Dutch singer/songwriter Edwin Jongedijk has been writing songs since he started playing guitar in his teens. In 2003 he felt it was time to do something with the material he had laying around for so many years and decided to form a band. Since highschool he had been lead guitarist in a rockgroup with his friends Benjamin Vernooij (keyboards) and Martin Wieringa (bassguitar) and he got them interested in this new project. He also got in touch with Niek Stok, a well known drummer in the area with years of experience in different bands. Eventhough he was playing in two other projects at that time, Edwin's enthusiasm convinced him to join in.
Guitarplayer and songwriter Joost Prinsen was a childhood friend of Martin. Edwin had known him for years but found out they were into the same kind of music when they met each other during an Americana festival. Joost had just quit the band he was playing in and was looking for something new. Edwin's phonecall came at the perfect time.
When the band got together for the first time it was obvious there was something special going on. There was a musical chemistry between these five men that made everything fall into place.
Ofcourse it was a good start that every single member of the band was influenced by musical icons like Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Steve Earle. But the songs Edwin came up with had something unique. They were genuine, straight from the heart and down to earth. And it gave enough space for every bandmember to add a personal touch. Nothing was dictated, there were lyrics and a rough idea of what the song should sound like. So while working on their material every member was able to use their years of experience in different bands, playing different styles of music. This finally resulted in their recognisable sound.
When the band needed a name, different ideas came up but nothing really captured what they wanted to express. Until one rainy night Edwin was driving his car and listened to Steve Earle's album El Corazon. The song "Taneytown" played and he suddenly knew that was the name they needed. Because it was a Steve Earle song it sounded Americana and it was a small town in Maryland USA, about the same size as the towns all bandmembers grew up in. At that time no one realized it would be that name that would bring them to tour around Maryland when a member from the Taneytown community found them on the internet.
Their debutalbum was meant to be a demo recording, done in one weekend. After that first session they liked the results that much that they decided to spent another weekend in the studio to record a full album. It resulted in their acclaimed debutalbum "Taneytown" that got international airplay and was well received by music critics and Americana fans around the world.
The connection between the band and the Taneytown community in Maryland USA has become rock solid since their first visit overseas in October 2006. The strong support that they receive down there is based on more than just the fact that the band adopted the name of this American town. It's the mutual love for American music and the honest, countryside lifestyle that they have in common that grew into a long lasting friendship. And the band managed to prove itself musically. They have successfully toured around Maryland and Pennsylvania and their fanbase is spreading like an oilstain to other states.
Their musical achievements in the US have resulted in various recommendations and in 2007 the band was rewarded with Congressional Recognition, initiated by US congressman Roscoe Bartlett.
Taneytown has been a close-knit group of friends when the band started and they have gotten closer ever since. They have managed to grow along the years, personally and musically. They sound more tight than ever and they have been working on new songs ever since the release of their debutalbum. Their second album, planned to be released in 2008, will be a reflection of the band's development in the past years. Edwin and Joost have formed a stronger collaboration in songwriting but the band remains to sound the same. They kept faithfull to their first principals: each song is created as a band and every member adds their personal ingredients.
This makes Taneytown a strong alliance of young men who grew up in the North East countryside of The Netherlands bound to keep on playing genuine, straight from the heart Americana music.
