By Aaron Fowler The nine-piece Akron band Ozone, which first got together more than seven years ago, believes in fate and purpose.  More to the point, the band believes that they exist for a reason—to protect the cosmos from sucky music. Their tagline: “Music that doesn’t come from a can.” Frontman Odell Lyde has been playing music professionally for far longer than Ozone’s lifespan, dating back to his college days.  “I’ve been doing music for about 15 to 20 years, ever since I was at Akron University,” said Lyde. “Ozone began when we did the soundtrack to a movie called Back To Front.” The film was based on a play Lyde wrote with his brother, a play he also wrote the music for. Following those productions, Lyde began to gather a band, beginning with a standard four-piece group: lead guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. Ozone began to grow with the addition of horns and additional vocals—something Lyde felt added even more complexity to an already eccentric sound. Ozone sounds like an easy blend of funk, soul, pop and rock, an emotionally centered style where raspy electric guitar riffs are right at home with Supremes-inspired background vocals or an intricate alto-sax solo. “I call our music funk and roll, rock and soul. It’s both sides of the tracks,” Lyde says. “We can go from Jimi Hendrix to the Doors to the Temptations to Black Eyed Peas to Parliament and then back to our own style. We might hit you with Bob Seger. We might hit you with Elton John or even Alicia Keys and Diana Ross.” To develop that spontaneity even further, Lyde looks for the right sound in unexpected places.  “We added two female singers with completely different styles. One [Stephanie Welch] is a vocal major and she is phenomenal,” he said. “The other [Darla] is a gospel, R&B soul singer and she has been around for a while. She was recommended by other artists who thought she would fit the band beautifully.” Lyde is never one to shy away from talent, no matter where it appears, and the group’s members boast an impressively diverse patchwork of musical backgrounds.  Welch is classically trained, for instance, but the others found their abilities in other places. “James, our guitarist, is an accomplished musician. I actually stole him from a metal group,” Lyde laughed. “Everyone in the band has been playing music for over 10 years. I’ve been acting and singing since I was ten years old.” The band actively changes, with members coming and going, but Lyde feels that the organic growth has only enhanced Ozone’s almost improvisational vibe. “We just added two new members and they make the band tighter. We have a much cleaner sound,” he said.  “Sometimes you have too many people stepping on too many things. But I think we have a much stronger feel now.” The impulsiveness of the music lends itself well to live performances, where Ozone can positively ooze personality and a kind of seductive energy. “No matter what style of music you listen to, I guarantee if you come out to our show, you will love our music and everything we do from A to Z,” Lyde said. “We are going to put on a show and you are going to be entertained.” Among Ozone’s numerous local shows, you can usually depend on seeing at least a few philanthropic events.  “We really love doing charity. We did a cancer show for a nice young lady—we raised money for her to pay for chemotherapy, which I felt absolutely great about,” Lyde said. Those action-packed shows, supplemented with charitable events, make Lyde and the rest of the band grateful for the opportunity to have performed together as long as they have—an usual feat for a nine-piece group.  “I think the greatest achievement for a band our size is to stay together this long. We perform each practice with a smile and enjoy being together and playing as one,” he said. “Give me a six-pack and some friends, and I’m happy.”