Nic Mata(Bass/Backing Vocals)
After a few years worth of guitar lessons, Nic started playing the trombone, and became obsessed with melodies in the lower register. I remember thinking it was pretty cool that an instrument could be that melodic, and still provide a lot of depth to a song. While attending college, Nic started playing guitar with some friends, and eventually switched to bass when he was asked to form a band with some local musicians. A few parties, a few bars, and he decided that the bass was the perfect way to contribute to a band's sound. Some time in 1995, Nic started playing with Loose Change, two brothers and a guitar player named Jason from Walled Lake. Now, for almost 10 years and throughout the long, long search for the perfect drummer, Nic's playing has been a part of the Chimneyfish sound.
"There's so much good stuff out there - Zeppelin, the Doors, the Beatles... I don't know, Fugazi, the Afghan Whigs... Smashing Pumpkins... Tool... early Stone Temple Pilots... there's something very cool about a group of musicians getting together and making something unique. I dig Adam Jones' guitar work, Dusty Watson's drums on "sounds of solid" with Sugartooth, pretty much everything Joe Lally's recorded... Paul D'Amour's bass on 'undertow'... I could go on for a while."
Nic plays a Tobias Signature 5-string through Mesa Boogie and Ampeg amplifiers and cabinets, and in a pinch will bust out the Billy Barule.
Larry Black(Drums)
Larry started playing drums back in 1974. As he recalls, "I wanted to be a drummer the day I entered this world. I always thought that the drums were the coolest thing". Larry studied privately for eight years in Utica (Michigan). In the beginning, his main focus was directed at jazz. "In the early years, I developed my technical skills and music skills (yes, I can actually read music and drum charts)". Like most drummers, Larry pursued the rock scene playing to bands like Led Zeppelin, Cream, Rush, Hendrix, Aerosmith and Pink Floyd. "My teachers always pushed classic jazz however my real desire was Rock and R&B". Larry played around with local Michigan musicians in the late 70's and early 1980's. "My first band was Crystal Vision, which played in the Detroit area from 1980-1983". After this, Larry continued to play with local musicians in adhoc bands doing jam sessions, parties and whatever came along. As for major influences, "I really do not have one favorite drummer; there are just too many good ones out there. However Ginger Baker, John Bonham and Neil Pert inspired me and drove me to practice more. My current groove is to listen to Dave Weckl, Dennis Chambers, Danny Carey and Elvin Jones (these guys blow my mind)". My current equipment consists of a six piece 2001 Ludwig Classic Maple set with Zildjian cymbals. I use a Tama Iron Cobra single bass drum pedal. My other hardware is a mixture between DW and Tama. I also play a Pearl set but still favor the Ludwig. I need to put a plug in for AJ's Pro Percussion in Tampa, Florida (www.ajpropercussion.com). AJ's is a kick ass drum shop where I get most of my supplies/equipment.
Jason Pyzik(Guitar/Vocals)
I started playing guitar in 1984 at the ripe old age of 11. As a kid, my dad turned me on to some great music from Motown, Bob Seger, Beatles, Allman Brothers and a lot of old blues. I was always drawn to the blues, my favorites being Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Howling Wolf. I was always amazed at the sounds the old delta players would get with a beat up guitar and a gin-soaked voice. I knew before I even started playing that it's not how flashy you play, it's about the emotion behind it. I get the chills when a guy can make one note ring out and pull you in. (Stevie Ray Vaughan being a prime example.) I guess it's kind of funny that an 11-year-old kid went to his parents asking for a guitar so he could be a blues guitarist. I would spend all of my free time mastering licks from greats like Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I was also quite the metal head so I would play that stuff as well. I took lessons for about four years before deciding to study on my own. I played in various garage bands ranging from Jazz to Punk; I would play with anybody that would let me play with them. I was about 16 when a friend of a friend of a friend knew a guy that had a blues bar that hosted an open jam night. They snuck me in the back door and introduced me to a few people. At first nobody would even talk to me, but after they heard me play, they welcomed me into their "club". I quickly became a regular on the local scene, affectionately known as "the kid" due to the fact that I looked like I was twelve. In 1994, I received a phone call from my long time buddy and fellow musician Dean. He asked me if I'd be interested in joining his band as a lead guitar player and without even hearing the band I accepted. After a few changes, we became Chimneyfish and began playing the local scene. Many years later, we are still jamming and still hoping to get noticed. The bottom line is having fun with no egos. The music is what is important and I believe that shared attitude amongst the band is what has kept us together. Aside from Chimneyfish, I enjoy playing with other bands as well as solo acoustic stuff. My favorite thing to do is playing an acoustic at a campfire with friends. I mainly use Gibson guitars. My current line-up consists of a 335 dot, Les Paul Standard and an old custom shop SG. I also have an American Strat that I enjoy playing on occasion. My main acoustic is a Jumbo Taylor that plays so nice it's hard to put down. I use a Marshall JCM 900 half stack and a Mesa/Boogie combo. The tube amps just have that tone that nothing else can match. Lately I've been spending a lot of time working on recording our new stuff. We have a really nice Protools studio and one of these days I will have it all figured out so we can start putting out a lot more material.