Bio

Karen Holley is the lead singer and co-founder of A is A. With the demise of their former band, Karen & Mark formed a duo which later filled out to a full band. Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Karen comes from a large and tightly knit family.

Karen was attracted to performing at an early age and took music and dance lessons throughout her childhood. One of her first jobs was in a local radio station. A visit to a concert by Mark’s band led to an impetuous decision to join the band and hit the road.

Despite the impression created by her high energy stage antics and road lifestyle, Karen is essentially a homebody. She loves to cook and garden. When in their home base of Hamilton, the rest of the band is the beneficiary of those loves. Karen grows vegetables and cooks lavish meals for the boys.

Karen herself loves to eat. She especially likes Italian food accompanied by prodigious amounts of coffee and Pepsi. Just don’t ever try to feed her liver!! Perhaps all that carbo-loading and those caffeine drinks fuel some of Karen’s energy on stage.

When not on stage Karen tries to mellow the energy output by doing Yoga and spending time with Buddy, her handsome beagle. She enjoys novels by Thomas Harris, Stephen King, and Pat Conroy. Not untypical of the modern girl, Karen loves shopping and watching reality television. However, she prefers the WWE to the Young and the Restless.  She hasn't missed a RAW, SMACKDOWN, or Pay Per View in the last three years.  She even attended a live taping.

Music has always been a part of Karen’s life. Growing up, she was exposed to a lot of country music and that influence can be heard in both her writing and singing. Her brothers introduced her to their favourite music adding to Karen’s wide musical tastes. On the road she is an avid renter of old movies. She also loves meeting the locals and renewing old friendships in the towns they travel to. Presently she is enjoying tracks by Joanna Newsom, Amy Winehouse, and Billie Holiday.

Karen and Mark are the two main songwriters in A is A. Their composing style has become so integrated that it is impossible to define who wrote what. Initially, Karen usually focuses on the lyrics and the vocal line while Mark provides the music. Many of the lyrics are a window into Karen’s highly personal view of the world.

When at their shows, Karen is highly social and hates staying back stage. She likes to shake hands and tries to meet everyone at the show.

Gear

• Shure, SM 86 microphone

• Lee Oskar harmonicas

Bio

Where’s Mark? Everyone in the band knows the answer to that question. He is holed up somewhere with a book in his hand. Mark is an avid reader of just about anything in print, but he especially loves Sci-Fi and Russian Books from the 1800's

Born in Boston, Mark moved to Canada when he was 9 years old. He grew up in the suburbs of Montreal. In his late teens he moved to Toronto and then to Hamilton where the band is now based. Mark’s father is a writer/teacher and his Mom is a lecturer in demand internationally. Mark has two sisters and a brother. One sister, Jennifer, is an artist. His brother Robert designs and builds racing bicycles while his other sister Julie is active in international women’s issues.

Mark stays fit, mountain biking. He can be seen whizzing around Hamilton on his banana yellow bike. The bike and his guitar are “must packs” when the band goes on the road. The other essential is Mark’s cat “Regis”. Regis has been traveling with A is A since he was a couple of weeks old. The band found him abandoned and freezing under a band house in northern Manitoba.

Mark is the bandleader, guitarist and co-writer of all of their songs. That leaves him little time for anything else. When he can grab a few hours, he loves to watch re-runs of Deadwood or go to movies. Mark also loves to eat and the weirder the food the better. He will try anything, loves Sushi and has a raging sweet tooth.

Live performance is a passion for Mark. He comes alive when he hits the stage and often shows his wacky sense of humour to the audience. His more serious side shows up in studio where he is a focused and driven perfectionist. He is driven to capture on CD what he hears in his head.

Mark likes politics; Listening to the album “Billy Talent II" over and over; people who will say or do anything; and hates being squished up in crowds.

Gear

• Les Paul Custom (Zakk Wylde) 
• Fender Stratocaster (American)
• Marshall JCM 2000 (head)
• Marshall 1960 4x12 (cabinet)
• DBX 160 compressor
• BOSS Blues Driver pedal

• Elixir electric strings 10-52
• Taylor 714-CE acoustic
• Boss AD-3 Acoustic Instrument Processor
• Elixir acoustic strings 11-56
• Digitech EX 7 pedal
• Sampson Airline Guitar Wireless System

Bio

Simon was born in Warsaw, Poland. Before immigrating to Canada, he lived in Germany for a year and a half. His family arrived in Hamilton from Germany and have stayed there since. Simon attended McMaster University in Hamilton, studying philosophy.

Whenever Simon is in Hamilton he always makes it to his parents’ house for Sunday dinner. His father is an electrical engineer who works at McMaster University working on various projects dealing with things from x-ray generators and particle accelerators to the nuclear reactor housed there.  His mother is a special needs worker, helping the severely disabled to live a normal life. He also has an older brother who is a web programmer,

Simon enjoys staying in for dates and watching a movies under a blanket with a bowl of popcorn.  He is a reader and has been catching up on some new books. He likes being in the band with Mark because he always has a good book to lend. Simon plays squash when he can find the time and a partner. He has also been known to solve a rubix cube in under a minute.

Simon feels there's always something new to learn in music, regardless of how much you already know.  His favourite is those nights on stage, when everybody in the room is having a blast, and he is doing something he loves to do.

Simon is listening to: Weezer - Blue Album; Mark Farina - Mushroom Jazz; Tool - AenAnemiaima; The Killers - Sam's Town and anything by Dave Grohl,  David Bowie, Aerosmith, Arctic Monkeys, and Rage Against the Machine.

Gear

• Steinberger 5 string bass
• Berhinger BX4500H Ultrabass bass head

• 900W Caver PM-900 power amp with one 1x15" bottom cabinet and 1 2x10" top cabinet

Bio

Jeff Rinne. The illusive and always sharply dressed, was born in Kenora, Ont. He got his first drum kit at age 5, but due to noise complaints, packed them in the closet and bought a 6-string instead. He re-located to Fort Frances, Ontario during his formative years where he played guitar and drums in a host of local bands. One day A IS A came to town and the call of duty was drummer.

Jeff has one brother who now lives in Grande Prairie, Alberta. He introduced Jeff to a band called KISS, and the choice was clear. To Rock and Roll All Nite, and party everyday.

Jeff loves playing and listening to all kinds of music, as well as spending a few hours on his MAC, his Wii Some of his favorite bands are Kiss, 311, Tool, Dave Matthews and Buddy Rich. He loves to eat and needs his Timmy's. He enjoys watching his Leafs, Dexter, and most reality shows. He HATES Sushi, anything with coconut and mornings.

Gear

• Sonor  22 inch Kick
• Sonor  10 inch Tom
• Sonor  12 inch Tom
• Sonor  16 inch Tom
• Sonor  14 inch Wood Snare
• Zildjian  14 inch Hi Hat’s
• Zildjian  14 inch Rock Crash
• Zildjian  16 inch Rock Crash

• Zildjian  22 inch A custom Projection Ride
• Dixon Cowbells
• Sonor Hardware
• Tama Iron Cobra Pedals
• Roland V-Drums   TD-10
• Evans Skins
• Vater Sticks Los Angeles 5A