jamie pierman

Ampersand was formed in 2006 in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. The band came together during a hostage situation in the beer cave of a Northern Kentucky gas station. Jamie Pierman is the guitarist, and lead vocalist for Ampersand, as well as the creative force behind their lyrical assault on the minds and souls of their listeners. Ted E. Longwood – no relation to Wile E. Coyote – applies his talents to the drums like peanut butter to jelly, and handles backup vocals. Matt Assman plays bass, does vocals, and fills the utility role for the band, adding everything from a kazoo to a didgeridoo to his musical repertoire.

The group lists Incubus, Nirvana, Silverchair, The Vines, and The Disassociatives among their musical influences. Pierman also attributes Ampersand’s unique renderings to the influence of classical music, especially how movements shift, change and transform within the same piece. Lyrically, Ampersand is a spiritual descendant of The Sex Pistols and the spiritual forefather of the “Occupy …” movements sweeping the United States. Instead of trying to change the establishment all at once, Ampersand is seeking to open – and subsequently blow – the minds of their audience.
Pierman, Longwood, and Assman describe their relationship as “symbiotic,” and play hoping to “astonish one another.” They have dedicated themselves to creating music with just a few guidelines: 1. To always have fun (oh, and they do) 2. Anything goes 3. There is no limit to what they can do. Together, the triumvirate has made two as of yet unreleased albums, “Emotional Homicide,” (2008) and “ATYHIHSWUIMT,” (2010). The band’s MySpace site has nearly 10,000 followers and their songs have over 13,000 plays.
Ampersand has set its sights on Europe, with the goal of touring the Continent and introducing audiences there to the limitless, anything is possible attitude. For Pierman, Longwood, and Assman though, making music and the creative process are ends in and of themselves. Pierman has the goal of becoming the Isaac Asimov of music, making songs, if not albums, in every known genre. He and his partners are currently working on selecting music for another studio session.