JASON TICE. DRUMS.
JASON TICE. DRUMS.
Through car trips with his family, the Walkman, the Discman, and through the huge speakers in his family home, Jason Tice’s early life always had a soundtrack. But, it was Friday night videos and the advent of MTV which led Tice to spend his summer days lip syncing with friends and acting out jams to a VHS camera. Though he wouldn’t start playing music until his 20s due to the shyness of being an awkward teen, it was these moments with his trusted friends which solidified a desire in Tice to perform one day.
Initially inspired by progressive heavy bands like Iron Maiden, Yes, and Rush, Tice’s influences broadened at the discovery of jam bands like Phish, The Grateful Dead, and Widespread Panic. Diving into jam bands led to another formative discovery in Tice’s journey, jazz and jazz fusion which included Mahavishnu Orchestra and Soulive. While playing with friends as a hobby throughout the 90’s and 2000’s, Tice was refining his tight rhythm as a drummer. Tice’s first real gigging band, Gary and the Brewers out of Blacksburg, Virginia, formed in a basement in 2010, playing a blues infused folk-country style influenced by JJ Cale, Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, The Steel Brothers, and Hendrix. By 2013, the band was headlining local festivals including Tice’s personal favorite, The Blacksburg Chocolate Festival. A Gary and the Brewers sticker still sits on Tice’s kick drum, reminding him of countless hours spent learning to play as a group with musical respect, and learning how to mix both live and recorded performances. The band stopped playing publicly in the late twenty-teens, but still gather weekly to this day to play for fun.
Along the way, Tice became part of several notable bands such as 2015’s blues-rock influenced Flight One, whose writing and tight arrangements brought a new discipline to his role in the rhythm section. Later, Tice’s drum teacher, Rick Godley from The Kind, recommended him to 2018’s The Buck & Griz Show, a solid 5 piece band where Tice met Timbo Sims. Also in 2018, Tice joined Timewave Zero, where he would later record and co-produce the album “Too Much Gravity” in his basement as well as live EP “Sweet Water” at Dogtown Pizza in Floyd, Virginia. With each band, Tice has built a reputation for seamlessly holding down the groove while playing off his peers creatively in any given instant.
In October of 2022, Tice met David Campbell, also known as Chopper through Timbo Sims. The chemistry was immediate, and he was quickly absorbed into the inner circle of the band. After Chopper’s previous drummer in Kerosene Willy left the group, Tice played his first gig as an official part of the lineup at Wilderness Adventure. Years later, Tice still contributes a seasoned perspective and distinctive style that plays a key role in Kerosene Willy’s epic jams and ever evolving sound.