want to get back out there and play."

For Further Information, Interviews or CDs, Please Contact: Ariel Publicity • ariel@arielpublicity.com • www.arielpublicity.com