Clay Sun Union is an alternative rock band formed in September 1996 in Okinawa, Japan. The band originally consisted of:

Jon Schliesmann (Vocals)

Jage "Nick" Nichols (Electric Guitar)

Michael Belley (Acoustic Guitar and Electric Guitar)

Jeromy "Swamp" Swafford (Bass)

Michael Wadkins (Percussion)

The final line-up consisted of:

Jon Schliesmann (Vocals)

Michael Belley (Electric Guitar)

Jeromy "Swamp" Swafford (Bass)

Michael "Bump" Alexander (Percussion)

Background

The band members come from all parts of the United States, including Wisconsin and Massachusetts, but were all in the Air Force and met in Okinawa, where they were all stationed, and formed there. The founding members were Jon, Mike Belley, and Jeromy, who are also considered the heart and soul of the band. They released their first full-length release, Clay Sun Union in 1998, while in Okinawa. There, CSU found the most success. They played festivals such as the Peaceful Love Rock Festival, which they consider a milestone in their success, and the Friendship Fest, which they headlined. Live, they would play their versions of other popular rock songs. They went on a large tour during their time together and were considered one of the hottest bands on the music scene in Okinawa.

As soon as they left the Air Force, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee because Jeromy's dad owned a ServiceMaster, a disaster restoration company, so they could get jobs fast while they decided what they wanted to do next. However, Michael didn't come with them and Nick had quit the band some time before they left, so the band was in search of a drummer and rhythm guitarist. After going through many drummers, they settled for a guy named Tommy Mattox, who, although very talented, had problems and issues in the band. Jeremy Ives filled in for rhythm guitar, but Nick returned to the band soon after after Jeremy Ives quit. Then Tommy quit the band, and, finally, Michael "Bump" Alexander joined as the new drummer. As anyone can see, CSU had a lot of inner turmoil. This is one of the many reasons that makes a reunion virtually impossible.

They released a demo featuring five tracks for their next album in 2000. After a long effort, they released "Distance" in 2002. They broke up a few months later in early 2003. Many reasons contributed to the break up, including internal conflicts in the band and the lifestyle that came with touring and recording albums getting the best of them all. The band will never know their potential success that followed the Distance release; however, they did find success in the States, but not to the extent of their success in Okinawa. They played the La Vela in Panama City, Florida and found success with the song "The One" in Casper, Wyoming. The song reached number one on their countdown and remained there for several weeks.

Interesting Facts

Their motto was "Work hard, play your ass off, and never turn down a cold beer."

They had high hopes of being signed to a major record label.

"Floating on Lead" made it on a surfing video in Okinawa.

The name comes from their diverse sound. Sometimes it's bluesy like in "When It Goes," jazzy like in "Unspeakable Things," and heavy like in "Skin;" the Earth to the sun and everything in-between - "Clay Sun Union."

The band's influences include Alice in Chains, Pink Floyd, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, and Metallica.

Michael "Bump" Alexander knows the bassist from King's X, along with many other people in the business.

They had talked to people in the business about getting recording contracts, but nothing ever came of it.

The band toured in Japan, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, and Illinois.

External Links

Clay Sun Union Article

Clay Sun Union Artist Profile

Clay Sun Union Lyrics