Ayron and The Way coming to Moscow

Catherine Kruse Evergreen reporter

Ayron Jones and the Way can best be described as Nirvana meets Stevie Ray Vaughan with a touch of Prince, according to the band’s manager Mackenzie McAninch.

The band’s music is described by guitarist Ayron Jones as a sort of urban rock, with a mix of blues, soul, hip-hop, and punk rock music.

“It’s the Seattle version of rock, very soulful and bluesy,” Jones said. “I try and touch every music genre but hold the same essence of the band.”

The three-man band started out playing the blues in Seattle bars. About two years ago Jones said he decided to do more, and so the band developed their music into the intricate mix of sounds they play today.

Jones and DeAndre Enrico, bass player for the band, currently live in Seattle and the drummer Kai VanDePitte lives in Oregon.

“It’s difficult living in a different state,” VanDePitte said. “We have little to no rehearsals and commuting is indeed exhausting. We work so hard during our performance to make each show better than the previous.”

On Oct. 29, the band debuted their album “Dream” and performed at an album release party at Neumos in Seattle. The album was produced by Anthony Ray, known in the music world as Sir Mix-a-Lot, after attending one of the band’s small concerts.

“I was blown away,” Ray said. “I was surprised that nobody took them in to record.”

Ray worked with the band to create a happy medium between the way the band wanted to sound and the traditional methods of recording music. At the album release party in Neumos, the concert opened with Tomeka Williams and Sir Mix-a-Lot, but it was the band that brought the house down, Ray said.

“I like the energy exchange between the band and the audience,” Enrico said. “When you’re playing well and you can see that the audience is enjoying it, their energy helps to contribute to the ‘high’ that you feel while performing.”

This weekend, Ayron Jones and the Way will come to Moscow to play songs from their new album, as well as older songs. McAninch and Jones both expressed the band’s excitement to play a throwback concert, describing the event as an experience for the band and the audience.

“These guys are wise beyond their years,” Ray said. “They take music very seriously for a group of guys at their age.”

The band has received much praise from Ray and McAninch and has become popular in Seattle. McAninch describes the players as phenomenal, and the band members consider each other like family.

“This is not a gimmicky rock band,” Ray said. “This guy is the real deal.”

Ayron and the Way will perform on Nov. 9 at 9 p.m. at John’s Alley Tavern in Moscow, Idaho. Tickets are $5, but attendees must be at least 21 years old to enter the bar.