Drawing as much from older, traditional influences, like Dylan and Cash, as from contemporaries such as Uncle Tupelo, Cobain, and Lanagan, FIREWEED offers up a rugged blend of rock-flavored anti-folk. Kelley Vice's artfully applied guitar textures and powerful vocal harmonies nicely offset John Enga's unique voice and rough charisma as storyteller and front-man, weaving a tapestry of inviting melodies, dynamic harmonies, crushing honesty and a lasting, hooky, pop sensibility.

Performing at coffee houses and bars throughout the Northwest, John Enga polished the songs he had written over the 6 years prior, leveraging the showmanship skills he had developed as the frontman for Seattle's acclaimed Rawhead in the early-to-mid 90's. John became a fixture at local Seattle venues, such as the Hop Vine on Capitol Hill. As he continued to pursue his new direction as a solo performer, he still hungered for the energy and camaraderie of a solid group.

Early 2002 brought John the opportunity to perform at Music 101, an Atlanta rock festival scheduled to take place in October. This was the time to build the band. During a Memorial Day camping trip with friends on the Oregon coast, John and lifelong friend Kelley Vice, singer/songwriter and fellow veteran of the music business, began to discuss putting a band together. Back in Seattle, the pair began work on what would become Fireweed's debut album Dreams of the Black Dog, to be released on Ebola Records in early 2004. The songs became more rock in nature as the musical roots of the duo rose to the surface, striking an interesting blend of folkish honesty and harnessing the emotional power and intensity of their rock backgrounds.

Though both John and Kelley had produced numerous commercial recordings, they were both amazed at the way this recording was coming together. Recorded primarily at Kelley's home studio with minimal equipment, the music really started taking on a life of it's own. Although the original intent was simply to record basic tracks to aid in preparing future members for the show in Atlanta, John and Kelley decided to try to complete a full-length CD before the gig. They knew they had something different, and wanted to have more than a demo to take with them to Georgia. By the time they recruited Jon Hedges, a Berklee alumni and session drummer, the drum tracks had already been recorded, but Jon added depth to the rhythm tracks with hand percussion and creative suggestions. When the band left for Atlanta, they were armed with CDs and a broader vision than simply playing a few shows. Today, Fireweed is building a following in the Northwest and gaining momentum as a truly original musical force. 'Dreams Of The Black Dog' is expected to be released in fall of 2004, and will be followed by the group's second CD, 'Blue Crush', by early 2005.