Biography

The small towns surrounding Dixon, IL have been hiding a secret pleasure. Almost every weekend since 2013 you can find a band called Trippin Molly rockin’ the bars, clubs and biker events of the area. Trippin Molly is a 5-pc guitar based rock band that plays covers of 90’s rock and their own original songs with a style and energy that has yet to be categorized. Jason Stephens, bassist, says “We just play the music we would buy in record stores back in the day. We sit in our practice suite and start throwing out song titles and when everyone says “hell yeah”, we add it to our list.”In 2011, Stephens and Travis Ashlin, lead guitar, who have played in various bands together for years, decided to put their own group together. They linked up with Markus Baker, drums and vocals, and tried jamming a few songs. Markus had previously been in a few groups but was also looking for something in which he could play a defining role. “those first sessions were magic. “ says Jason, “ As soon as we started playing, we knew we were a good fit. The three of us all shared a musical sensibility and timing. I knew right away that this was gonna be a significant part of my life. It’s kind of cool when you can specifically point out a moment in time when your life takes a new direction. That first song with me, Travis and Markus was one of those moments.”
Trippin Molly filled out their roster with a few other members but through several rosters, the original three remained the core. They played a few shows and started gaining a following but the usual problems that bands face sprung up. In 2013 they recruited Jeremy Miller, drums and lead vocals, and William Scott Kimball, rhythm guitar and vocals, and Jason says they felt another “moment” had occurred. With a solid roster of level headed and incredibly talented musicians, Trippin Molly’s show schedule took off. Between the beginning of Summer 2013 and Fall 2014, they played over 50 shows. Locally, they started noticing their logo stickers on cars and motorcycles and people at work started asking when the next show would be.
In the Summer of 2014, Trippin Molly was booked to play at a local bikerfest called Who Else Land in Nelson, IL as the immediate opener for a national act. Most of the members had played the event before with other bands so they knew there would be a large crowd and they wanted to really give their best. Trippin Molly played for the crowd of 1000+ like it was an arena show and the crowd responded. “After the show, people started telling us that we were a strong as the headliner and asking if we were releasing an album. They wanted to know where our merch table was. We didn’t even have one. We’d never sold t-shirts, we were just having fun. When we were getting ready to leave, the Who Else guys were telling us to make sure we were available for next year. That was a great feeling.” The Who Else show led to many more shows and it seemed Trippin Molly had found a groove in the biker scene.
In the Fall of 2014, the guys realized that they couldn’t fly by the seat of their pants anymore. They sat down and created a structure to take a run at their future. “We’re not trying to chase wild rock star dreams.” Stephens reports, “We grown up people with kids and mortgages. We’re trying to figure out how to make TM our full time jobs and that’s where the plan leads.”
The plan seems to be working. In 2015, the band plans to expand their range to a circle 2 hours from Dixon, IL. That includes Madison, Milwaukee, Iowa City and Peoria.
Trippin Molly's current sets include covers of hits by Bush, The White Stripes, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Silverchair, Tool, Rage Against the Machine and many others. We also play original tunes. The band consists of Jason Stephens, Travis Ashlin, Scott Kimball, Jeremy Miller and Markus Baker.