Positive Rising
About
Positive Rising
Positive Rising has been a project in the making for over a decade. Ian Ayers (rhythm guitar/lead vocals) and Billy McIntyre (drums) have been playing music together since high school; learning to play, write and perform. They collaborated in 2000 to form The Cauze, a northwest fusion rock-reggae band. The Cauze disbanded in 2009. Ian went on to create the Northwest Sons which had a predominately reggae vibe. Band member conflict led to the eventual dissolution of the Northwest Sons in 2011. After The Cauze, Billy lent his drumming skills to two bands: Run Riot Run and Achates.Ron Burley, friend and now manager of Positive Rising, recognized Ian’s incredible musical ability after procuring him to perform at a summer house party. Burley has supported the local music scene for years and maintained solid social connections in the industry. He approached Ian in September, 2011 with the opportunity to create a new band. Ian Ayers and Billy McIntyre, both between music projects, once again pooled their creative efforts and began writing new music for Positive Rising.
The next step was to find a lead guitarist and a bassist with a similar love of reggae-style music and incomparable musical skills. Following a slew of auditions, the band found their lead guitarist in a 20 year-old guitar prodigy, Max Watters. Max took an immediate interest to guitar by age three and has been taking professional guitar lessons from Mike McCreedy’s guitar teacher for 10 years. Max brings an overall appreciation of music and the process of creation to the group. Prior to his position with Positive Rising, Max spent most of his time producing his own music and playing with various groups and solo artists.
The bassist position was filled by Justin “Fish” Fischer. Justin is a second generation bassist, learning his musical trade from his father. He began playing bass at age 10 and began performing live at age 21. His skill at playing reggae-style bass can be attributed to his long-term involvement with reggae bands such as Slacktide Soul and Hupf 'n Stupf. Justin has performed with numerous other bands of varying genres and collaborated with a myriad of artists in venues all over Washington State. Justin’s experience combined with his dedication to his craft makes him a perfect fit for this group.
Positive Rising has been writing, practicing and preparing for the next phase in the band’s evolution; live performance. Manager Burley has arranged an extensive introduction for the band including this debut performance, benefit shows with other well-established and successful musicians, and a debut album, “Ocean Swells”, to be released sometime in late-winter of 2012. “We have some of the best new Seattle-based talent that this city has seen in a long time. I expect these guys to have an incredible rise to the top of the modern reggae scene and to keep putting out quality music for years to come.” –Ron Burley, Positive Rising, Manager.
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