Ax and the Hatchetmen

Since forming in 2018, Chicago’s Ax and the Hatchetmen have gone from a tight-knit group of

music school friends to one of the most electrifying young bands in modern rock. Led by

guitarist and singer Axel Ellis alongside Sal Defilippis on guitar, Hunter Olshefke on bass,

Chaandmon Crofton on drums, Phil Pistone on trumpet, and Quinn Dolan on saxophone, the

six-piece first came together while studying jazz at University. But while their musical foundation

may be formal, the band’s sound is anything but. A freewheeling collision of rock, soul, funk, and

pop that channels the timeless energy of their wide-ranging influences into something distinctly

their own.

That chemistry- and a live show built to leave a mark- has taken Ax and the Hatchetmen from

packed hometown rooms to sold-out headline tours and the stages of Lollapalooza, the Chicago

institution they once looked at with stars in their eyes. Along the way, they released a live album,

signed with Arista Records, and built an impressive catalog of releases culminating in the band’s

debut album So Much To Tell You. Released in 2025 and produced by Jake Sinclair (Panic! At

The Disco, Weezer), the project features the breakout smash “Hotel Room” and “Blurry Lights”

featuring The Strokes Albert Hammond Jr. All while Ellis simultaneously expanded his creative

world with a featured role in the Amazon Prime series “The Runarounds”

.

The Spring of 2027 will see Ax and the Hatchetmen travel overseas for the first time, bringing

their explosive live show that built their reputation to audiences across Europe and the UK.