TIM EASTON Guitars, bass, drums, bass pedals, organ, harmonica, mandolin, singing, organizing stuff, control issues, freaking out, etc....
LEEROY STAGGER Guitars, bass pedals, percussion, singing, writing the best songs out of the three of them and he didn't write this, irish whistle.
EVAN PHILLIPS more Guitars, bass pedals, organ, percussion, harmonica, singing a bit like the Alaskan John Denver at times but that's cool.
Bobby Furgo, violin
Damian Lester, upright bass
Stu Schulman, pedal steel, dobro
These tracks were mixed by BINGO at HOLODECk in JOSHUA TREE, CA
Bingo is a bad ass who knows more songs than God.
Greg Benolkin engineered the majority of this project and took the black and white photos as well. He is the band's Dad.
Influences
traveling traveling, van life, alaska, canada, joshua tree. mountains, guitars and each other's songwriting. townes, willy, kris, bob, steve, bruce, john, paul, joni, and neil. m. ward, jim and connor. Marty Jones too.
Sounds Like
friends playing songs on the porch in alaska and joshua tree
EASTON & STAGGER will be performing in lieu of ESP for the upcoming Alaska tour. To PURCHASE tickets to the VAGABOND BLUES (Wed, Jan 14th) and SNOW GOOSE THEATRE (Fri, Jan 23rd), please CLICK the appropriate ticket below.
*Hope you all come out and support the shows!*
CLICK BELOW CD COVER FOR XMAS RATE
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
EASTON STAGGER PHILLIPS:
DEBUT ALBUM "ONE FOR THE DITCH"
An American, a Canadian, and an Alaskan walk out of a bar...
Part time troubadours will come and go. For Tim Easton (JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA), Leeroy Stagger(VICTORIA, CANADA) and Evan Phillips (ANCHORAGE, ALASKA), traveling the world and singing songs isn't just a diversion. It's a way of life. It is how they survive in this world, and it is what caused them to cross each others paths.
The three singer/songwriters first came together at Easton's Joshua Tree desert home in 2007. They had mutual respect for each others work but the thought of forming a band was the last thing on their minds. Fast forward to January 2008 where Easton and Stagger are the support acts for Phillips' band The Whipsaws on their Alaskan CD release tour and the three start to collaborate. With the assistance of Anchorage resident and recording engineer Greg Benolkin, the three musicians found themselves laying down tracks during a winter storm in a cabin in Girdwood, Alaska. The snow was falling and the tape was rolling and what came out of that three day session was a lifelong friendship plus a beautiful record of songs the three had been stockpiling. The majority of ONE FOR THE DITCH was recorded at that session, and on the third evening, their first performance as Easton, Stagger, Phillips took place at Vagabond Blues in Palmer, Alaska.
The trio later reconvened in the lower 48 in March 2008 for a cross country drive from Austin to Joshua Tree in order to add the finishing touches on the primarily acoustic recordings. Hunkering down at Easton's home cabin studio as well as Victoria Williams' Chapparal Bottoms studio, ESP recruited Bobby Furgo (Leonard Cohen band)on violin, and took turns overdubbing organ bass pedals on some of the songs, using a vintage Gulbransen Pacemaker organ that Easton had scored for $50 at a local thrift store, to finish what was to be ESP's debut album "One For The Ditch."
There is a familiar dynamic to this band. Stagger says "we keep each other together and in check, which makes it a very easy and fulfilling band to be in." Evan Phillips added, "We are also big fans of each other so that helps." Easton agrees that "this is a natural fit. We travel well as a trio and we are not afraid to push each other to do better work. There's a ton of songwriters out rambling about, and I feel lucky to have crossed paths with these two."
ONE FOR THE DITCH is being released by REBELTONE RECORDS, and this introduction to the band showcases the kind of song writing tradition that brought the three together in the first place. From the classic, Townes Van Zandt inspired storytelling of Leeroy Stagger in the opening track "Hell of A Life," which chronicles the life and times of the wayward troubadour, to the mountain stream vocals of Evan Phillips in northern life inspired songs such as "Highway 395" or "Walk Away," to the optimistic sing along "Festival Song," which has all three members of the band taking turns at verses written by Tim Easton, with the three voices blending as one generation for the chorus shout out "It feels like the world is gonna be alright." This acoustic debut album is the begining of a life long collaborative effort and dedication to making music and traveling the world together as Easton, Stagger, Phillips.
PRESS QUOTES:
"These three troubadours have been playing and writing songs on their
own and with others long enough to know what counts. They write what
they know, record how they see fit on the hardware at hand, and play
the chords that they like best. Upon first listen to their joint
effort, One For the Ditch, it's easy to tell that this album isn't
about attaining the widest possible audience, it's about winning
hearts." ESTER REPUBLIC
"Tim Easton is a storyteller through and through, but he's also a student of classic pop songcraft willing to interrupt a weighty narrative with an undeniable hook. " ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE
"...there's a sincerity and warmth to Stagger's music, serving up an interesting contrast of gutter poetry and pop sense, proving further that Leeroy Stagger is one of Canada's emerging talents." POP MATTERS
Evan Phillips is a "perceptive, damn good songsmith, melodic, and possessed
of an ear for a good hook." FREIGHTTRAINBOOGIE.COM
www.myspace.com/eastonstaggerphillips
For management, booking, press, and radio:
MANAGEMENT: Ellie Stefano eleanorstefano@gmail.com
NORTH AMERICA please contact mailto:info@rebeltone.com
IRELAND Una Molloy mailto:una@turningpirate.com
THE NETHERLANDS Inge Rietjens mailto:ingerietjens@hotmail.com
Tim Easton
www.timeaston.com
www.myspace.com/timeaston
Hey guys ! Thanks 4 add. Saw you in Germany , Gelsenkirchen. Your gig was very exciting. I've bought your album. It's like medicine to calm down and for dremin'.
Benefit for Evan Philips Evan Philips was born and raised in Alaska. He’s lived here his whole life. Evan has a chronic groin injury. He is in pain; sometimes great pain. He first noticed the pain seven years ago. He thought he had pulled a muscle. When he didn’t get better he went to the doctor. In fact he went to many doctors and he had surgery to repair the injury, but he did not get better. Recently the pain is worse. It has stopped Evan’s successful musical career dead in the tracks. He has an appointment with Dr. Byrd in Nashville for another surgery on May 13. Evan does not have insurance and his friends are having benefit for him Friday night April, 24th at 8:30 at the Snow Goose Ballroom. Wear your dancing shoes. There is sure to be good music.
Hey! Just an update for you, You can now listen to my ENTIRE full length album on my Official Facebook page. Make sure to become a fan so you can be one of the first to watch my new music video for the song "Forever" complete in April : ) You seriously rock, thank you.
IT's 10 Seconds...BANDS HELP BANDS...Bands need votes all the time for different contests. Please swing by and log your vote for JOEL PORT this round. It will come back around when you need your votes. I'm happy to distro for you. THANKS
IT's 10 Seconds...BANDS HELP BANDS...Bands need votes all the time for different contests. Please swing by and log your vote for JOEL PORT this round. It will come back around when you need your votes. I'm happy to distro for you. THANKS
Thanks for having us as friends, and thanks for sharing your music. Great stuff. If you get a chance to scope out our page you might enjoy our music as well. Take care.
wow, very sorry to hear about Evan's pain. has he ever tried acupuncture? i am one so you can shoot any questions my way-...my ESP is on its way finally. i am always running behind but what i've listened to here pleases my ears very much. all the best to you fellas in 2009. peace.
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