ETHER'S BIOGRAPHY
Born on the Iron Range in far northern Minnesota, William Lorentz was raised in a fairly sheltered setting. Surrounded by pine forest and miles from the nearest town, he learned most of what he knows about music from his family. The youngest boy amongst 6 children, each of his siblings had different favorites. One brother enjoyed Steppenwolf and the other loved Kiss. One sister exposed him to Neil Diamond and another to T-Rex & David Bowie. On top of that, William's best friend's father was a musician with an enormous & immaculate vinyl collection. It was here that he first was exposed to the likes of Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. William and his little sister soaked up this musical diversity and gained appreciation for quite a diverse catalog by the family relocated to Willmar, MN.
Willmar was a mid-sized city, but seemed huge. William quickly became involved in music and art programs that weren't offered by his much smaller former school on the Iron Range. He joined orchestra and was immediately attracted to double bass. He demonstrated natural talent and performed several solo recitals in front of his fellow students and to the community. He also studied piano and became a church organist when he was in high school. William became a recognized sculptor and studied under local artist Robert Orr. His disappointment with the high school orchestra program drove him to join community orchestra where he studied under Dr. Chet Sommers into college.
William longed for an even bigger city: Minneapolis. He moved there and attended trade school for computer art and animation. It was there that he would join his first band, called Pull, and begin trying his hand at electric bass. He was fired months after joining, and quickly settled into a forming new band called Avalon. Avalon was a three-piece alternative rock act that allowed William room to explore bass and backup vocals, and he learned a great deal from songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, and Music Tech graduate Johnny Lawyer. Drums were covered by David James Uttermark, who met Johnny Lawyer while attending Music Tech. William played with Avalon for 2 years and quickly gained confidence on the electric bass, and began his first songwriting attempts- even occasionally dabbling in lead vocal work.
After the Avalon split, William worked with a variety of musicians in the Twin Cities but was unable to find the sound that was right for him. He formed a short-lived progressive post-rock trio called Decibal Therapy with Uttermark. The band lasted only a few months, but impacted William's writing approach in profound ways.
William moved to Dallas, Texas in December of 1994 and began auditioning for bands as a vocalist. He was picked up by a hard rock band called Skin, which later changed it's name to Second Skin. William developed quickly as a frontman, and established a great repoire with the audiences they played to.
While in Texas, William was introduced to a whole new world of music which he soaked up readily. He gained inspiration from local Dallas favorites Ugly Mus-Tard, Slow Roosevelt, and others. Blues music is huge in Texas and he attended countless shows featuring legendary artists and local unknowns. He also spent a lot of time visiting jazz establishments in the city's West End district.
William's newfound interest in this musical diversity made Second Skin seem too 'safe' and derivitive, prompting him to leave the group with the drummer - Robert Burghalden. The two created a new, more experimental & heavier act called Project Eleven. This would be the first time William would marry his experimental bass approach to his newfound vocal proficiency. William built a rehearsal/recording studio into the living room of his house and dubbed it "The Shit Factory". This became the home base to the new band, and the group worked long hours there to create their sound. The group's lineup with completed with Brent Richison, and Oklahoma guitarist who's riff magic and electronic influences gave the band the edgy sound it was looking for. Project Eleven was immediately accepted in the Texas hard rock scene, and recorded two EPs and numerous demos.
This period of William's life was both fabulous and tragic, which made for great songwriting but difficult living. His longtime girlfriend became involved in a religious organization that put a huge strain on their relationship, eventually tearing them apart. William took this as a lesson about the power of religion and love, and his writing has reflected these revelations ever since. This is especially evident in the songs he wrote at the time, including "Found In Blood" which was written about the conflicts surrounding his ex-girlfriend leaving him for a religion full of false promises. He also penned the song "Wasted, Selfish, Simple." about a friend he took in after being released from drug rehab, who stole from him and betrayed William's trust. It was a dark period for the songwriter which ended when news came that his father had cancer. William made the decision to abandon his life (and band) in Dallas to return home to Minnesota to be with his family during this difficult time. The members of Project Eleven were all close friends, and supported William in this decision completely, although all were sad to lose the amazing sound they'd created together.
William's life turned around immediately. He began dating his high-school crush and longtime friend Poppy Pelstring, his father's health began to improve, and found himself through a renewed relationship with his family. He and Poppy quickly became an item, and he found a joy that had been lacking in his former life in Texas. He had renewed spirit for writing, and wrote over 30 songs in the basement of his parent's house in Willmar, MN including "We Have It All" - which would later become an Autonomy trademark.
William and Poppy decided to move to the Twin Cities together and share an apartment. Here he formed a band with Dallas friend and former roommate Robert Knott (a.k.a. Rockula) and began working up material. They later added another Dallas friend, progressive/experimental guitarist Akbar, and went into the studio to record their first demo in 2001. Akbar was unable to make a living in the Twin Cities and was forced to move back to Dallas after completing the demo, so the duo was left without a guitarist for some time. They performed as a duo for a time before finding an 18 year old guitarist named Billy Graczyk who brought a whole new layer of power to an already dynamic band.
The trio known as Autonomy was formed, and the band continued to work up material, perform, and record their debut album in 2003. Autonomy finally allowed William to blend his lead guitarish bass approach with his vocals and songwriting. Bands like Tool and Radiohead also inspired William to use his artistic design abilities for Autonomy. His graphic design work for the band features unique designs that are works of art unto themselves. William has expanded his artistic vision to everything from website design to the debut album's artwork.
In the summer of 2004, it begame evident that the trio was growing apart and they met to discuss their differences. Much of the tension involved Rockula, who had indicated that he was having trouble with the band's pace Rockula left the group in Jult of 2004 and returned to his hometown of Dallas, TX. Autonomy then enlisted the help of longtime friend Jendeen Forberg of All the Pretty Horses to serve as the group's backup drummer while they searched for a replacement.