The electrifying story of VISION TONGUE began in the small town of Paragould, Arkansas when brothers DAN and MIKE TURNER formed a band with longtime friend and drummer MARCUS HUNT in the year 1998. The band formed at a time when original local bands were all but non-existent in the area. The band was known briefly as DAMON TURNER but then name was changed several months later to DAMMAR FUSION, which lasted until February of 2003 when bassist and collaborator RODNEY COLE left the band. During this time the band gained an enthusiastic local following in Northeast Arkansas and beyond. An explosion of local talent also ensued and grew to into something much larger than anyone in the band ever would have dreamed. In the process the guys gained a solid reputation for their intense live shows, dynamic original music, and charismatic personalities; thus becoming one of THE top bands to ever emerge from the Northeast Arkansas rock/metal scene.
By the time bassist JEREMY OSBON joined the band in March of 2003; the band had already written and introduced a new set of songs to their already extensive repertoire of original material. It was also around this time that the guys were considering changing the name of the band. Lead guitarist Dan Turner spent some time amassing a multitude of potential names with several band name generators on the internet. When he brought the exhaustive list of names to a jam session one night he began to read them aloud and when the name "VISION TONGUE" was spoken everyone immediately perked up and said "YEAH!" And so it was agreed that VISION TONGUE would become the band's permanent name.
In hindsight the band feels that VISION TONGUE is a cool metaphor for what they are doing musically and lyrically. "There are many different ways to interpret the name VISION TONGUE and that is part of the beauty of it," says guitarist Dan Turner, "We have people coming up to us all of the time with their own take on it, which is really all we want the listener to do with everything pertaining to our music."
Since the early days of the band VISION TONUGE has been noted for their incendiary live shows, which have become the stuff of local legend. MIKE TURNER has been praised for his idiosyncratic yet ballsy vocal style, catchy rhythm hooks, and commanding stage presence. JEREMY OSBON and MARCUS HUNT have gained quite a reputation for being a solid rhythm section live. The heroic and fiery yet esoteric lead guitar style of DAN TURNER has turned a lot of heads; not to mention his wild antics both on stage and off.
VISION TONGUE performs live in the Mid-South Region and beyond. They have played countless rock venues, festivals, and benefits through the years in Northeast Arkansas, Southeast Missouri, and Western Tennessee. Here is a short list: The New Daisy Theater, Old Daisy Theater, and Dingofest in Memphis TN; Vinos in Little Rock, AR; Rockin' on the Ridge and the Fowler Center in Jonesboro, AR; The Blue Collar Rock Festival in Hardy, AR; The Collins Theater and Loose Caboose Festival in Paragould, AR.
Arkansas is full of many amazing and talented bands. Some of the fantastic local bands that VISION TONGUE has had the privilege to perform with in the past are PAINBREAK, DARK EMBRACE, THIRTY 2 LIFE, FIREBOX, PETALSHELF, HERO 9, MRS FLETCHER, and FURTHER DOWN.
Not counting their previous studio efforts from their Damon Turner/Dammar Fusion days (which number three and are currently out of print) VISION TONGUE has recorded two studio projects in the past two years. The band has sold several hundred copies of their total recorded output and their music has been downloaded countless times.
"I like the studio because it's like a canvas. The possibilities are endless and I enjoy working in that environment." MIKE says. Their first demo project as VISION TONGUE, recorded in the summer of 2003, contains the single “BURN FOR MORE” which earned them a spot in the Radio Star All-stars contest for CLEAR CHANNEL ENTERTAINMENT, as well as airplay on local rock radio in Northeast Arkansas. The band went on to win the local version of the Radio Star contest, which in turn put them in a live completion. The band won and received studio time as a result and in the summer of 2004, the band recorded their latest demo (heard right here on MySpace) in Jonesboro Arkansas. The band is now planning to record yet another project for 2005 to send out to both major and independent labels alike for a record deal.
So a little over seven years later these resilient musicians from Northeast Arkansas have stuck with their passion for performing and creating music for anyone willing to open their minds, hearts and souls to it. The band still plays some of their past material live because it is part of their legacy; however, VISION TONGUE boldly moves forward in new directions.
"We have some great music now" says drummer Marcus Hunt "but after all this time that we have been together we are finding out that the best music is yet to come for VISION TONGUE. There has been several years invested in this band and we have had time to develop, unlike a lot of cookie cutter bands out there. We aren't trying to be something we're not like the biggest, the hottest, the fastest or the heaviest nor are we in this for money, women, or fame. We're just thankful to have the ability to be playing music. At the end of the day we're VISION TONGUE and we'll let that speak for itself."
VISION TONGUE has a philosophy about their music that reflects the forces that brought them together. They are acutely aware of the profound power of music and the effects it has on people, so in that respect they take their music very seriously. However, when the band jams out they love to let loose, hang out and party because life is too short to take it seriously all of the time.
Lead Guitarist Dan Turner sums things up like this: "Everything we play and sing about is a direct reflection of our environment and experiences here (in Arkansas), which in turn usually translates into a universal experience that resonates with our listeners. Our music is about celebrating life to the fullest, the piercing depths of tragedy and triumph over incredible odds.”
Go to this link to hear us:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=221443
Vision Tongue - Photos
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