Other bands influenced by Son Volt
| On Project Opus since: | July 15, 2008 |
| Last seen: | never |
| Biography: | With it's Johnny Cash bravado... Austin Hartley-Leonard began as a solo singer/songwriter in Austin, TX. His first demo, on which he played most of the instruments himself, earned him an invitation to the 2005 SXSW Music Festival. Soon after, he started looking for other musicians to round out the St. James Inc has played a number of nationally renowned venues, including The Mercury Lounge in NYC, The Hotel Cafe and The Viper Room in LA, Stubb's and The Parish in Austin, Subterranean in Chicago, and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in San Antonio. In 2005, the band performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, alongside such acts as Coldplay, Oasis, and The Black Crowes. After releasing the "8 Hours" EP in 2006, St. James Inc performed at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago and then relocated to Los Angeles, where they continued to see great success. You can hear their tunes in the film "Moving McAllister", and the hit show "Men In Trees" on ABC. After meeting producer Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bowmans, AM) in Los Angeles, the two began work on Austin's debut solo record in December 2007. With Mother West labelmates The Bowmans adding a sprinkling of harmonies, Doug Pettibone (Lucinda |
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| On Project Opus since: | April 13, 2006 |
| Last seen: | never |
| Biography: | Biography Matt Harlan is a songwriter's songwriter. He composes scenic landscapes and pointed statements disguised as songs. Often non-linear, but always melodic, Harlan's works confront social norms, celebrate lives overlooked, or just wax poetic about coffee and bus stops. Whatever the inspiration, the music is always heartfelt and genuine. Born and raised in Texas, Harlan soaked up the richness of the state and its song-smiths while bouncing between big cities and small towns. Always in love with music, he eventually learned to play and write it. From '60s pop in kindergarten to alt-country in college and all the angst in between, Harlan draws from a range of influences, interpreting a generation steeped in plastic and filtered through the Hill Country limestone. After gigging in rock bands around San Antonio and Austin, Harlan dropped the pick and the power chords to develop his own unique fingerstyle guitar technique. Now back in Houston he is working to promote his earthy, socially conscious sound, which is continually evolving. Accomplishments In 2003 Matt Harlan won the Kerrville Folk Festival's Texas University Songwriters Competition based on the merit of his songs “Suitcase Blues,” “Warm November,” and “The Optimist.” Winning the competition allowed him to play on the Threadgill's Stage at the Festival along with other songwriters from Texas universities. The Houston Fort Bend Songwriter's Association (HFBSA) has nominated Matt Harlan's “Heavy Steel and Spinning Wheels” for their 2006 Song of the Year award. Matt Harlan was recently offered the chance to play at the legendary Anderson Fair for its songwriters showcase series. Details can be found on Matt Harlan's websites and at www.andersonfair.com. |
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| On Project Opus since: | April 11, 2006 |
| Last seen: | never |
| Biography: | LEAVING, TX. If you travel a few miles south of Alt-Country and turn right at Cow-Punk you’ll find Leaving, TX… a gritty, dusty, whiskey-soaked hell-hole somewhere just outside the gates of purgatory. Formed in late 2004 by songwriter Chris Patterson and bassist Garry Cecil, Leaving, TX has rapidly come to life in the Washington, DC music scene… Quickly and rightfully earning comparisons to Drive By Truckers, Steve Earle, and Reckless Kelly just to name a few. The bands driving alt-country sound is anchored by its original songs which seem to fill fans with hooks they just can’t seem to get out of their heads. Patterson is a self-taught musician who after leaving the jam-band Grooved Pavement spent the next 18 months studying and writing. During this time he spent many nights on the local singer-songwriter circuit finding out which songs were working with the audience. After a visit to Austin, TX he came back with the desire to finally build the band that would showcase his music. Patterson soon contacted bass player Garry Cecil and played several of the new tunes for him. The magic was immediate and the two set out to find the rest of the band. Thor Smith was soon brought in to fill the role of drummer, having done the same in Patterson’s former band. After several auditions with guitarists, Andrew Buhler showed up on the band’s doorstep and after one song together, he was brought into the mix and given his own keys to the city. Chris Patterson – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars. The bands songwriter is a native of Iowa although he has called sixteen cities home over the past twenty years. Patterson received his first guitar at the age of 8 but claims he didn’t learn to play it until he was 30. He carries with him very strong Irish roots and spends a couple weeks each year in Ireland seeking out music and his ancestry. His songwriting is strongly influenced by Tim Easton, Jon Dee Graham, The Waterboys, and Hank Williams. Garry Cecil - bass and backing vocals. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Cecil was raised in the “wee” village of Corstorphine. He was raised on British music but when he arrived in America he soon became schooled by Hendrix, Zappa, and Capt. Beefheart. This eventually led Cecil to the country rock movement and later to bluegrass. It was a trip back to Scotland that had him dive head first into the punk/new wave scene. He has played in numerous bands over the years, “Non- Dairy Creamers”, “Gunpoint Affection”, and “The Swinging Richards”, and most recently the highly regarded “Primitive Mind”, opening for such greats as BB King, Lunasa, Junior Brown, and Doc Watson. Thor Smith- drums. Smith is a native of Halden, Norway. He started drum lessons in the first grade and played his first professional gig at twelve years old. After a few years in a Hawaiian show band, Smith moved to New York in the early eighties with an original new wave outfit called “Ice Nine”. He then spent almost six years with the DC group “The Smash Band”. Semi-retired from music he was coaxed back into the scene after meeting Chris Patterson and getting hooked on his draft beer at rehearsals and original tunes. Andrew Buhler - electric and pedal steel guitars. Buhler is a proud native of Miami, Florida. He started fooling around with the guitar after his father bought him an LP of Hendrix’s “Smash Hits” at age 10. From Miami to Japan to Cuba, he’s been tormenting his family and friends with the instrument ever since. |
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