PureVolume

Members: Kris Sampson Tommy Tjoflat Ryan Pitchford Jim Pinkstone JT Hall

About the Band:

In late 2002, after a session at Nickel and Dime Recording Studios, Chief Engineer Kristofer Sampson (guitar) and then intern Ryan Pitchford (guitar) laid the groundwork for what would become Variac. Sharing a common love for britpop, shoegaze, indie, and classic rock, Sampson and Pitchford began recording the music they loved in their spare time.

After hearing some early demos, N & D Studio Manager James Pinkstone threw his hat in the ring, laid down the guitar, and picked up the bass. Being a seasoned musician, Pinkstone made the switch with ease, and a band was born. Initially, the three engineers' focus was a studio project, writing and recording sweeping, groove-oriented rock, along the lines of The Verve, Pink Floyd, and BRMC, and opted for refining the recording process instead of honing a live sound.

The decision paid off for the three studiophiles, as one of their projects, "Low Tide," was added to the 2003 Miller Lite/99x Local Music Compilation. Feeling the pull of the stage, Pitchford made a call to former Grove bandmate and drummer Matthew Rollins, and Variac began the frustrating search for a lead singer.

By the summer of 2004, the band had an impressive log of written and recorded music, but still no vocalist. Frustrated and yearning to perform, Rollins took a gig with another local Atlanta band, temporarily stunning the progress of Variac. Fortunately, a session the previous summer with local fixture Film had introduced Sampson to drummer Tommy Tjoflat.

Yearning to play and enamored with the idea of a free rehearsal space, Tjoflat accepted the offer and joined Variac in July of 2004. Library learned and rehearsed, Variac resumed the tedious task of finding a front man—and what a front man they would find.

John Thomas Hall would meet Kristofer Sampson at a session for which he played bass guitar. Sampson engineered. Hall and Sampson then became fast friends, sharing a love for the same music and a common bond (both Full Sail graduates in engineering). Seeing his potential, Sampson coaxed Hall behind the microphone. Variac was now complete.

With the addition of hard-hitting Tjoflat and the uncontainable charisma of Hall, the methodical and spacious sound honed by Sampson, Pitchford, and Pinkstone would give way to a thunderous new version of Variac. New songs poured forth and the band became tight. On February 19, 2005, Variac made their debut at Lenny's bar in Atlanta, GA, to a surprisingly large crowd of soon-to-be fans. Playing diligently throughout the spring and summer, Variac developed a well-deserved reputation for bringing the rock, not to mention wearing the coolest shoes in town.

What is a Variac?
Variac is the combination of Tommy's right foot and James' left hand. Variac is the difference between Kristofer's aggressive staccato and Ryan's melodic swell, with the sum of their tone equaling a wall of guitar reminiscent of 80's SST and 90's Creation, tempered by a love of all things classic. How about the Stones? Variac is John Thomas leaning on the mic, and ladies you've all seen him lean. You boys love it, too, because you're all singing along. Variac is something to be seen, so keep an eye out. They'll be in your neighborhood soon.