Blue Salvias

Blue Salvias began as a friendship which has always been more important than the music. 

It was 1985, Mike Long, Erika van der Zon and Vaughan Hayden were knee deep in the hoopla of Joppatowne High School  in Harford County, MD. Mike owned a Korg keyboard and was approached by his close friend, Vaughan about getting together to form a band based on their mutual love and admiration for the "second" British Invasion with bands such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, OMD, Tears For Fears, Echo & the Bunnymen and New Order. It was love for those bands that initially united Vaughan Hayden, Michael Long and Erika van der Zon as friends. Vaughan and Mike formed a group called Planet Earth, a Duran Duran cover band that played some originals tunes as well.  The band practiced at both of their Joppatowne homes and managed to grab  a variety of gigs around the county.  After a year or so performing the synthpop style of music, the group morphed into a hardcore punk act in the vein of The Exploited, TSOL and Agent Orange. After graduation and with Vaughan's departure for college in Philadelphia , they put the band on the back burner until 1990.  That's when they re-emerged as The Fieldhands, an amalgamation of rockabilly, grunge, and jangle pop.  Fieldhands played a number of shows and added members here and there until the group parted ways in 1992 in order to raise families, begin careers and serve the country in military service.

 After almost 30 years, Mike happily contacted Vaughan in order to rekindle the friendship and inevitably the music started again as a band called Blue Salvias, in honor of Vaughans late wife. They began writing and recording but were missing the artistic flair needed for the 21st century so Erika van der Zon was added to the mix. With a penchant for the visual, web design and video producing, she has added another side to Blue Salvias. Now, Vaughan is an accomplished Methodist Minister, Mike works in the legal field and Erika is a self proclaimed web designer and all around tech lady. No, they have not quit their day jobs.

Blue Salvias continues to bond them together as great friends, the real inspiration behind the music.