Former Champions Press Kit

Former Champions are:

• Matt Walton - Guitar & Vocals
• Ben White - Keys & Vocals
• David Ashby - Bass & Vocals
• Geoff Bakel - Drums & Electronics

Former Champions are an electro rock band based out of Richmond, Virginia.  Their music showcases vocal led compositions intermixed with an array of instrumentally driven electronic pieces.   A sonic blend of synthesized keys mixed with sub-bass, distorted guitar, harmonized vocals, samples, and a multitude of drums, cymbals and percussion combine to create what the band describes as “street music.”

2011 has been an exciting year for Former Champions as they released their self titled debut album and made appearances at several festivals including Camp Bisco, FloydFest, and Camp Barefoot.  They have shared the stage with artists including The New Deal, Perpetual Groove, Conspirator, EOTO, Zappa plays Zappa, Papadosio, Brothers Past, Hackensaw Boys, Tea Leaf Green, and many others.  FC is now gearing up for an extensive touring schedule for 2012 and are currently working on their second studio album targeted for a mid-year release.

Tune into Champs Radio to listen to the album (radio & music), or check out their growing catalog of  live shows that are available for free download at (Live Music Archive - Former Champions)

Press

"I have been lucky enough to see the Champs in the past and knew they were going to put on a good show. If you have not seen them yet, you won’t want to wait much longer. With festival announcements piling up, it is becoming pretty apparent that this might be the last year the Champs are going to be opening shows instead of headlining." - Brandon Samuel, Virginia Magazine 33 “It was toxic and addictive. We wanted more." - Ben Cokeley, Magazine33 “A melding of talented musical personalities… The Former Champions are highly recommended.” - Alex Jasperse, Musemuse.com “All the instruments are played so superbly and in varying fashion, that each song is unique in its own way.” - Sari N. Kent, Celebrity Cafe “Quite exceptional.” - John Book, Music For America “The roles within a song are constantly changing — who’s the rhythm section, who plays the melody, who improvises up into the stratosphere. Different performances of a song are rarely exactly the same” -Tristan Lejeune, Charlottesville Progress “Breakneck beats underscore a swirl of organ, synth and guitar. Elements of '70s prog-rock mingle with dance-club grooves.” - Jonas Beals, Fredericksburg Freelance “the band finished their second set but most of the crowd wasn’t ready to stand still and stop dancing.” - Lucas Fritz, RVAjazz.com

Discography

Studio:

1. Former Champions (self-titled studio album) - several tracks available for streaming in player below. 2. Hot Money Fire (H$F) - in production

Live:

Lyrics

1. Transport

Stage Requirements