They're heating things up again; Jason and the Scorchers are back after hiatus and coming to KC this week.

By A. SCHARNHORST, Arts & Entertainment Writer
THE KANSAS CITY STAR
March 17, 1995 Friday METROPOLITAN EDITION

Copyright 1995 The Kansas City Star Co.

A few years ago Jason and the Scorchers had given it up. Band members decided that the band's blend of country, rock and punk had run its course. But, in reality, the musical environment grew to accept their sort of sound.

So the band began touring again, including a date in late 1993 in Kansas City. Things seemed to be improving; band members stuck it out. They return to Kansas City Thursday, with a date at the Hurricane.

The effects of the band's perseverance are clear on a new Mammoth Records release, the first new studio effort since 1989. But, although listeners are once again open to such musical amalgamations, getting the record out wasn't easy, said frontman Jason Ringenberg.

"We produced the record ourselves and funded it ourselves. We had no management, no record company and no producer," he said by phone from Nashville. "It gave us a chance to get into the recording studio and try some different things. It had been so long since we had been in the studio we weren't going to walk in and be brilliant."

The band spent about six weeks in the recording studio to produce the album. Those sessions, however, were spread out over six months. The band would squeeze into the studio when it could - when no one else had booked time. "It was all off times and weird times," Ringenberg said. "We recorded New Year's Day, just because it wasn't booked." The result is an organic record, with growling vocals, racing guitar and the typical Scorchers edginess.

When it was done, the band began shopping it to various record companies. Mammoth was a natural choice. Mammoth headman Jay Faries has been following the Scorchers for much of the band's career, Ringenberg said.

"He was a big fan of ours when he was in college and used to write fan letters and stuff," he said. "I kind of followed him over the years and watched what he'd done. He's fond of saying the Scorchers were the reason he got into the record business.

"We just drove out to North Carolina and played it for him," Ringenberg said. "We basically drove home with a record contract. It was pretty easy."

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