Classic rock makes a comeback in Athens as Green’s Edge, a new rock band, cranks up the volume with both covers and original pieces.
Green’s Edge entered the music scene in September 2024, hoping to establish itself in the Athens community and develop its sound.
Ben Maskiell, a freshman studying early childhood education, is a rhythm guitarist and vocalist for Green’s Edge. His passion for guitar sparked in 2020 during COVID-19.
“I wanted to be in a band for as long as I can remember,” Maskiell said. “For me (playing music) is just so relaxing. I sit down with a guitar and know that at any point, I could just stop playing a song halfway through and play another one … it's just really relaxing knowing that I have complete control.”
In a physical science class, Maskiell met Jack Batson, a sophomore studying accounting and the band’s lead singer. After discovering a mutual love of rock music, the two decided to form what is now Green’s Edge. Batson finds ways to implement creativity and music into his everyday life.
“I try to write down what I'm thinking, 10 to 15 minutes a day, no matter how I'm feeling. It's important for me,” Batson said. “It gets me through my life, listening to music and writing it. I try to produce whenever I can.”
Maskiell and Batson then recruited four additional band members: Ash Stephenson, a freshman biological sciences major, Sid Austin, a freshman music production major, Becky Neumann, a freshman biology major and Alex McCartney, a freshman health sciences major.
Green’s Edge derived its name from Ohio University’s campus, the place where the band’s journey began. The name is a reference to the four greens on campus.
“We liked that idea a lot,” Batson said. “It was like the edge of the green, and we were like, ‘Wait Green’s Edge.’”
Green’s Edge played its first gig Nov. 23, 2024 for a small crowd of friends and family, where it played nine cover songs and the members found their footing as performers.
“Halfway through the show we played ‘Creep,’ and I felt like I came out of my body,” Batson said. “It was really freeing. I didn't care, I was having so much fun.”
The band all shared a similar takeaway: this is what they were all missing.
“Afterwards it was like, ‘Wow, I’ve been wanting to do this kind of thing since I was a kid,” Maskiell said.
Green’s Edge hopes to experiment with new musical genres to reach audiences with a variety of tastes.
“We're one size fits all,” Maskiell said. “We're not just for the classic rock people, we're also for the people who love pop, the people who love modern music … there's music for everyone.”
Stephenson is the lead guitarist of Green’s Edge. Originally from the U.K., Stephenson is inspired by British pop bands such as Oasis, Blur and Arctic Monkeys. Since joining Green’s Edge, Stephenson’s fellow band members have introduced her to new sounds such as Fleetwood Mac and AC/DC.
“(Green’s Edge) gives us something to get away from everything, we can just f--- around and have fun,” Stephenson said. “For me to come to the band and play my favorite songs and be with my friends, it's such a nice thing to be able to do.”
Green’s Edge encourages its audience to embrace their individuality.
“We're all different people,” she said. “We all come from different backgrounds. We all have different personalities, but we work really well together. Being in the band has allowed us to be ourselves.”
In the future, Stephenson hopes to create her own original music.
“This is the first band I've ever been a part of … it's going to be something to remember regardless of whether it's gonna last a long time or not,” Stephenson said. “We have big dreams, we’d like to perform and have a good crowd, and I won't stop until I've done that.”
Green’s Edge has already had a profound impact on its members. No matter what the future holds, they credit the band for strengthening their passion for music and creating friendships that last beyond their time on stage.
“This is not going to be something that just fizzles out,” Maskiell said. “Whether it stops tomorrow or it goes until we’re all seniors … it's going to be a thing that will always stick with us. I'll always remember Green's Edge as the first real thing that I've done.”
