Akilavue

Akilavue pronounced (A-Killer-View)

Doug Marshall singer/frontman/lyricist of this new project and who is still the lead singer of the band named Souls Harbor.

It was just time to get back to writing some new music. After taking a hiatus from playing out and as an original band, Doug Marshall finally felt it was time to create yet once again. "It eats at you once, you miss it, it’s a void in your life and once you experienced it there is no other feeling quite like it”, Marshall explains.
The feeling he’s talking about is creating your own music where the crowd feels what you feel, sing your songs back to you and they embrace your compassion. "Being in front of your fans, the ones who believe in what you do and build that energy from the music you make as you play it live, is a rush."

Doug Marshall has toured mostly in the Southeast and Northeast while with national recording artists, Souls Harbor (Crash/EMI). The band has logged in some serious stage time while opening for bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Korn, Stone Sour, and Staind, to name a few. This is where the experience of being a frontman and leader really came through for Marshall.
The singer has worked with some great producers as well, such as Rick Beato (Shinedown, Submersed, NeedtoBreathe, Vince Neil), Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Rev Theory, Skillet) and Eric Bass who is the bass player of Shinedown and who recorded & produced Doug’s first 2 EP’s and full length album.
This experience has helped blossom his songwriting and confidence while recording the music and playing it live.
His drive and passion along with having like-minded musicians with him now, has brought him to the point where he feels comfortable enough to bring it back to the forefront. The powerhouse of veteran musicians who join the ranks are Sonny Bond on guitar and back up vocals, Davey Masteller who is on standard bass and upright bass and lastly Doug McCarthy on drums.
When asked about some of his influences, Marshall shares that he is moved by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Muse, and The Cure just to name a few. But its his mother and his brother Michael who he has to thank for why he does this in the first place. "If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t known the joy of music.”

What would a frontman be without the band he’s fronting? The remaining three members of Akilavue are also no stranger to the stage and the road. With such an eclectic background for each member, the band fuses together their experience, history and talent to create a unique formula.

At the age of two years old, drummer Doug McCarthy heard “I Wanna Rock” and his musical journey had begun. McCarthy has played drums for twenty years and has been in several national touring acts throughout his career. As a former member of the band The Higher (Epitaph Records), he has toured all over the world, showing his love for music and drums. From touring South Africa, the UK and North America to being featured in Rolling Stone Japan and having a Top 10 song in that country, he is ready to bring his experience and passion to Akilavue.

Despite the perception, being from South doesn’t always mean you grow up listening to country music, or even more so, playing it as a musician. Case in point-Akilavue’s guitar player, Sonny Bond. As a native of Savannah, Georgia, Bond began playing percussion in his school’s band at the age of eleven. Within a year, his calling as a guitarist became more prevalent. “I spent many hours a week practicing in my room, playing along to my favorite songs on my boom box via CD or cassette tape.” As with many musicians, Bond began to play out in his local hometown and surrounding areas, leading him to befriend many local musicians who he eventually partnered up with on a regular basis. Both Marshall and Bond formed that friendship four years ago and have been playing countless gigs together as a duo in support of their passion for music. Some of Bond’s musical influences range from Matchbox 20, Nirvana, Garth Brooks to guitarist Mark Tremonti of Creed and Dave Matthews who he says has been a huge influence in his playing style.

Being the son of a jazz legend who has now passed on, Davey Masteller carries on his father’s musical legacy by performing regularly in his honor year ‘round with the house band at his family’s popular Jazz club on Hilton Head Island, SC, which is known all over the world. Throughout his life however, he has always remained a true rocker at heart above everything else. As a kid he toured, recorded, and wrote music with several bands in the Southeast which included Nuclear Saturday, The Fresh Hots, and Banana Breadstix as well as a few others. His display of an unmistakable, intense string attack and stage presence, while still remaining in touch with his roots in the Jazz scene, is what makes up Masteller's dynamics. After his first record contract fell through, he then decided to take time off to go back to school and managed to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business from The State University of New York College at Oneonta, followed by a Recording/Audio Engineering Degree from The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Phoenix, Arizona. In finishing his Bachelors degree, he interned at the Verve Records Jazz label under Universal.

At a glance, this lineup may look quite deceiving at first considering the background of each member. However, rest assured that no matter what's in store for these guys in the near future, it's sure to be "a killer view" for all to see. Pun intended.