The ATMA

THE ATMA - BAND BIO
A brazen mix of psychedelic-street-funk and soul-punk-philosophy, The Atma was an L.A. based power trio that never quite managed to catch their big break in spite of some very promising music. Best known for their quirky, edgy, and unapologetic style, the band's recordings still attract new followers to this day. Formed in 2001 by writer-singer-guitarist Brother Bear Jones (A.K.A. The Oblivious Driver) and bassist Wade Ryff, the band cycled through two drummers during its 8 year run in the L.A. underground music scene. The group's first incarnation featured the stylings of percussionist Alowie Ahmad and while that line-up never did release a full length album, they did record an E.P. entitled ORGASMIC-AMPLIFIED-PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL-LOVE-MUSIC, as well as a number of bootleg, demo, and outtake recordings.
In 2004, drummer Lucas Ventura replaced Ahmad and soon after, the band cut the EVEN THE SUN E.P. The E.P. featured many songs which would be re-recorded a year later when the group finally tracked it's first full length album, ON MY ARTICHOKE with Producer Nico Bolas at Stagg St. Studios in Van Nuys, CA. The group attracted a modest following with the release of Artichoke, but growing artistic tensions within the band and ineffective management began to take the wind out of their sails. In 2007, The Atma went back to the studio, this time to Blackbird Studios in Nashville, to record their second full length album, MACHETES OF GOLD. While Machetes showcased the band's growing chops and maturity, it never did result in the long-anticipated success the group had hoped for. Creative differences augmented until 2009, when the band finally parted ways. Since then, Brother Bear Jones has gone solo as BROTHER BEAR JONES and has also played with PEPPERMINT WOLF. Ryff and Ventura continue to play together in THE BLACK JESUS and THE JANKS. While The Atma no longer rehearses of plays shows together, the three still collaborate creatively on numerous projects, including Brother Bear Jones’s latest record AMERICAN SPEAR-RITUAL.