MEET THE BAND

This page serves as a little history lesson on how ACIDATA came to be.

ACIDATA was founded as a two-piece project between Franky Sourz and KT Skullz in the year 1983 as high school seniors in their hometown of Mystery, Kentucky. The band was named after a moth in Sourz's friend Edward Weiss' entomology index called Pseudopostega Acidata. Franky, when asked about the name, says “I still think it's a little dorky, but when KT heard it, he nodded in a way I'd never seen before as if he knew in some divine way that it was what he had to choose”. Edward went on to own a diner in Petting, KY called Eddie's that you can still visit to this day. In the beginning, Franky was the vocalist and guitarist, and KT played drums. KT was taught to play by Franky as he had learned to play drums growing up. In no more than a couple of months, KT had surpassed Franky's level of skill and had to continue learning on his own. KT recalls this point in the band's history fondly, stating “[Franky] is one of the most talented people you'll ever meet, and being in that position made me really believe in what we were doing. I had no idea if I'd ever 'make it' playing the drums. Still, I'm glad it happened the way it did.”

One year later, a friend of the two from high school, Luka Evans, joined the band as bass player. That Halloween was the fateful day the band decided on their zombie theme. Luka recounts: “I wasn't really into it in the way they were, but it was KT's birthday, I was new to the band and they both seemed really into it, so I followed along. That was one of the better things I shut my mouth about. Worked out great”. For a long time it was just the three of them, and most of their early work was created with this lineup over the initial seven years, including the album “Otherworldly Touch” which included their first charting single “Trials Of Life”, which stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks at 80th place. In 1991 the band was having issues balancing the responsibility of lead guitar, bass, and keyboard following the addition of their iconic synth to their sound, and had an open member try-out to take guitar off of Franky so he could focus on synth. Hundreds of applicants from all over the US had come to show their skills and in the end, the winner was Waylon Ward, a self-proclaimed guitar pro from Detroit, MI who showed up decked out in his own zombie persona's outfit. “ Figured if I looked the part I'd get the part. I was visiting my brother at the time and couldn't believe my ears,” he says.

Waylon moved in with his brother in Mystery in response to the confirmation call that he had landed the position. After a show left Waylon with a badly strained wrist, his brother Solomon was pulled in to take the spot while he healed. While Solomon was in the band temporarily he was able to work out kinks in songs the band had been working on for months and bring new ideas to the table for merchandising, album structure, and synth. Once Waylon was able to play again a couple more lineup changes occurred, but Solomon never left. This lineup is responsible for most of ACIDATA's most famous work, including the band's most recent and most iconic album LIFE AFTER DEATH, which will likely not be their last. Solomon states, “We have no reason to stop making music; we'll probably be doing this until the day we die”.