Capturing the Moment with Music August Rising

by Stephanie Struyck Elgin

They capture a feeling of passion and emotion through their heartfelt music. Their lyrics showcase strong and honest songwriting and their tunes mirror the likes of bands such as Train, Maroon 5 and The Script. Combine four incredibly talented musicians and you have August Rising.    
Formed in 2008, August Rising is a four member band consisting of Jeff Stauning, the creative force of the band, on vocals and guitar, Jarod Woznik on lead Guitar/Backup VOX, who brings his talent for music and business to the plate, Matt Thrift, the driving force with a rock steady pulse on drums and Patrick Stephens, Bass/Backup VOX, who is the “icing on the cake.”  Their self-titled debut CD has 11 songs, including Lay Your Hands on Me bringing them the most recognition.  
é: How did you get the name August Rising?
Jeff came up with the name. The word ‘August’ has somehow always been the most common theme of inspiration to him musically.  Some of his favorite bands, songs, and albums have had ‘August’ in them, so he felt it was very important for him to have that in the name.
So the meaning of August Rising to him is… that you can take the common source of inspiration for what you’re most passionate about in life; and let it rise and grow into something great.  Too often people don’t do that. They pursue something else, because it’s safer, or they were pressured, or whatever their reasons are.
é: What inspires you to write the songs you do?
We find that a combination of things inspire us to write our songs.  Sometimes it’s something as little as capturing the feeling of just one moment. Other songs are about an extended period of time – they tell a story. But we always try to write about things we find important to us right now. Even if that same feeling doesn’t mean as much tomorrow, as long as it means something right now, that’s what matters to us.  More than anything, we are inspired by simply capturing the moment.
é: Are you working on any CD’s right now?
We are currently working on our second CD.  We just finished recording two songs for it and are in the process of writing and recording more as well.  There’s a lot we learned about ourselves as a band after finishing the first CD.  Our most successful songs came from when we each worked on our own strengths collectively; individually and as a band.
é: You perform at various locations in the Santa Clarita Valley.  What keeps you here?
We’ve spent a lot of time in Santa Clarita and the people are amazing – they appreciate original music and good musicians.  It’s a close-knit community where a lot of people know each other.  That’s the type of environment where we like to build a strong fan base because it’s easier for word of mouth to spread about good bands.
é: Do you have a message for your fans?
No matter what dream you have, keep it alive!  Creating great music is our ambition and our fans keep us going.  We hope we can have some impact in your life with our music and hope you find a path that gives you the same feeling we get when we create these songs to share with you!
For more information on upcoming performances or to purchase a CD, visit www.augustrising.net.