10,000 Maniacs to perform at JCC Wednesday. Submitted photo

While in their studio last March, the members of 10,000 Maniacs were discussing options on how to move forward.

Lead singer and violinist Mary Ramsey and guitarist Jeff Erickson announced they were leaving the band.

“After 30 Years and five albums as 10,000 Maniacs lead singer and violist, Mary Ramsey will be taking a step back from her primary role in the band. As we begin to usher in this new era, we will also say goodbye to Maniacs’ guitarist Jeff Erickson after 20 years of touring and recording with the band. Both Mary and Jeff are departing to pursue other interests. The magic they brought to all our lives will live forever in our hearts. They will be missed but, Mary and Jeff will always be a part of the Maniacs’ Family and will always be welcome to play with us in the future,” a statement from maniacs.com said

Learning that both Ramsey and Erickson would depart, the band’s producer Armand Petri had an idea.

And it turned out to be an idea that would keep the band together and playing.

Petri, who teaches music business courses at SUNY Fredonia, reached for his phone and called an old friend, Leigh Nash.

After the phone call, Nash prepared to come to Jamestown, and in April Nash traveled to the city to familiarize herself with the band’s songs.

“While listening to a new track in the Maniacs studio, I mentioned ‘Leigh Nash would be a perfect choice to sing this song.’ I believe that everyone else in the room was thinking the same thing. A phone call was made and Leigh was on her way for an audition within a few weeks. It was obvious after a couple of songs that Leigh was the perfect choice,” Petri said.

Founding member and bassist Steve Gustafson had similar thoughts.

“We learned in the early months of 2023 that Jeff Erickson and Mary Ramsey would be leaving the band, but the rest of us wanted to continue playing. We were in our studio in March discussing possibilities with our producer, Armand Petri, who managed Sixpence None The Richer when they first started. Armand grabbed his phone, called Leigh and asked her if she’d like to work with 10,000 Maniacs. She said she’d love to and was in Jamestown a month later working on songs with us.” Gustafson said.

Nash had been singing with Sixpense None the Richer, a band that Petri also produced. Their single “Kiss Me” as well as their cover of the La’s “There She Goes” garnered much airplay.

“I managed and produced three records for Sixpence None the Richer from 1993-1997 and am very familiar with Leigh’s vocal ability. After Mary Ramsey left 10,000 Maniacs, there was a lot of discussion about the way forward. I had recently seen Leigh open for the group, Berlin, at the Riviera Theatre. Leigh not only ‘wowed the crowd’ as a vocalist, she has a wonderful on stage demeanor that connects with the audience. And that was apparent with over 200 people wanting merchandise and to meet her after her set. I have not seen that for an opening artist,” Petri said.

Ramsey, Petri added, became the voice of 10,000 Maniacs after the departure of Natalie Merchant.

“I believed Mary’s vocal and instrumental talent would be impossible to replace. Thankfully, we have Leigh Nash to fill the wonderful legacy that Mary created.” Petri said.

The Maniacs were still looking for a guitarist, so Nash recommended Sixpense None the Richer guitarist Matt Slocum.

The deal was made.

“She thought Matt would enjoy working with us and recruited him,” Gustafson added.

Petri also was quick to say Slocum would be a nice fit for the Maniacs.

“There are not many musicians that could have replaced the late Robert Buck. Fortunately, Jeff Erickson was there to take over the difficult task of Rob’s replacement. Jeff has also moved on and the only musician to fill those shoes was Matt,” Petri said.

Gustafson said he has known Nash since 1995, and praises her voice.

“Leigh has a very beautiful and distinctive voice and as a “Texas gal” she has a soulful and warm twang when she sings. Matt is a gifted guitarist and established cellist. He plays in the Nashville Philharmonic. But honestly, most important to me is that we all like and enjoy each other’s company. Though we first met in 1995, it really feels like we’ve been friends forever. They are delightful people,” Gustafson noted.

Gustafson added although the two bands may be similar in tone and arrangements, the way 10,000 Maniacs approach songwriting is different which could be as simple as semantics or as challenging as concepts.

“We basically let them do what they do and waited for magic to happen,” he said.

The bassist added that it will be interesting to perform Maniacs and Sixpense songs together on stage as the older Maniacs’ songs may morph into something new. As part of their Revival Tour, 10,000 Maniacs are scheduled to perform Sept. 20 at the Scharmann Theatre on the Jamestown Community College campus.

“We’ll certainly put the “Maniacs” stamp on their songs and we’ll let Matt and Leigh put their signature on our stuff. It’s very exciting really. Our show at the Scharmann Theater on September 20 will be our first time playing those songs for an audience,” he said.

There are many songs in the Maniacs’ catalogue that the new tandem will have to learn, but Gustafson said Nash and Slocum take their art seriously, and are doing a great job learning the material.

“It’s relatively easy to learn the chords and arrangement to a song, but learning, melody and lyrics on top of that is a big hill to climb. Leigh’s doing a terrific job. I think it helps that she has been a fan of ours for many years. Matt showed up at our studio and asked if we wanted him to play the guitar parts like Rob Buck or like Jeff Erickson. He’d learned 16-18 Maniacs songs and we encouraged him to play the guitar like Matt would,” Gustafson said.

Buck was a founding member of the Maniacs and their lead guitarist since the band’s beginning in 1981 until his death in 2000. The other members of the band are keyboardist and founding member Dennis Drew, guitarist John Lombardo, and drummer Jerome Augustyniak. Although Nash and Slocum have not been “officially” named band members, they began playing and recording on May 15.

“Everything we’ve recorded is new. We’re still working on it and hope to release something by spring 2024,” Gustafson added.

For information on tickets for the JCC performance, visit maniacs.com.