DREW KENNEDY
What began in 2000 with a simple gift of a guitar made possible by his grandfather has led Drew Kennedy down the winding road that he travels today. His trip has taken him through the hills of music’s greatest heroes, to the hill country of Texas where he now makes his home. That journey, seven years in the making, has culminated in the March 2007 Sustain Records release of Dollar Theatre Movie.
Produced by Gerald Boyd, Dollar Theatre Movie consists of 13 original songs, all of which were written or co-written by Drew. Each track is an insight into his musical evolution over the last two years. The first single to be released off the new record is entitled “Take Me Home” and was co-written by Peter Dawson and Drew. “Take Me Home” is a feel good song about skipping town on your job in the big city to head back home where the roads are dusty, the night sky is full of stars, and the pace of life is a little slower.
DJANGO WALKER & PAULINE REESE
Django Walker So far, in the advent of a very young career, Django Walker has a) co-written songs with Texas country music blockbuster Pat Green, b) played a show at Dallas’ famed Cotton Bowl headlined by the Dixie Chicks, c) released his first solo album and began writing songs for a second album also to be released on his independent label, Lazy Kid Music, and d) extended a long and honorable Texas music legacy into a new era. “Texas On My Mind,” one of the standout tracks of Django’s 2002 debut release, Down The Road, introduced Texas music fans to a young singer-songwriter who is heir to a distinguished Lone Star musical tradition, but whose tastes and tempos evoke a kinship with a younger generation. Django Walker is stepping out of the shadow of inherited celebrity, and into the sunlight of his own musical identity. Django grew up in a house where music was an integral part of everyday life. Citing Coldplay and Tom Petty, along with Lone Star singer-songwriters including his father, Guy Clark, Pat Green and others; Django epitomizes the mix of eclectic musical influences that has always characterized the maverick independence of Texas music.
Pauline Reese The evolution continues in Pauline Reese’s career with her latest and third CD, “The Good,the Bad and the Ugly”. She continues to define Texas Music with her diverse choices of what she calls Country Music. It includes Shuffles, Waltzes, Swing and Western Ballads…… She even penned a Spanish Polka that was influenced by one of her favorite Tejano artists, Little Joe y La Familia. She also had the great fortune of recording a duet with the legendary and ever so much in demand Willie Nelson. Pauline is currently sponsored by Michelob Ultra, Elixir Strings, Bad Company Rodeo and is now booked by Locke Entertainment out of Spicewood, Tx. She tours all around the state and beyond with bookings in New Mexico, North Dakota and many more places on the horizon. Her talents are endless……she is a great performer, she sings, she plays guitar, she writes and even co-produced this current project with Tommy Detamore. Tommy owns Cherry Ridge Studio in Floresville,Tx and many great musical projects have come out of his studio. Doug Sahm’s final CD, Jason Allen’s last and current project, two of Clay Blaker’s CD were recorded there, Ed Burleson has done work there and a long list of others. Pauline is only 26 years old but has done a lot and has a very bright future ahead of her. She has been blessed to be able to surround herself with extremely talented artists and she is a fast learner. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” CD will be treasured for many years to come and any fan of Texas Country Music will be refreshingly surprised by this young lady’s talent……………….
Tom Gillam died March 20, 2006, returning from a string of dates in Texas and in the middle of recording his fourth LP. He’s doing fine, thank you. There’s a reason his new album is called Never Look Back.
He suffered two of three heart attacks on the table in the ER of Virtua Hospital in deepest New Jersey. They were operating to clear his totally blocked aorta the third time; two percent of the men in their 30s and 40s survive similar attacks. Occasionally it pays to be in the minority.
None of which means his new album is filled with maudlin songs revealing his new appreciation of life and deep spirituality. (Those are private matters.) Like 2005’s breakthrough Shake My Hand — 14 weeks on the Americana radio top 10, peaking at #4 — for which he received a “Best Emerging Artist” nomination from the Americana Music Association — Never Look Back is a thoroughly entertaining and highly literate burst of classic songwriter-driven rock.
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BORN AND RAISED IN RURAL SAGINAW, TEXAS 23 YEAR OLD RYAN MCBRIDE HAS TAKEN FORT WORTH'S LIVE MUSIC SCENE BY STORM WITH HIS HEARTFELT LYRICS AND RAW EMOTION - SPUN FORTH FROM HIS BRAND NEW DEBUT ALBUM, QUICKSAND.
AN ACOUSTIC OPENING GIG FOR FORT WORTH BASED INDIE ROCKER JOEY GREEN HELPED LAND RYAN ON THE TX MUSIC LANDSCAPE. HEARING RYAN’S TALENT, JOEY IMMEDIATELY OFFERED TO PUT HIM IN THE STUDIO. WITH 20 songs ready, JOEY AS PRODUCER, JOEY’s ROCKIN BAND DEFINING BRISCOE AS SESSION PLAYERS AND WITH FAMED LOCAL PRODUCER BART ROSE AT THE CONTROLS, QUICKSAND WAS RECORDED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. BUT ONCE IN THE STUDIO, THE MUSIC FLOWED LIKE WINE, THE TIGHTNESS AND COMRADERIE BETWEEN RYAN AND JOEY EVIDENT FROM THE MOMENT THE REELS STARTED TO ROLL.
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When 80 Proof hit the Texas Country Music Circuit in 2003, they operated off one standard; Good Music makes Good Fans. This standard holds true today and everyday. The 80 Proof Band is made up of 4 very diverse singer/songwriters who all come from different backgrounds in music. They easily blend the popular styles to come up with one distinct and different sound. It's very easy to get lost in the melodies of such ballads as "Crazy Dreams" and "December Rain", and then to rock out to the sounds of "Throw Away the Key" and "I'm Alright". 80 Proof's shows consist of many original songs, which the band has written and composed, mixed with covers strategically placed to get and keep the attention of the crowd. The showmanship of the 80 Proof Band gets better all the time. By mixing high energy, lots of great original songs, and great cover songs, the band has the opportunity to draw a crowd and leave that crowd wanting more. 80 Proof has been influenced by many artists. Some of those artists include Johnny Cash, SRV, Stoney Larue, Rodney Pyeatt, Waylon Jennings, Victor Wooten, Johnny Hiland, CCR (both 'em), Mike McClure, Willy Braun, Led Zepplin, Cody Canada, Deftones, Mike Eli and Willy Nelson, just to name a few.
Luke sang “Ain’t Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up”, a Garth Brooks song, at the annual school talent show when he was 9 years old and he was hooked.
He's been on stage hundreds of times since that fateful day. Luke has been a regular at the Royal Theater’s Texasville Opry and has performed at the Hard Rock Café in New York City.
He has grown up on the Johnnie High Country Music Revue, winning awards for “most promising act” and “entertainer of the year 16 and under”. Johnnie has said “Watch this kid. He has everything he needs to go straight to the top.”
Luke has also been fortunate enough to be associated with Mike McAdoo for the past 8 years. Luke is no stranger to the recording studio as he has just finished his 3rd CD, to be released the middle of July 2007 .
It will include several songs written and composed by Luke. His first was titled “Star Route” when he was 12 years and “Luke Robinson” at 14.
Luke has a growing fan base in the North Texas area and plays acoustic shows and full band with his “Bad Luck Band”.
Bobby Duncan is not your typical 21 year old. For starters, his full time job is traveling on the road with his band all over the great divide of Texas and Oklahoma. He also is a seasoned guitar player, having picked up the instrument at age 12 and has been writing songs since he was 16.
Bobby’s path crossed with Walt Wilkins eventually leading to the legendary singer/songwriter producing Duncan's album "Lonesome Town". Duncan has spent the last couple of years between the lines on highways and roads sharing his music with anyone who will listen with his newly formed band or just on a stage with a guitar and a microphone. Whether hearing his well crafted songs, his versatile, smooth voice, or seeing him on stage with his easily noticed wavy black hair, Duncan is hard to miss.
Bobby arguably has the oldest soul of any young songwriter around. With songs like “This Ain’t Love,” and “My Last Goodbye,” Duncan shows the already great depth he has as a story teller and purveyor of emotion. If you are looking for a little country, rock, folk, or most importantly, extremely well written songs with an infectious sound, you are sure to find something you like with Bobby Duncan.
Walther and the band have developed and now launch this artistic progression from Gruene Hall, the hallowed musical ground zero in Central Texas where such notables and innovators as George Strait, Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, Hal Ketchum, Robert Earl Keen and others have all played their way to fame. As the latest act to win a prestigious residency there, they’ve rocked the dancehall for more than a year of weekly Wednesday night shows, gathering fans and making musical waves that have already rippled across the Southwest and beyond. And now with Ambition, their debut Sustain Records album, Zack Walther and the Cronkites are ready to bring the sound that’s winning over Texas to the world.
Based out of Lampasas, TX, Zach Huckabee has been professionally singing and writing songs since he was 18. During his freshman year of college, Zach went on the road with The Smithsonian Museum of American History singing the soundtrack for a mission that took him and the crew across the nation promoting troop service from all of the wars and conflicts that the United States has been involved in. The exhibit that documents this tour is located in Washington D.C. and is called the “Price of Freedom”, which also happens to be the title of the song that gained Zach access on the tour. You can see that music video at zachhuckabee.com.