Forming a band takes dedication. Forming a great band takes dedication, talent and luck.

Local musician Kalen Nash is definitely not lacking the talent or the dedication to showcase it, but has yet to find enough luck.

Starting out as a solo artist, Nash came to Athens with a plan to write and perform his music, hoping to build a reputation that would open doors for him outside of Athens.

This worked out: Epsilon Songs signed Nash as a songwriter, where he began to write songs for major-label artists.

However, as Nash started to write songs for other people, he missed writing his own music. A few years ago, he returned to Georgia, working at Decatur’s Nickel and Dime Studios.

“At the studio, I met some of Atlanta’s best musicians, who were there as sound engineers or recording artists,” he said. “We realized that by banding together, we could make something much better than anything we were working on at the time.”

Thus, a supergroup of some of Atlanta’s most talented musicians was born under the title Ponderosa. The group’s style is informed by soul and Americana.

The members have collectively played in groups such as Variac, Butch Walker and Sovus Radio, in addition to Nash’s experience as a songwriter.

Ponderosa was initially drawn to Athens, as the numerous venues and students seemed to guarantee success. However, this was not the case.

“We migrated to Atlanta because most of us were living there, and nobody came out to our shows in Athens, while in Atlanta we were drawing big crowds,” Nash said. “Now I would say that we’re more of an Atlanta band.”

Ponderosa recently went to Nashville to record its first full-length album. One small problem: It doesn’t own the songs.

“We’re trying to get the record, and we just don’t have any money to get it from the studio,” Nash said.