The Forgotten Prophets

From different walks of life across the United States which found them crossing paths in Austin, Texas, The Forgotten Prophets are a musical collective— immediately accessible to any listener seeking genuine musicianship, song craft, and honest performance.  At their foundation, this is a band of music lovers playing for those who love music.

Original yet familiar, The Forgotten Prophets forge their own path through the backwoods roots of American rock and roll. Their debut album, The End (2016), was recorded live in the studio in four days. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” begins bassist Pat Harris. “We just want to play the music that resonates within us– it’s somewhere between Jackson Browne, The Grateful Dead, The Band, and Ry Cooder.”  It’s music for the sake of music, without click-tracks, tuned vocals, or auxiliary players; just a group of friends enjoying their time together.

As a group with many eclectic tastes, influences, and abilities, The Forgotten Prophets spent much of 2017 dedicated to the performance and recording of The Empress: a 4 movement, 45 minute, through composed progressive piece based on the symbolism in The Empress Tarot card.

Since 2019, The Forgotten Prophets are digging deep into American blues and roots music to inspire their original material and continue to play to appreciative listeners throughout Central Texas.

Chris Bell – guitar & vocal, from Burlington, Vermont is a lifelong student of the blues, the leader and vocalist for the Belltower Blues Explosion, and has been described as “world class player.”  He studied jazz guitar at the Berklee College of Music and composition at Texas State University.  In addition to performing, he is an accomplished luthier designing, crafting, and playing his own guitars. Belltower Guitars on Instagram

Pat Harris – bass & vocal, from Bay City, Michigan is an in demand first-call sideman.  Pat studied classical performance at Central Michigan University and has a Master’s in Jazz Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. His songs have been described as, “…So good and clean in their construction that they feel almost ageless upon first listen.”   He blogs regularly about his experiences, travels, and philosophical musings on art and music. www.gpatharris.com

Aaron Lack – drums & vocals, from Muskegon, Michigan studied at Central Michigan University and the University of Texas.  With an incredibly diverse set of skills, and a chameleon of genres, Aaron can be heard playing drums, classical percussion, jazz vibraphone, or traditional steel pan music seamlessly moving from one instrument to the next.  He leads the Aaron Lack Vibetet and the Organic Mechanics. www.aaronlack.com

PRESS
If a lot of acts today are considered genre-bending, The Forgotten Prophets are tying genres in knots using only their tongues, while doing backflips through flaming hoops over shark-infested waters. James Anderson (violin), Chris Bell (guitars), Jonathan Geer (piano, keyboards), Aaron Lack (drums, percussion), Pat Harris (bass), and Steve Schwelling (drums, percussion) put a focus on blending classical and popular music in a way that will make everyone want to listen. Part of the reason that they can pull that off is because they’re all ridiculously talented; each member has at least one degree in music, and have they’ve all been playing music in Austin for decades.  – James Parker, KUTX