MAE
Bio:The name Mae is an acronym for Multisensory Aesthetic Experience, an experience which began in 2000 when vocalist and guitarist Dave Elkins started jamming in college with drummer Jacob Marshall. After recording a batch of songs at their friend, Mark Padgett’s home studio, they got serious. Early the next year, Padgett joined on bass and Mae recruited keyboardist Rob Sweitzer. In 2002, Mae started playing out in and around Virginia, opening shows for Something Corporate, The Starting Line and The Movielife. Between gigs, the band wrote and recorded songs for its debut ‘Destination: Beautiful’, which was released in 2003. Mae were off and running.
The third album from Norfolk, Virginia quintet Mae, ‘Singularity’, was released on Capitol Records on August 14, 2007. This was the band’s first disc for a major label following two records for indie Tooth & Nail, which have sold close to 250,000 copies combined.
More than any other modern band, Mae are children of pop culture driven by a love for great music from all eras. Their songs are passionate and exultant, brimming with scratchy guitars, hooky keyboards and soaring vocals. Hipness is never sacrificed for melody and the band draw from a variety of styles -- pop, classic rock, hard rock, alternative, new wave – whatever gives them chills and best serves their carefully composed songs.