Atticus

Atticus is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Knoxville, Tennessee, noted for progressive compositions, complex harmonies, innovative cover art, and a small but loyally devoted fan base. The band is named after the Atticus Finch character of To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961, and commonly picturized in posters and T-shirts developed by various print companies and Express clothing line. Atticus reunited with former Atticus guitarist Nick Swan for a special reunion show at the New City Cafe in Knoxville's Old City on July 16, 2005. The band officially went on indefinite hiatus on June 7, 2006 to pursue other artistic endeavors, though several side projects are underway. History Atticus began as a grunge style garage band formed by Aaron Gabriel, Donnie Shockley, and Allen Clark just before they graduated junior high school. Nick Swan and Adam Menhinick joined the group a few years later, completing the lineup. The very first Atticus album was self-titled and actually the third or fourth attempt the band had made to record a CD on a portable Fostex four-track recorder. Allen's family was in the process of moving from their already nice home to an even nicer mansion, and the band had the perfect opportunity and space to record an album in the Clarks' abandoned former residency. Atticus began tracking songs and made significant progress on what would have been their first album until something happened. They don't remember what happened, but something definitely happened that caused them to abandon the project. Then Nick received a new four-track recorder for his birthday that had some EQ knobs and gadgets that the little Fostex they'd been using didn't possess. Hastily recorded and produced at the end of the last century, Atticus was thrust into the hands of awaiting fans and music stores all over Knoxville and then quickly confiscated. The limited number of copies in existence makes Atticus a collector's item, noted for its distinctly atrocious production and sound quality.