Jess Grant (singer/songwriter) Casey Allen (bass/vox) Travis Hartnett (lead guitar) Scott Nordell (drums)
The band has also worked with singers Corinna Johnson and Lisa Marshall; producer Mark Hopkins; and drummers Darryn Ray, Joshua Wheeler, Aimee Zoe Tubbs and Sheldon Miller.
Influences
T.C. Boyle, E.L. Doctorow, A.S. Byatt, Martin Amis, Philip Roth, Thomas Pynchon, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cormac McCarthy, Charles Bukowski, Robertson Davies, Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, David Foster Wallace, Mike Davis, Graham Swift, Neal Stephenson, Carl Hiaasen, E. Annie Proulx, John Steinbeck, Charlie Chaplin, Victoria Woodhull, Edward Said, Eugene Debs
Seattle's SUGARCANE MUTINY takes two shots of single-malt rock and adds a dash of twang. The band's lyric-driven songwriting and power-pop beats blend the dark humor and storytelling of a Cracker or Wilco with the loud jangly pop of the Smithereens and Fastball. Whatever you call it, it's original Seattle rock -- wet and quirky.
SUGARCANE MUTINY's 7-song CD is now available at Sonic Boom, Easy Street and Silver Platter Records in Seattle, or online at CD Baby here:
The band took 2nd place in Roy's Battle of the Bands and their song Your Town won "best bass in pop rock" at Garageband dot com. SUGARCANE MUTINY has appeared at NW festivals like Hempfest, Tacoma's First Night Celebration and the International Pop Overthrow in Portland. They made their first record "Your Town" in 2007-08 and released it on Bristling Barnacle Music last summer.
SUGARCANE MUTINY has played in Seattle at Jules Maes, the Sunset, the Skylark, Redline Music, the Comet, Chop Suey, the High Dive, the Nectar, the Bamboo, The Shanty, the Blue Moon and Piecora's. The band has also played regionally at the Red Room (Portland) the Wild Buffalo (Bellingham), the Swiss and the New Frontier (Tacoma), Big Daddy's (Woodinville), Waldo's (Kirkland), the Red Bicycle (Vashon) and Flights (Everett).
Singer-songwriter JESS GRANT has migrated northward ever since fleeing his hometown of Los Angeles, where he drew upon local inspirations as varied as X, the Doors, Joni Mitchell and the Runaways. While a rocker at heart -- he fronts the world's only tribute to Joan Jett, Jett City -- Jess' acoustic music has been heard on NPR and at the NW Folklife Festival.
Bassist CASEY ALLEN played with The Life, a Seattle band with two records on Green Monkey Records and three Bumbershoot appearances. Next up was Jimm and the Boxes, a local band signed to Blue Rose, where they released a CD on Ptarmigan Records. His most recent project was Cats On Holiday, Cleveland Ohio's Favorite Mardi Gras Party Band.
Lead guitarist TRAVIS HARTNETT spent ten years in Austin TX, playing with Britt Daniels in his pre-Spoon band, composing soundtracks, working with dance and theatre companies, and performing at SXSW three times. He has studied with Robert Fripp and is a former member of Seattle Guitar Circle. His local bands have included David Bavas and the Down Comforter, Electrochakra and the Steve Ball Roadshow.
Drummer SCOTT NORDELL spent ten years in No. California playing in marching bands, theatre pits and drum circles, along with rock bands that played everything from punk and country to blues and Motown. Later he moved to So. California where he played with Blue Cheer, The Coasters and The Shirelles, and opened for The Fabulous T-birds, The Stray Cats and Bobby Bland. Scott moved to Seattle in 2006.
"Each time I've seen Sugarcane Mutiny they've reminded me of the Smithereens if Pat DiNizio and crew ran a dilapidated gas station with a black and white TV in the office. This Seattle quartet plays rootsy, jangly pop with an emphasis on songs as opposed to the requisite instruments and haircuts...Tarantino-like stories with five fingers on the bible and two crossed behind, baby. Yeah, they’re cool. These seasoned cats found a common thread - smart songwriting, stringent, catchy melodies and a dose of twang - on their CD that is spinning right now next to my black and white TV." Brad Allen of the Weekly Volcano
"Great guitar rock/power pop done up indie style. You can hear the Texas twang in the guitars and the blues back drop in the buried keys...This is bar band story telling at it's finest." Radio Free Seattle
Thanks for comin' out to Vashon Island & rockin' the Red Bike, you guys are a class act & you've got a ton of great songs. Big ups & thanks for sharing! ~pete~
hey jess! i dont know if you remember me but im amy, kelsey's friend from new york. i stumbled across your site today and listened to some of your songs i really liked that part about sharon stone and michael douglas in "Hot Head". hah. but yeah just wanted to let you know i was interested in maybe a cd or something. maybe me and kels could road trip up to seattle and see you and susanne and maybe come to a show!
I will try to make the show on the 13th, I have one on the 14th I promised to attend as well..busy rockin week for me! YAY! Hope all is well, thank you for playing the show at Waldo's..Much appreciated
Hey guys, killer show on Saturday! Everyone in my group commented how good you guys sounded. Super tight and the songs were great. Excellent sound too! :)
Much to tell...breakfgast at Easy Sreet soon?? Austin was great! getting ready to go back in March and to Nashville! ( moving again. :-) don't worry, I'm doing a bit at a time and am almost done. Maybe we should just go for an eve. of wine or something?? L
I thought of you guys when I visited Houston recently. I drove through Sugar Land, home of Imperial Pure Cane Sugar. I lived there when I was little. The sugar factory is all deserted and run down :( I can remember when we used to drive by the fields of sugar cane and saw all the convicts in their white suits working in the fields with mounted patrols watching over them. I decided right then that going to prison didn't look like much fun... especially in Texas. I guess they just lift weights and watch TV now days.
I miss you guys. Congrats on your continuing success! I hope you find a drummer that will stick with you for a while. Hopefully, I will see a show again someday...while you are still together! Love, Mama Corinna Diva
