They quote Carl Jung to describe how they came together as a band. A characterization that best explains the transformation of five kids from Texas into a fun-loving rock band. Their firm grasp of the psychological teachings of Carl Jung isn’t the only thing setting them apart from their contemporaries.

The musicians in Green River Ordinance already seem like veterans of the music scene. Founding members, brothers Jamie and Geoff Ice, started their music careers at ages 16 and 14. Almost a decade later, they’ve connected with Josh Jenkins, Joshua Wilkerson, and Denton Hunker to write the best songs they can. While many bands rely on one or two primary songwriters, the Green River Ordinance boys relish in the chemistry that can only achieved as a band. A full band of songwriters.

Many of the band members grew up around music. Joshua Wilkerson’s dad played in bands, touring with big acts like the Beach Boys and Cheap Trick. The Ice brothers grew up around their dad’s country/western band. Josh Jenkins father was a singer songwriter. A few decades ago, picking up a guitar and aspiring to be a songwriter would have gotten you labeled a ‘hippy’ or worse. These young men, however, were going into the family business. The same way a second generation auto mechanic can instinctively reach for a ¾” socket wrench, these hit-makers can spot a perfect harmony or a key-change. My dad was an engineer, and I remember how proud he was when I nailed a complicated algebra problem. These kids could play Pentatonic scales and tune a guitar by ear before middle school.
Coming from Texas, the members of Green River Ordinance couldn’t help but to have brought a little country/western influence into their music. But you can hear rock and pop influences as well. It’s always hard to pigeonhole a good band into a category. The best bands transcend any one style. Conversely, many bands overreach, trying too hard to avoid a typecast, yet leaving them without a real identity. It takes real songwriting talent to cross those lines. When asked to describe the band’s sound, Joshua Wilkerson responded, “Zac Efron and Edward Cullen playing catch in the front yard.” This isn’t a band taking itself too seriously. And, though I can’t quite fathom what Zac Efron and Edward Cullen playing catch would actually sound like, it must be good!

The term Green River Ordinance refers to a common American city ordinance, originally adopted in Green River, Wyoming, prohibiting door-to-door sales. Was the band making a political stance, offering a voice to vacuum salesmen? Was the drummer’s mom an Amway representative? No. They just saw a sign and liked the way it sounded.

You may be sensing a “don’t over-think it” vibe from these guys. That may lead you to the assumption that they aren’t serious or that they aren’t focused. You may think that a band that was founded by a 14-year old kid may have yet to grow up. No sense of reality. No sense of responsibility. But you’d be wrong.

Green River Ordinance is a great young band with a bright future. They’ve released two albums on Virgin Records and toured constantly, sharing the stage with established acts like the Counting Crows, David Cook, Third Eye Blind, Gavin DeGraw, Train and (future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers) Bon Jovi. I would guess not all of you had heard the name Green River Ordinance before reading this article. They aren’t rich or overly famous. They are still making a name for themselves. I doubt any of them own a Bentley or Ferrari. In fact, I’d venture to believe some may not even own their own houses. That’s what makes what they are doing all the more remarkable.

As a society, we have grown accustomed to our rich and famous giving something back. Sometimes it is easy to become cynical about their motives, wondering if their intentions are genuine or if they are just looking for good publicity. The bank accounts of some stars are so massive that it’s hard to know if the large donations they make are much of a sacrifice at all. In the case of Green River Ordinance, we can be assured their contributions are heart-felt. Not long ago, the band launched a special campaign and website (thehopegros.com) designed to raise $100,000 for charity. Their official statement says it all: “This is the heart and soul of the band. Not just to be rock stars, not just to play music, not just to make money. We play to reach out… and to use our gifts to push back the darkness in the world.”
The website (thehopegros.com) has ten songs available for download. These are rare and previously-released versions, including original demos. Each song costs $0.99 and all proceeds go to charity. Similar to their ‘everybody get involved’ songwriting process, each band-member was involved in choosing the charity. In fact, each band member chose their own favorite cause and the fans can choose which charity their $0.99 goes to. In Green River Ordinance, everybody has a voice. They’ve taken care to make sure that as their fans, we do too.

I urge you to visit the website for more details. And if you’ve never heard any Green Ordinance music, what better way to experience some new music and help a worthy cause than by starting with a charitable download? You can also show your support by coming to one of their shows on their current tour, of which a portion of the proceeds also goes to many of these charities.

So what causes are these young musicians most devoted to?
Geoff Ice is concerned about water. Many musicians his age would only think about the bottled water they drink while on-stage. Geoff sees a bigger, and much direr, situation. Over one billion people do not have access to safe, clean, drinking water. Almost 40,000 children under 5 years old, per week, die from unsafe water and complications due to lack of sanitation. That equates to approximately 2 million children losing their lives each year.

Jamey Ice hopes you will help him raise funds and awareness for Nuru International. Nuru exists to eradicate extreme poverty with a holistic approach of empowering rural communities. Nuru focuses on five key areas of development; agriculture, water/sanitation, healthcare, education, and small business development. In simple terms, Nuru aims to help impoverished communities get back on their feet and then gives them the necessary tools to stay there.

Josh Jenkins wants to end slavery. You may wonder why Josh is jumping on a cause that appears to be 150 years old. You’d be the exact person Josh wants to educate. Human trafficking is a very current problem with an estimated revenue of over 5 billion dollars per year. Recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people for the purpose of slavery, forced labor, and servitude are all rampant in today’s global trade. Josh represents International Justice Mission, an organization of lawyers, investigators, and aftercare professionals working for rescue, care for victims, and justice against the guilty individuals and organizations.

Denton Hunker supports Freedom Is Not Free, an organization that aides wounded service members and their families, as well as the families of the fatally wounded. It is these brave men and women who pay the often forgotten cost of the freedoms we Americans take for granted. The whole family is drastically affected when a serviceman or woman loses their life or life-function.

Joshua Wilkerson is working with Autism Speaks to increase public recognition that autism cases are increasing in the United States. An autism diagnosis is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Joshua wants people to learn that with an early diagnosis and treatment, a patient can learn to function successfully in everyday life. Autism Speaks is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization devoted to finding causes, prevention, treatments and ultimately a cure for autism.

Green River Ordinance is a rock band. They are five young men having fun, making music, and carrying on the family business. Quoting Carl Jung, describing their music with images of teen idols playing catch, and naming themselves after a street sign are only a fraction of what makes them such a fun band to be a part of. Playing music in front of adoring fans, AND using their gifts to help eliminate the darkness in the world… that’s the real fun.

I think these young men have figured out exactly where their priorities should be. And that is why they are a band to be taken seriously.

You can email Jamison Reppa at Jamison@dreamrow.com