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Even are an Australian indie rock three-piece fronted by singer-songwriter-guitarist, Ash Naylor, with Matthew Cotter on drums and Wally Kempton (also known as Wally Meanie) on bass guitar and backing vocals. They formed in March 1994 and played regularly around the live music scene as well as touring both nationally and internationally. They continue to play regularly.
Matthew Cotter and Ash Naylor played music together at a high school in Melbourne and formed an indie band, The Swarm, with Francis Leach on vocals and David Rowland on bass guitar. The Swarm issued three independent singles between November 1988 and April 1991 before disbanding. In March 1994 Cotter and Naylor were joined by Roderick ‘Wally’ Kempton (also a member of The Meanies, as Wally Meanie) on bass guitar to form an indie guitar pop group, Even. From 1993 to 1997 Naylor was also a member of another indie pop group, Rail (originally named Sleeper, then Fragment and finally Rail), which issued two albums, Bad Hair Life (1995) and Goodbye Surfing Hello God! (1997).
Naylor is a fan of 1960s and 1970s pop music. Even played their first gig in March 1994 at the Empress of India Hotel in Fitzroy. Ten years later Naylor told Michael Dwyer of The Age that ‘It was very exciting, because we did a soundcheck and people were applauding us… We were bristling to play, absolutely bursting with energy. Flaming youth, Kiss would have called it.’
Around his commitments to even, Ashley Naylor manages to juggle touring and recording commitments with Paul Kelly, The Church, and the RocKwiz Orkestra.
Wally Kempton also runs Cheersquad, the successful independent record company.
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