Band Bio

Informed-disciplined-creative-original-harmonic chops as a group. As individuals, mastery of instrument, form, groove, control. Those things matter only peripherally when the feet feel the need to move your lazy cheeks to the dance floor. Listening to Backside Pick is not a passive experience. You gotta get involved.

Backside Pick's chops were no accident. They were hacked, honed, hammered and hardened by the music rigors at the University of North Texas, a place notorious for inspiring serious dedication to their craft. Funky, danceable rhythms set down by driving bass and crisp percussion … infectious lyrics … clever hooks. Fat grooves sit in the pocket like Sly & the Family Stone … stories unfold like Stevie Wonder … harmonies pitch like Jamiroquai. Oh, and the horns? Tower of Power, baby.

Backside Pick ignites the Dallas scene, sharing the stage with acts such as Polyphonic Spree, Mingo Fishtrap, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Papa Grows Funk, Snarky Puppy, Jonathon Tyler and the Northern Lights. When you check ‘em out, wear your dance shoes and get ready for an inclusive, positive, dance-your-butt-off kind of night.

Rocky Ottley

Guitar, Vocals

Rocky moved to Denton from Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002 where he began to University of North Texas jazz studies program with a focus in Jazz Arranging.  In August of 2006, he founded Backside Pick and took the band to Central America for a Costa Rican summer tour.  Since then the band has toured the West Coast and South East on a regular basis.  After graduating in 2007, Rocky has been working as a sideman and freelance musician and enjoying every day of it.  He hopes to take the band on a European tour as well as national festival tour in the summer of 2010.

Cooper Appelt

Bass

Born and raised in the Brazos County, Cooper graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Jazz.  He now plays with several bands, including Funkin' A, Sol Kitchen (all improv funk group), The Band Without a Name, Think Big and The Bulletproof Brass, Pete Weise Quintet,  One Credit Hour (Caribbean Steel Pan ensemble).  Cooper can be seen touring with The Ray Johnston Band on HDNet during the Fall ’09 tour.

Justin Stanton

Keys

A former student of the University of North Texas Jazz Program, Stanton can also be seen playing trumpet and keys with the acclaimed Snarky Puppy, Moosehound, Ray Davis and Pocketful of Blues.

Mike Hodges

Drums

Moved to Texas from the Chicago-area to go to the University of North Texas where he earned a degree in music performance.  Hodges now teaches lessons at Coppell High School and instructs the Phantom Regiment Drumline. He has played with the Cavaliers, the Phantom Regiment, and the UNT A-Line. He’s a bit of a YouTube star with his winning PAS solos. He can also be seen playing with Smiling at the Ceiling and Hatch.

Mike Shields

Trumpet

All that is known of the mysterious Mike Shields is that he picked up at least a portion of his mad trumpeting skills while a Jazz Studies major at the University of North Texas (the rest of which likely stems from his inherent coolness).

Nick Groesch

Keys

A student of the University of North Texas, Groesch tours and performs worldwide with The Polyphonic Spree and Calhoun and co-directs the rock youth orchestra, Rockestra.

Nick Woldarsyck

Trombone

University of North Texas jazz student turned international touring musician, Nick has toured with indie-darling, The Polyphonic Spree.  He has been both a Thelonious Monk Institute finalist and a Henry Mancini Institute recipient.

Ben Bohorquez

Saxophone

A student of the University of North Texas Jazz Studies program, Ben plays with several bands around the DFW Metroplex including The Bastard Sons of Skoalfield,  Sol Kitchen and Synergy.