Formed in 2018, Ax and the Hatchetmen came roaring out of Chicago with feel-great, crowd-pleasing shows, tight-knit musical camaraderie, and a wide range of influences spanning generations and genres. Led by guitarist/singer Axel Ellis, the band also features Sal Defilippis on guitar, Hunter Olshefke on bass, Nick Deputy on drums, Phil Pistone on trumpet, and Quinn Dolan on saxophone. Along with Ellis, the road-tripping sextet originally met in music school, where they were studying jazz. Though each band member has a formal music education, together Ax and the Hatchetmen have a loose, organic, rollicking vibe, channeling everyone from the Strokes to the Specials to the Rolling Stones, the Black Keys, Pink Floyd, ELO, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Cage The Elephant, and Hippo Campus.
Over the past few years, the guys have sold out headlining tours, played the hometown festival they once looked at with stars in their eyes (Lollapalooza), blessed fans with a 2023 live album, scored a deal with Arista Records, and released a steady stream of singles culminating in 2025’s Constant Change EP, produced by Jake Sinclair (Panic! At The Disco, Weezer, Avril Lavigne) and featuring a cameo from Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes on the explosive lead single “Blurry Lights.” Ellis also launched his on-screen career this year with a featured role in Amazon series The Runarounds.
With the band’s debut album out now and their headline tour officially underway following a run supporting Fitz and The Tantrums, they hope crowds will connect with their uplifting sound and, as Axel puts it, “aspirationally optimistic” lyrics. If you do catch them live or even in headphones, though, you can bet on one thing: as long as you’re with Ax and The Hatchetmen, all will feel right in the world.
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