Date Signed: 2023
Label: RFK Media
Type of Music: Alternative Rock
Management: Jimmy Warren - JW Artist Management
Publicity: SRO PR - [email protected]
Web: crashingwayward.com
A&R: Ron Keel, Aaron Fischer - RFK Media
It’s awfully hard for a musician to go unnoticed in Las Vegas. As Sin City revolves almost entirely around entertainment, live music venues abound and provide ample opportunities for musicians—even newbies—to hone their craft in front of crowds. It might not be L.A. or New York, but bands can get the attention of music industry executives in Las Vegas way more than in other cities.
A case in point is Crashing Wayward, an alt-rock group assembled in spring 2020. So, why did it take a few years for the quintet to really get off the ground? In the case of Crashing Wayward, COVID gave the up-and-comers a golden opportunity to demonstrate their strength, dedication and durability—even before releasing their first album.
Toiling away on the writing and recording of their first batch of songs resulted in LISTEN!, a record that showed the nascent band was as adept as heritage artists in crafting radio-friendly, cathartic music (Crashing Wayward are rounded out by vocalist Peter Summit, second guitarist David Harris, bassist Carl Raether and drummer Shon McKee).
It didn’t take long for authority figures in the music business to not only catch wind of Crashing Wayward but to sign them right away too. The young musicians not only wowed crowds with their musical chops but signaled potential mass appeal by artfully addressing uncomfortable topics like suicide and intolerance with aplomb.
Soon after an associate of RFK Media co-founder Ron Keel presented him with some of Crashing Wayward’s work, the industry vet struck a deal with the five musicians.
“He got to know the industry and its pitfalls during his steady career throughout the ‘80s,” Blades noted of Keel, who is also a seasoned musician. “We had another suitor but determined that RFK would invest a lot of time and energy into our band.”
The troupe’s hard work, combined with Keel’s sound judgment, paid off earlier this year when they won Best New Vegas Rock Band honors at the Vegas Rocks! Magazine Awards. With that trophy in hand, the alt-rockers proved they’re not out to haphazardly crash the music industry; they’re in it for the long haul.
