Mellowdrone | Main

Though the Venezuelan-born, Miami-bred guitarist and lead singer of Mellowdrone, Jonathan Bates, had been playing the instrument since a child, it wasn't until he got to Berklee School of Music that he realized he was simply a technically proficient guitar player, and didn't actually know much about music. At age 20, and a year before graduating, Bates left Boston and moved to Los Angeles to begin seriously composing and recording his own music. His 2003 self-released EPs, A Demonstration of Intellectual Property and Go Get 'Em Tiger, the latter recorded with Tony DeMatteo on guitar, Scott Ellis on drums, and Greg Griffith on bass, caught the attention of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who invited Bates, under the name Mellowdrone, to open for him during his upcoming tour. When Bates had finished playing with Marr, Tony DeMatteo rejoined Mellowdrone, and after a hectic touring schedule with bands like the Killers, Elbow, and Secret Machines, the group signed to 3 Records/Red Ink in 2005. Their first full-length album, Box, came out the following year. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide