Our Story

The Detonators - You can typically find this local band on the slopes of Sugarbush and Mad River Glen rocking ski parties and packing dance floors from the beginning of the season until the last chair spins in May. The combination of Aaron’s big bass sound, powerful voice, Tom Hooper’s rock solid drumming, and a song list full of good time party favorites is guaranteed to get any crowd on its feet. The Detonators began in The Sugarbush Vermont resort area in 1995.  Rocking Vermont ski areas, street dances, functions, festivals and clubs with an unusual collection of rock, country and blues music that appeals to everyone. The band has developed its own style of tight grooves and high energy from years of performing together. Aaron Hersey fronts the band, getting crowds fired up and filling the dance floor. Highlighting the band's sound are Aaron's big bass and the Detonator guitar platoon. These guitars create big  sounds and explosive solos that  create epic performances at every party.  Filling out the band's rhythm section creating driving pockets are musicians who hail from  Boston, Virginia and the Austin music scenes. These musicians combine their talents to make a unique, polished band that delivers every time.

Aaron Hersey formed the Detonators for the band's first performance as an opening act for Boston's  J.Geils Blues Band at The Vermont Blues Festival and continues in his dual role of lead singer and bass player today.  A 1989 graduate of the University Of Maine’s Jazz Performance program, he's been active musically through the years, most notably as a member of Pork Tornado along with Phish’s Jon Fishman, which released its debut album on Rykodisk in 2002. Three of Aaron’s compositions can be heard on this CD.  Aaron has been recording with Pork Tornado for an upcoming second album to be released in the near future. Aaron has recently been involved with Billy Gibbons ( ZZ Top)  and his All Star Band  in support of HonorVet.org, a national non-profit working to help veterans, service members and their families. Aaron, along with Billy Gibbons, has been performing in these benefits with legends Warren Haynes, John Popper, Anton Fig, Kenny Aronoff  and Martine Guigui.

 Tom Hooper The size of Hoops fat grooves are matched only by the size of his heart and soul for music. As the "Drumming Dervish" of Mad River Valley, Hoop enjoys helping  both his fellow musicians and charitable causes for every benefit and show he can get involved with. A proud product of Boston, he moved from the big city to live a relaxed life of making music in the mountains of Vermont. During his years in Boston he had played with such notable artists as Ben Orr (The Cars),Brad Delp (Boston), J. Geils  and James Montgomery. Partnering with Sean O'Connor they received a finalist bid for the award of" Best Unsigned Band" by Musician Magazine. This resulted in a contract with Atlantic Records and the band moving to New York to produce their debut album Sean O'Connor and Nokandu.

Guy Burlage  hails from Norfolk,Virginia  where he became a singer,songwriter and guitarist, based in the Virginia Beach area. His music is a blend of country rock, folk rock and the "Virginia sound" made popular by Bruce Hornsby starting in the mid-1980s. Burlage's album Just Like Gold was released by Waylon Records in 1991. Burlage records and performs in Vermont where he resides today. Earlier in his career, he produced and played guitar and steel guitar on the Waylon Records-issued self-titled debut album of the Seabird Band from the Tidewater region of Virginia The album was well received by national radio, and was a "Hot Pick" by Billboard magazine.
Bill Mullins began slinging his guitar in the Detonators when they booked a winter residence at the famous Matterhorn in Stowe VT in 1996. The lanky lead guitarist has been part of the Burlington music scene for roughly 25 years now.  Whether with the late, great Chrome Cowboys, surf-noir badasses Barbacoa, timeless art-punk band Blowtorch, Lowell Thompson & Crown Pilot, Persian Claws, or any number of other local projects to which he’s lent his incomparable chops, he’s always been a fan favorite. Bill frequently returns to Austin TX to perform in the popular music festival South By Southwest to perform with up and coming singers, songwriters and bands  He is an ageless wonder, ever looming in the background in a black T-shirt and jeans, standing stoic while effortlessly tearing through riff after finger-shredding riff.