The Nadas

Formed in Ames, IA in 1995 by singer/songwriter/guitarists Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith, indie rock outfit the Nadas’ clever, rootsy, melodic folk-rock began as a collegiate extracurricular activity before spreading into the heartland and eventually across the country. The band released two records for the Nomad label in the late '90s (Not a Sound [1995] and New Start [1997]) before signing with Des Moines-based independent label Authentic Records for 2000's Coming Home. Playboy Magazine called them the "Best College Band You've Never Heard Of” the following year, and subsequent Authentic releases like Transceiver (2003), Listen Through the Static (2005), and the Ghosts Inside These Halls (2007), as well as a steady stream of shows, helped to further eradicate the “You’ve Never Heard Of” portion of the quote. In 2010, the group, which by this time included bassist Jon Locker, drummer Jason Smith, and violinist/keyboard player Becca Smith, released its seventh full-length album, Almanac.