Researcher by day, rocker by night, Eric has been singing and writing songs for over a decade. After recording a few songs in high school with Honesty Complex, he spent four years as singer/guitarist for high energy three-piece Abraham Nixon in the Fox Valley. Abraham Nixon released an album and got original song Secondary Gain onto the Rock Band Network for gamers everywhere to enjoy, but life intervened, splitting up the band. Eric then spent a few years expanding his influences with variety band Never Better before he felt the call: it was time to get back into the rock game with This Side Up.
Jenna – Lead Vocals
Jenna has a lot of experience for someone her age performing in duos, trios and various local bands and has already fronted her own Country band Jenna Leigh and the Outcasts. She has played many large venues including the Wisconsin State Fair, Summerfest, Harley Davidson events and various church festivals.
Jenna has been performing as long as she can remember. At age 4 she wandered onto the old Pabst stage at Summerfest when her dad’s oldies band Barry’s Truckers was performing and she’s been at it professionally since she was 14.
Recently Jenna has played with local rock band “Logan’s Run” as well as playing solo shows and with her own accoustic duo “Leigh-Currington”. When Jenna came to jam with “This Side Up” and heard their unique style she knew right away she had to be a part of it! “Relentlessly positive” she loves performing live and meeting people. Be sure to come up and introduce yourself at a show, she doesn’t bite (while at least not lately).
Andy – Drums
Andy started playing drums in middle school and continued on through college as part of the marching band. After school, he got involved with a local original band, Deflection. Wanting something a little heavier, he joined an original band called My Alibi, a female led rock band similar to Evanescence. My Alibi later morphed into another original band called Ember Burning. With the breakup of Ember Burning, Andy got together with former frontman Jason and they decided to put together a unique project that would become This Side Up.
Ryan – Guitar & Backing Vocals
Ryan grew up listening to the Hair Metal of the 80’s. Taking up the guitar at the age of 11, he dreamed of following in their footsteps. While attending UWM in the late 90’s, he met and roomed with other like minded guitarists with whom he would go on to found several bands including: pop rock/punk cover band The Dead Metaphores based out of Sheboygan (2002-2004); Hard Rock and Metal band Behind the Curve (2008-2010); and also classic and Hard Rock band Four Letter Word (2010-2012). After Four Letter Word disbanded, he took a break for nearly a year until answering an ad and joining This Side Up in February 2013.
After developing as a drummer through high school and college, Mark decided to focus on guitar. He joined his first band, Circus Animals, in 1999. They played a few house parties, and the UW Union Terrace in Madison before splitting up. After a brief detour to Phoenix, Mark returned back to Wisconsin and joined The Whiz Bang, a classic rock cover band in Baraboo, WI. A move to Milwaukee gave Mark the opportunity to join a new band. After answering an ad for a guitarist, Mark joined his former high school drumline mate, Andy, in This Side Up.
Jim began his music career at age 5 on a tiny violin, switching to cello in high school, and finally bass guitar right after high school when asked to join the family cover band, Breezin’, which had been playing weddings, dances, and festivals in the Milwaukee area for nearly 25 years. In 1999, with the breakup of Breezin’, Jim joined The Tom Anthony Group, an offshoot of the family band, which specialized in a Las Vegas style show featuring artists like Roy Orbison, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis and is a fixture at area festivals. Jim split from the group with his second Army Reserve deployment in 2009. Jim has always had the rock itch, however, and joined This Side Up in August 2012
