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COVER STORY: The Nashes
Topics: Rocky Nash, preston nash, Chad Heimbach, Bakersfield, Bakotopia, Bakotopia.com, KRAB, KNZR, dope, The Color Red, Rock N Roll Family
Posted by matt Tue Sep 16, 2008 17:58:30 PDT
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The Nashes
Rock 'N' Roll Family Fusion

By Matt Muñoz, Bakotopia editor
Photos by Holly Carlyle Photography

It’s 3 a.m.

While the world’s rock gods and goddesses slumber to their metallic hearts’ content all across the land, there are those who choose to rumble the pre-dawn masses with reckless abandon amid a thunderscape of guitars and rage.

No, this is no chapter from some rock n’ roll fable - just another morning at the Nash residence, sans the metal mayhem and imagery.

“My alarm goes off at 3:30 a.m., I drag myself out of out of bed at 4 a.m.,” said Rocky Nash, co-host of KRAB radio’s “Morning Show with Meathead, Rocky, and Francis.” “And my goal is to be at work by 4:15 a.m.”



The talented Mrs. Nash, who also scores high on the “rocker babe mom” scale, shows no sign of fatigue this evening - no doubt thanks to family help, which includes husband Preston, and roommate, Chad Heimbach, who assist with the daily shuffle of kids and communication.

The Nash children - Zander,1, Harley, 5, and Sofia Heimbach, 9 - enter in an out of the room and back patio with a request for Mom, Dad, and Dad’s help.



Subject to interpretation, this is not your average nuclear family - Chad also happens to be Rocky’s ex-husband. Rounded out by their affectionate family dog Wilson, the Nash/Heimbach living arrangement is unscripted, rock n’ roll family bliss.

“Chad is up at 6:30 a.m., and I’ll get up at 7 to 7:30 a.m. with the kids,” said Preston of the on-going weekday morning routine before work. By day, Preston works as a producer for KNZR radio’s Ralph Bailey show, while Heimbach works in real estate as a title searcher. “It starts out with me and Chad, then he leaves, then I’m with the kids for about three hours, until Rocky gets home.


Above, l to r: Sofia Heimbach with dad Chad.

“Eleven a.m. is a good time to count on me getting home,” explained Rocky of the end of her work/mom shift transition after the “on-air” light is out at KRAB.

“This summer has been pretty incredible, especially with Zander being so young.”

Incredible indeed, but can this “living with exes and kids” be for real? Sounds like a ’80s film or some kooky/wacky TV sitcom, right?


Above: Rocky with 1-year old, Zander.

“The music brought us together,” said the Hemibach, standing by the backyard pool. “If we didn't have our music projects, we wouldn't have been able to ‘sniff’ each other out.”

Yes, this family also rocks together, starting with Rocky and Chad’s high school days in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Chad’s band Abstraction, was making a name for itself in the early ’90s among local youth and with girls, namely a young Rocky (we'll stick with her professional name for the sake of rock romanticism).

“Chad was a bad boy without being the a**hole,” remembered Rocky.

Chad also remembers his former teenage flame.

“Rocky was a girlie girl,” he said.

Rocky and Chad became sweethearts, remaining connected to the music scene post high school, marrying and welcoming their daughter, Sofia, in 1999.

Despite growing apart with eyes set on different paths in ‘01, the two made sure that Sofia would be at the top of life's priorities.

“The break-up was hard, but we love each other so much. We wanted different things in life, but our friendship is still there,” said Rocky.


Above: Preston & Rocky Nash

Around the same time, Preston was a working drummer for the industrial/metal rock band, Dope. Rocky was promotions director for Rock 107 in Indianapolis, and was scheduled to meet with Dope lead vocalist Edsel during the band,s tour stop in the city.

Rocky, remembers the frontman's diva-like antics well…

“I waited for three hours to get an interview, and of course, he wasn't ready to talk,” remembered Rocky rolling her eyes. “I still went to the show, just to give him of piece of my mind”.

After the show and with a serious grudge, she made another attempt to meet up with the group at local bar, J. Clydes. As fate would have it, and all musician jokes aside - the drummer was left to cover for the band’s interview. It was Preston.



“She made me drinks shots,” said Preston, with his New Jersey accent. “A friendship started that night.”

Chad and Rocky, who were still going through their separation from marriage, became mutual friends with Preston, working on new musical projects together.


Above: Harley Nash

“We were all just friends,” said Preston. “I produced a recording for Chad’s band Grayce.”

Fortunately the Preston, the split between Chad and Rocky remained confined to their surroundings.

“Preston was always on the road, so our break-up was all our own,” said Rocky. He didn’t have to really experience any of it,” said Rocky. “But you have to be like-minded spirits to make something like this work. The two guys are dedicated to their music.”



Finalizing their divorce in ’01, Rocky and Chad were getting along as working parents.

Surprising his newly divorced friend and colleague for her birthday, Preston showed up and a new relationship already in development began to grow.

“Rocky and I had kept in touch while I was on the road,” said Preston.



To make a long story short, Rocky shares an abbreviated version.

“Preston came to surprise me on my B-day, and Harley was born on October of ’02,” she said with a grin.

Like his parents, Harley, now 5, has all the energy and charm of a kid his age and more.



But before you’re introduced to the rest of the rockin’ brood, we have to make it official by backtracking to the wedding, appropriately enough at their love-dive J. Clydes.

“We decided to make it very private. My friend, who also happened to be my tattoo artist was best man, witness, and flower girl,” said Preston.
And what about the preacher?

“My friend conducted the service,” smiled Rocky.

Since J. Clydes was near Emerson Theater, the festivities came complete with a wedding band too - former Metallica bassist Jason Newstead’s band Echobrain, which happened to be performing that evening.

“Nothing about us has ever been normal,” she added.



Peace and love in check, the Nashes were making plans to move out west, as career moves began taking precedence. Preston graduated with a Masters in Music from Montclair State in 2002, and still playing drums - signed to RCA with rock band The Color Red.

Not ready to break family ties for the children, the Nashes asked Chad to relocate with them all the way to Riverside, CA.

“I had a talk with Chad, said Rocky. “He asked if there was room in the U-Haul?”

Briefly settling into the OC, new radio opportunities sprung forth in Bakersfield - Real Rock 93.1 for Rocky, and am radio’s KGEO for Preston. It was time to pack it up and be introduced to central valley conservatism.



“I stayed about a year with Real Rock,” she said. “Then the KORN thing happened and it was over.”

“The KORN thing,” refers to an on-air segment, where Rocky made the announcement that KORN guitarist Brian “Head” Welch, had left the band for religious reason. As the discussion became more animated, Rocky then made mention that another journalist had made headlines with an online statement, “KORN gives Head to God.”

That’s when the cob hit the fan and she was unceremoniously given her walking papers.

“The story was provided by our station prep-service,” she explained. “It didn't matter. I was gone.”

Coincidentally, KRAB’s Jarad “Meathead” Mann, picked up the story of Nash’s ousting and asked her to be on his show to discuss the KORN fiasco.



“I got a message from one of the KRAB interns about an interview, and I had a chance to meet with Meathead while Sofia was in school,” she remembered. “I had Harley with me and I bumped into Meathead one day.”

The two DJs hit it off and she was hired by KRAB in April ’05 to co-host the popular morning radio/rock show.

Preston had also been making moves in local radio after a stint with the Puck Show on am radio, teaching music at Kern Valley High, and finally to his present job at KNZR.

Not to be left out, Chad adapted to his new locale, with his musical talents intact and more importantly his daughter Sofia by his side.

But back to the “ex living with the ex thing”. How do they make it work after all these years?



“Originally the plan was not to live in the same house,” explained Preston. “Finally I said, “We got room, just stay with us. It just works.”

The littlest one, Zander, now 1, entered the picture in ’07. Picking up his father’s drumsticks, the smiley, faux-hawked wee man, beats the drums like he was literally born to rock.

Daughter Sofia has also shown signs of the music bug's bite, recently participating in Stockdale Music’s “Rock Camp for Girls.” During her week-long workout, she managed to pick-up some conga drum lessons, even forming her first camp band, “The Toxic Skulls.”

“Its fun learning to play music, and real cool,” she said.

Harley, who thinks his parents are pretty cool for being the rock stars they are, has begun picking up his own string of instruments too.

“I’m learning drums, bass, guitar, and I sing,” he said as mom and dad nod in agreement.

Sticking to their collective roots and dreams, Preston, Rocky, and Chad are now promoting the release of their debut CD on UK’s Sikotick Records, with their band named after its singer, Rocky Nash.

The self-titled CD is available all over the internet and locally, and is sure to please the world’s rock purists.

Looking back at their journey so far, Preston and his travelling family look forward to what lies ahead.

“If we could figure a way to move a family from Indiana to California, we can figure out way to make a music career work. I don’t think I could’ve fond a better a comfort zone than Bakersfield.”

For more info on the Rocky Nash band, visit:

www.myspace.com/rockynash
www.bakotopia.com/users/RockyNash

Also printed in Bakotopia magazine, issue 37, 9-18-08

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Comment From: bye1962

hi preston and rocky, i love this story. and i am glad you moved to bakersield and i got to meet you through puck. you guys are one of my favorite families here in town. i didn't know your story until now but i sure am glad you are here in bakersfield. you all are very special and i am a better person just for knowing you. special-j