Autumn

In the autumn of 1989, Neil McKay put up an ad for a second keyboardist to make dark and ambient electronic music with. Jeff Leyda answered the ad seeing the influences Neil listed were bands that he liked. There was one small problem, Jeff played bass, not keyboards. That was OK since Neil had just started to write for the guitar. Soon, he and Jeff ran through some Cure and Joy division songs and knew from the first time playing together that they were meant to make music together.The Bora: This was Jeff and Neil's first band. We had two vocalists, Keith Smith (second guitar) and Drea Libnoch (keyboards). The Bora lasted about 8 months before disbanding. Jeff and Neil stuck it out and decided to look for a new singer(s).The first incarnation of Autumn was from the summer of 1992 to the fall of 1993. The sound was a little different because of the vocalist who decided we were headed intoa darker direction whcih she didn't care for.So, finally, after several singers and over four years later, they met Julie. At the audition, Jeff and Neil heard Julie's voice for about a minute befoer they knew she was the one they had been searching for. Within two months Autumn were playing shows and gathering a following. They were also recording demos. Quite busy for only being together for a couple of months but Julie certainly brought new life to the project!In July, Faith and The Muse came through Minneapolis and Neil gave a demo William Faith (Faith and the Muse signed to TESS at the time). Not too long after that, This Ascension (also signd to TESS at the time) came through and Autumn opened for them. This Ascension were so impressed, they invited Autumn to play with them in Madison, Wisconsin which didn't happen (some issue with the club owner) and in Chicago, Neil joined This Ascension on stage for the song Light And Shade. A frienship was formed not knowing that Matt, the drummer for This Ascension, owned TESS and had been talking with William Faith about us.We were soon signed to TESS in the summer of 1995 and made two albums, THE HATING TREE (1996) and RETUEN TO THE BREATH (1999). For a short while, Autumn were labelmates with Clan of Xymox (Neil's favorite band of all time)!! TESS went under shortly after but Autumn continues out of the love for music and their fans.Autumn is currently preparing material for a third album and has most of the songs complete. They have also been in the studio recording demos.-neil (guitarist) March 27, 2006