Contact: axonneuron(at)gmail(dot)com


Axon-Neuron Press Kit


Band Bio

Axon-Neuron is a progressive rock band with a lot of jazz, classical, and metal influences. It's an excuse to try something new, to take the old format of a rock band but replace the typical clichés with elements borrowed from a wide range of influences that span many different styles of music.

Axon-Neuron was initially formed in 2011 by Jeremey Poparad as an excuse to play some music one last time with some friends who were moving away from Ohio. In the course of four months, an entire full length album was written, rehearsed, and recorded and a few live shows were put on in Akron. The result was so enjoyable, that Axon-Neuron "2.0" was assembled to continue performing, writing, and recording after the original lineup departed. Our first album, "Brain Songs," was released in May 2011, with our second album, "Dreamstate," following in June 2012. Our third studio album, "Metamorphosis," was released in January 2016.


Heidi Swinford - Vocals

An accurate bio: At an early age, Heidi recognized music would be the all-encompassing force guiding her through life. She asked her mother for piano lessons at the age of five and began playing violin when she was ten years old. As time progressed, singing became her primary focus, but after starting a family, she took a ten year hiatus from performing until her mother convinced her to audition for American Idol in 2010. Having no desire to perform on television and feeling she had no chance whatsoever, she decided to audition to appease her mother. Much to her surprise, she made the cut from the original 10,000 auditioners to the round where she met the producers of the show. Realizing how much she missed performing, she pushed past her insecurities and fear of rejection and resumed vigorous vocal training, started auditioning and performed in theatrical productions all over northern Ohio. Two years after entering the music scene again, she performed in a musical production where Jeremey Poparad was playing in the pit orchestra. They performed together several times over the next four years and when Axon-Neuron's incredible vocalist Amanda Rankin moved to Massachusetts, Jeremey asked Heidi to join the band and she eagerly accepted the offer.

A bio of dubious authenticity: Heidi lived for many years as a closeted dog hoarder, spending her days feeding and caring for her 15 canine children. After waking up one day and realizing she could never spread her love enough amongst her 15 dogs, she realized it was time to make a change. After finding good homes for 10 of her puppies, she now owns 5 dogs and proudly has gone 3 years without adding any more canines to her household.

A bio of complete fabrication: At the age of three after being abandoned by her parents, Heidi was was given by her aunt to her mountain-dwelling grandfather, who had high hopes of teaching her to sing and dance and move to America to become a child star. She was then stolen back by her aunt from her grandfather to live in a wealthy household in Frankfurt, Germany as a companion to a disabled girl in a wheelchair. Heidi was unhappy but made the best of the situation, yet always longed to return to her grandfather. Over time, Heidi's cheerful companionship helped mend the disabled girl's mind and spirit. The spiteful and unkind housekeeper, who relied on caring for the disabled girl as her job security, tried to get rid of Heidi by selling her to the gypsies but she was stopped by the police. Heidi was rescued and reunited with her grandfather. She then decided to take on a new hobby and learned to tap dance.This led to her becoming a child star in the US until her awkward transition into puberty brought her fame to a screeching halt.

Jeremey Poparad - Guitar

An accurate bio: In addition to playing the 9-string guitar in Axon-Neuron, Jeremey composes all of the music and lyrics and leads the group. He's an avid performer on guitar and bass in various rock bands, jazz groups, and in musical theatre. In addition to performing, he's also a teacher, and is an adjunct professor of guitar at Kent State University. Jeremey is a graduate of The University of Akron with bachelor'ss degrees in music composition and in jazz studies, and is currently pursuing master's degrees in music composition and electric guitar performance at Cleveland State University. Jeremey has passion for new and novel music, and is always interested in exploring the boundries of composition and performance.

A bio of dubious authenticity: In addition to playing the 19-string guitar in Axon-Neuron, Jeremey is a professional figure skater, and once had a shot at competing with the 1992 men's Olympic skating team, repesenting the country of Lithuania. Outside of Axon-Neuron, Jeremey's love of hard rock, metal, and folk music sees him performing in cover bands specializing in medleys of the music of Twisted Sister, Gojira, and Bill Monroe.

A bio of complete fabrication: In addition to playing the 1900-string bouzouki in Axon-Neuron, Jeremey is a five-time Mr. Universe champion, as well as a WWE heavyweight title holder. In the 1920's, Jeremey worked as a foreman at the Ford Motor company, until he was fired by Henry Ford over his insistance that the Model T's needed more strings and fanned frets.

Ben Warsaw - Guitar

An accurate bio: Born in Boise, Idaho, Ben began his love affair with music while growing up in Eugene, Oregon. Picking up the guitar at age 13. He has been obsessed with the guitar, gaining his chops in local blues clubs and jam sessions. Ben received many honors while in high school for his musical abilities and achievements, being the first student to win the school talent show twice consecutively, as well as being the only student to receive MVP in music twice. Moving to Ohio in 2013, he is currently pursuing a degree in Audio Engineering at Kent State University at Stark. After graduating, Ben plans to pursue a master's degree in Audio Recording in Nashville with the hopes of becoming a teacher and recording/mixing engineer.

A bio of dubious authenticity: Born in Boise, Idaho, Ben disliked potatoes so much that he decided to play guitar to relinquish his pain. Before too long, Ben discovered the power of volume and proceeded to crank his amp up to 11, which was so loud that it jet-propelled him to Eugene, Oregon. Consequently, people found his volume so deaf-defying, that his high school awarded him with all the honors they possibly could, hoping he would eventually stop playing and let everyone move on in life. Upon graduating from high school, Ben was sent to college in the hopes that he could be the subject of testing the soundproofness of anechoic chambers.

A bio of complete fabrication: Ben arrived from outer space after leaving the steering wheel of his space ship unattended for too long while using the bathroom. Upon landing on Earth, Ben came across a magical salt shaker, which shared with him many stories that humans called "jokes." Initially, all of these were jokes about soda, but they all soon fell flat. During his travels, he soon found a book called "The Big Book of Dad Jokes by Paige Turner." It was at this point where Ben discovered that he could communicate with his extraterrestrial family through the use of humor. Upon receiving his message, Ben's brethren flew down in their space ship, but a poorly-timed pinecone joke led to him being left on Earth. Ben is currently trying to get a ride home from his cousin ET, but he is plagued with not having a home to phone.

Steven Miller - Keyboard

An accurate bio: Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Miller received his first exposure to music from his mother, Bertha, whom he described as a remarkable non-professional jazz-influenced singer, and his physician father, George, known as "Sonny" who, in addition to his profession as a pathologist, was a jazz enthusiast and accomplished amateur recording engineer. Guitar virtuoso Les Paul and his musical partner Mary Ford were regular visitors at the Miller house. Dr. and Mrs. Miller were best man and maid of honor at the December 1949 wedding of Les Paul and Mary Ford. Les Paul heard Steve, who was about five, on a wire recording made by Dr. Miller, as the youngster was "banging away" on a guitar given to him by his uncle, Dr. K. Dale Atterbury. Paul encouraged Miller to continue with his interest in the guitar ... and "perhaps he will be something one day."

A bio of dubious authenticity: In 1950 the family relocated to Texas and Steve, who was nearly seven, began attending Dallas' St. Mark's School, an Episcopalian preparatory day school for boys where, about eight years later, he formed his first band, "The Marksmen". He taught older brother Buddy, the only child in the family with a driver's license, to play the bass and also instructed classmate and future musical star, Boz Scaggs, a few guitar chords so that he could join the band. After leaving St. Mark's "I got kicked out", he recalled with a laugh in a 2004 interview he then attended a school in the Lakewood area of Dallas, Woodrow Wilson High School, from which he graduated in 1961. He was inducted into Woodrow's Hall of Fame in 2009. Another member is Dusty Hill of ZZ Top.

A bio of complete fabrication: In 1962, Miller returned to Wisconsin, and entered the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he formed The Ardells. Scaggs joined the Ardells the next year, and Ben Sidran became the band's keyboardist in the following year. After attending the University of Copenhagen in Denmark for a semester in his senior year to study comparative literature, he dropped out six credit hours shy of a literature degree, opting to pursue a music career with his mother's encouragement and his father's misgivings.

Corey Haren - Bass

An accurate bio:Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, theodore roosevelt leader of men? Charlie chaplin challenge you to a duel nigel mansell testosterone trophy john cleese, charlie chaplin testosterone trophy alpha trion waxy gurn challenge you to a duel graeme souness nigel mansell imperial mustachioed handlebar john cleese albert einstein ding-dong, alpha trion ding-dong imperial albert einstein graeme souness handlebar arcu waxy gurn nefarious charlie chaplin challenge you to a duel by jingo. mouth coiffure nigel mansell john cleese Milkshake issues testosterone trophy mustachioed mouthbrow?

A bio of dubious authenticity: Charming villain john cleese socially mobile don't panic arcu inspector clouseau. Magnum pi old man in pub groucho marx Droopy big daft brush spaghetti western, groucho marx tip top old bean spaghetti western old man in pub bogie basket big daft brush dis Droopy magnum pi?

A bio of complete fabrication: Funny walk pencil theodore roosevelt, dali by jingo. villain pencil timothy dalton funny walk blacksmith theodore roosevelt john aldridge karl marx, furry facial friend decathlon champion pencil soup strainer by jingo. boogie nights john aldridge timothy dalton theodore roosevelt blacksmith funny walk professor plum d'artagnan kris kristofferson. karl marx villain dali.

Dan Kshywonis - Drums

An accurate bio: Coming soon...

A bio of dubious authenticity: Coming soon...

A bio of complete fabrication: Coming soon...