Ona the band, not the town, is making a name for itself in the music industry, with some calling them “the next great rock band.”
By Morgan Staker
HQ 116 | WINTER 2022
When locals hear the word Ona, many think of the familiar town that sits just outside of Huntington. Home to a population of under 5,000, the quaint community never gave its name much weight. However, in recent years Ona has gained quite a bit of notoriety after an up-and-coming local band named itself after the town.
Ona is an indie rock band fathered by five men from the Huntington region who all bring an array of artistic cards to the table. Bradley Jenkins is the lead singer, with Zach Johnston (nicknamed Jeeter) on bass, Zack Owens on guitar, Brad Goodall on keys and Rodney Elkins on drums. If you’re keeping score, the band has two Zac(k)hs and two Brads.
And how exactly did the group come up with the name Ona?
“I wore an Ona Little League ball cap to rehearsal one day and the guys all liked the name,” Jenkins laughed. “The rest is history.”
As for how the five came together to form the band, Jenkins said it was only natural considering their paths had crossed numerous times over the years.
“We’ve all known each other in one way or another for quite some time,” Jenkins said. “Zack, Jeeter and Brad grew up together, and I was a few years behind Rod at the same high school. In the beginning, Zack Owens and I would get together, have a drink and write some acoustic material. Then, Jeeter and Brad started hanging out with us. Slowly some songs started forming and we began to dig in. It all kinda started clicking, and we haven’t really stopped since.”
After building a collection of songs, Ona released their debut album, American Fiction, in 2016. It has been described by critics as a perfect slice of indie rock. Each song stands on its own and brings the listener into a haven of catchy choruses and road trip-worthy hits.
Bass player Zach Johnston describes Ona’s sound as indie pop rock inspired by classics. “Our music is Neil Young on love drugs,” Johnston noted. “It’s catchy melodies over poetic lyrics, with creative grooves, thoughtful guitar and synth tones.”
Even with a solid debut album, the band didn’t find instant chart success, leading them to branch outside of Huntington and play to audiences in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky. Regardless of where Ona went, they were able to turn audience members into cult followers, which has been the crux of their success.
Performing as an indie rock band in an area that is country-crazed is not an easy feat to tackle, yet Ona consistently sells out local shows with audience members stretching across all age groups.
When asked how he would describe Ona to someone who has never heard the band, drummer Rodney Elkins said, “I would describe our sound as a groove-oriented, independent, singer-songwriter style with extreme technical prowess. It’s all about that groove, baby. The lyrics paint a beautiful picture while the music whisks you along on a magic carpet ride through dynamic emotions. It’s the bee’s knees, really. It’s for people who love music.”
Performing their album to an array of audiences gave Ona the appeal and polish needed to grab the sights of Caamp and Tyler Childers, who both invited the band to be the opening act on their respective tours.
After seeing success with their debut album, Ona went on to release Full Moon, Heavy Light in 2019. The second album garnered a bevy of glowing reviews. Vice Magazine described Ona as “the next great rock band” in a 2019 article. Referencing back to the band’s debut album, the magazine wrote, “If (American Fiction) had come from the coasts or a more thriving music community, it’s the kind of LP that could have set the band on a fast track to enviable tour bookings and national press acclaim.”
However, because the band isn’t based in a major market, its popularity has been somewhat stymied. It’s a challenge that guitarist Zack Owens said the band is acutely aware of.“Growing up in Huntington was great, but it can quickly become a red-light town when you declare your dreams as a young boy to pursue music,” Owens said. “Meanwhile everyone else is playing sports, excelling in academics or just getting swept up in the undertow of a small town. This mindset pushed us to not be stopped. Have we faced letdowns, setbacks, yellow lights? Sure. But in the end, we always persevered. Green light.”
After many years of playing to Huntington crowds, Ona has earned that green light. Since gaining success and notoriety, the band has been playing their music to new audiences on tour. Now when Ona returns to Huntington their shows are a rare treat for anyone able to secure a ticket.
As for musicians they would like to collaborate with in the future, keyboardist Brad Goodall said he is open to all possibilities.
“My dream collaboration is open ended. It’s a nebulous answer,” Goodall said. “People want you to say a specific band or some legendary artist. Of course, I have my ’70s and ’80s piano heroes, but I think the truthful answer is I want to collaborate with anyone who I can learn from. Perhaps someone who doesn’t come from my same musical ilk. Being pulled from your comfort zone and growing is the dream and being creatively complacent is the nightmare. But I will say this — it would be fun to be in the studio with St. Vincent. I think she’s pushing the limits of pop in interesting ways.”
When asked about Ona’s future, Jenkins said it’s full steam ahead.
“As a band we’re always en route to the next gig, the next song, the next album. We just hope the listeners are trailing right behind us.”
To keep up with Ona, follow them on Instagram (@thebandona) and Facebook (Ona), or head to their website, thebandona.com.
