Native nod

Ampere is a four-piece DIY punk band based out of Amherst, Massachusetts known for their short (10-15 minutes) but extremely loud and intense live shows. The band has put the importance of DIY punk ethics at the forefront of their lyrics and are renowned for the particular attention they bring to their vegan principles.

The members of the bands have been involved in the DIY punk scene for a number of years with the most notable being guitarist Will Killingsworth, who played guitar in Orchid, Laceration and Bucket Full of Teeth and who continues to run his Clean Plate record label and Dead Air recording studio (where the band records all their music). Drummer Andy Skelly played drums in both The Last 40 Seconds and Wolves, Stephen's previous band was Montcalm and he was also in The Last 40 Seconds, whilst Meghan played bass in Stop The Clock and Unicoroner.

Much like Orchid, Ampere (especially earlier albums such as "All our Tommorows End Today") often borrow some of their intense lyrics from philosophs and revolutionaries such as Guy Debord. Policondrite Ricorrente. They have preserved some of the "intellectual" screamo seen in bands like Orchid, Sinaloa, Native Nod, Current, and others. While some view their lyrics as pretentious and obscure, Ampere has gone on to show that intellect and art make the best emotive hardcore.

The band actively tour in the US and recently completed a tour of Europe with fellow MA band Sinaloa in March 2006. A split album between the two bands was released in time for the tour on Ebullition Records, along with a collection 7" of their early recordings and a four-way split 11" with the bands Death to Tyrants, Wasteland and Daniel Striped Tiger which was recorded live at Will's Dead Air recording studios.