Biography

In 1986 The Unidynes started pumping out some of the finest blues in the Midwest. They blended blues, roots rock, old school country with a little swing and jump creating a unique sound that lead singer and harp player Jack Schmalfeldt called "industrial stregnth blues". Schmalfeldt along with Dave Schneider are the writers of those foot stopming original songs. Schneider also sang lead on a number of songs while playing rhythm guitar. Kevin Kash took care of the lead guitar duties while Dave Layton on his stand-up bass and Bob Hoffmann on drums layed down a hot and heavy rhythm. With this line-up The Unidynes recorded their debut CD "Once In A Blue Room". That disc was released in the spring of 1987 on Junior's Motel Records, and was descibed this way in Blues Access magazine:
"There's a mighty hip vibe coming outta Junior's Motel in Otho, Iowa. In the long tradition of blues/rock Midwest powerhouses, The Unidyes are ready to get your feet on the dance floor and your head away from your own problems by reminding us of theirs. Pick hit: Goodnight Jesus, which sounds like a Sticky Fingers-period Rolling Stones."

The band had gone through some difficult times. Bob Hoffmann had left the band and moved to Kansas. After going through several drummers the band became whole once more with the addition of Bud Benson on drums. Three years later The Unidynes would release their second CD. Smoke was another critically acclaimed recording which sold well at the bands shows. The band was still on shakey grounds and Kevin Kash left and moved to Nashville.
In 2005 The Unidynes were back together after Kash returned to Iowa and once again joined forces with the other members. They started working on the third CD which had a working title of "Mechanicville". The band had done prliminary recordings of all of the tracks that were to be on the new CD. However, that CD has never been released. Before they could get final takes on any of the new songs Jack Schmalfeldt died of lung cancer. Jack had contracted asbestos lung cancer while working as a union painter in Milwaukee Wisconsin. He did not know he had cancer until a couple months before he passed away in early 2008. For a couple years the remainder members of band did not play as The Unidynes. Thier sound had changed and they felt that without Jack they should not use the name. It took some persuading but eventually the guys decided Jack wouldn't mind if they used the name that had given them enormous popularity in the Midwest for more than twenty years. The band now consists of Dave Schneider on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Dave Layton on stand-up bass and saxophone, Kevin Kash on lead guitar and Chuck Soenksen on drums. All of the guys do backround vocals. It's the same band, but the sound is a litttle different. They are re-working the old songs for the new sound and writing new songs to add to the mix.