Today begins a brand-new chapter of The Aaron Clift Experiment.  Tim Smith has decided to leave the band and pursue a new musical direction, and Christopher Aboujaoude has decided to follow his music career outside of Austin.  We wish Tim and Christopher the best of luck with their musical pursuits and thank them for excellent drum and bass work that they’ve done with the band over the last few years.

Managing the change of two band members, let alone the entire rhythm section, isn’t easy, but we’re excited to announce that we found a bassist and a drummer who more than fill the big shoes left by Tim and Christopher.  Please welcome Clif Warren (bass) and Chase Ozment (drums):

Hailing from the deserts of New Mexico, Clif Warren has been playing bass since 1986 in a myriad of styles – from rock, metal, funk, gospel, and even Broadway show tunes.  But above all, Clif has had an abiding love for prog rock, most recently performing bass in the Austin-based progressive rock band, Proud Peasant.  His primary influences include Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler, Chris Squire, and Steve Harris.

A senior jazz performance major at the University of Texas at Austin, Chase Ozment has been playing music since age 10, percussion since age 12, and drum set and jazz since age 13.  He grew up in Temple, Texas and travelled to various State and National level competitions with the Temple High School Highlighters jazz band (including the UT jazz festival).  Today, in addition to performing with The Aaron Clift Experiment, Chase plays drums with Big Wy’s Brass Band, Clusterfunk, and Cicadus.

Clif and Chase bring maturity, excellent chops, and lots of excitement to The Aaron Clift Experiment’s sound.  We can’t wait for you to meet them as they make their official debut with the band at our April 16 show at Come and Take it Live.  When you come out there, please be sure to welcome them to the ACE family!