John McCauley - Songsmith, guitar, vocals, keys, pedal steel
Dennis Ryan - Drums, vocals, percussion
Chris Ryan - Electric and double bass
Influences
Nirvana, Paul Simon, Ritchie Valens, Warren Zevon, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Liza Minelli, Gram Parsons, Hank Williams, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, Tony Bennett, Tad, Celtic Frost, Guy Clark, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Sammy Davis Jr., Thin Lizzy, Lightnin' Hopkins - and our very close personal friend, you may have heard of him, his name is Mr. John Elway.
Sounds Like
John McCauley went and sold his soul to the devil again.
Deer Tick: A rock, country, blues, grunge, and cosmic experience
Deer Tick began in December of 2004 in the bedroom of Providence native, John McCauley. With a tape recorder and a nylon string guitar, he did what most anybody would do; he made tapes for his friends. Much has changed since then, but the attitude remains the same.
When McCauley, then 18 years old, got his hands on Hank Williams Sr.’s “Gold” collection and locked himself in his room listening to it on repeat until he finished his bottle of brandy, it all became fairly obvious to him – he was on his first tour just a few months later.
After years of being on the road, fully developing his distinct howl of a voice, and honing his guitar skills, McCauley had earned himself a following of devoted fans and supporters.
Throughout all of this touring and selling his songs on CD-R, it became apparent that putting out a real album was the natural next step in McCauley’s musical life.
“War Elephant”, Deer Tick’s first album, was originally released in September of 2007. McCauley knew it was time to solidify Deer Tick and make it a real band, his vision from the start. A rotating cast of characters simply wouldn’t suffice anymore.
In April of 2007, just weeks before a national tour, McCauley turned to Dennis Ryan, a bright young drummer who had just decided to cut his career at college about 3 years short. The two had played together before and their energy while performing was something unmatched for the both of them. It took no convincing Dennis at all that this was a good idea. He said “yes” before McCauley even finished asking him.
Dennis Ryan grew up in neighboring Pawtucket , Rhode Island . His dream had always been to become a famous, and perhaps more importantly, badass drummer. His epiphany occurred at the curious age of 3, while watching Ronnie Tutt play the drums with Elvis Presley in a rerun of the “Aloha From Hawaii” special.
After the national tour it was time for Deer Tick to find a bassist. McCauley had tried to convince Chris Ryan, a bass player in town, to join Deer Tick for quite some time. The two had known each other since high school and had performed together before. Until now, Chris had been busy finishing up his degree in music at Providence College . Chris graduated while Deer Tick had been on the road.
That August, Chris Ryan returned from a trip driving his VW Van from Providence to Costa Rica and back (though he only made it as far as Guatemala and back). Chris came speeding down Empire Street in downtown Providence , where McCauley was sitting at a table outside enjoying a beer. A swarm of people surrounded the van welcoming Chris and his traveling companions home. Before you knew it McCauley was asking the road weary traveler to join Deer Tick again.
The three of them decided Chris would join them on tour in the fall and the rest is history.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Are Chris and Dennis Ryan related?
A: Yes, they are brothers.
Q: Is John McCauley related to Matthew McConaughey?
A: Yes, they are cousins.
Q: Was Chris Ryan temporarily replaced by a man named Sandyman?
A: Yes, on March 30th, 2008 at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. Sandyman stole the money they made at the door so Deer Tick hired Chris back. Read about Sandyman here.
Any consideration for your McDonalds or your Chevy commercial would be appreciated. Deer Tick's lookin' to really sell out.
Please do not contact Deer Tick through myspace about booking. For our booking & management please contact John Chavez: john@groundcontroltouring.com
Deer Tick live in Brooklyn, performing "Little White Lies"
It sucks so bad that your show in Pittsburgh on October 10th is a 21 and over show. I wanted to see you guys again really bad, especially with the Felice Brothers, you guys are like my 2 favorite bands. I did get to see you in Lancaster a few months ago though and it was awesome. You guys rock.
great show on friday. but i'm telling you, you should have come to the middle east, it was a killer time. perhaps some other time around the offer will hold again.
Nice one, Mr. Tick. Reeeeeeal nice. You know I'm dying to know the details of a possible Austin show, and you post all the details of this upcoming "tour" and manage to leave out, for me, the most important date. Well, you know where I'll be, crying in my room, refreshing my myspace page over and over again, waiting for the details.
