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bad karma began in the summer of 1995 when singer/guitarist erik Wilcox decided to form a band based on a variety of influences including metal, punk, new wave, and progressive rock. after an exhaustive search, drummer Kelly heiser, a bit later, vocalist/keyboardist kate smith, bassist chrissy Barlow, and finally, programmer/backup singer Jessica dentice joined the band. through the years, bad karma played hundreds of shows across the western U.S., building a modest, yet loyal following, and a reputation for their “over the top” live performances. by 2003, the band had released 3 full-length CD’s, “bad karma”(1997), “bitter pills”(2000), and “sick burlesque”(2003), working with several producers in the process, including mark keaton, troy luccketta (of tesla), and the late dan mcclendon (producer of several gold and platinum records). ultimately, however, the band decided to self-produce all 3 CD’s, with erik Wilcox recording and engineering the latter two CD’s. in 2001, they shot a music video for the song “addicted”, which rose to #1 on undergroundfilm.com, a respected indie film & music site, and remained in the top slot for almost 2 years. in addition to receiving lots of positive press reviews, they also garnered substantial airplay on college radio and specialty shows on commercial radio. the “bitter pills” CD landed the band an exclusive record-label showcase in new york, where they performed for several A&R; representatives. although the showcase resulted in record contract offers from multiple companies, the band was searching for an indie label that understood their direction and creative integrity, and felt that none of the labels met that criteria. so bad karma decided to remain an unsigned band, opting to write and play what they wanted, and refusing to become a corporate marketing tool. that same philosophy remains true to this day, as the band prefers to offer free mp3’s on their popular website, and charges reasonable prices for their merchandise. they also refuse to play for promoters or venues that overcharge the audience, and remain self-managed. this D.I.Y. attitude extends to an insistence on playing their own brand of music, which results in a style and sound that’s totally unique. bad karma features erik’s gritty, raw, unorthodox scream/sing style blended with kate’s smoother, yet powerful and captivating vocal technique. mixing vibrant stage presence with an undeniable chemistry, their live show is a wall of sound, and a visual display to behold. however, it was bad karma’s frantic live shows that took their toll on one member, and in 2004, it was mutually decided that bassist chrissy Barlow would leave the band. this only pulled bad karma closer together, and they spent the next 6 months writing, rehearsing, and preparing to record their masterpiece CD, with erik performing the bass tracks in the studio. as the album came together, it was apparent that this was their best work ever. entitled “point A”, the new CD is a big step forward for the band, while still maintaining the core sound that sets them apart from the rest. released in February 2005, this CD screams with emotion. featuring such tracks as the haunting first single “just one song”, the frantic “never come home”, the politically charged “black and white”, as well as the blistering opening track “talk ....”, and 9 others of equal power, “point A” has an unlimited supply of hooks, and is truly groundbreaking in style and substance. this CD should be on every radio station’s playlist, and in everyone’s CD collection. bad karma is currently preparing a west coast tour to promote the new CD, and to celebrate a decade of great music together. look for them in 2005!
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