Shotgun & Jaybird
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| Shotgun & Jaybird | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Dawson City, Yukon |
| Years active | 2003 - present |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Labels | Sappy Records |
Shotgun & Jaybird are a Canadian indie rock band based in Sackville, New Brunswick.
Contents |
[edit] Background
Shotgun and Jaybird formed summer of 2003. Dick Morello (formerly of The Janitors) came to the Yukon, and was later joined by his lifelong friend from Ontario, Shotgun Jimmie (former Janitor). Along with Dom Lloyd, they played a weekly set at The Pit, and recorded Dawson Towne Recordings with Sandy Silver.
Following the tour, they headed back to Sackville. There, they recorded and produced Sackville Classics for the Simple Ukelele. They also played the inaugural Stereophonic Music Festival, a fundraiser for CHMA, the local campus-community station. During 2004 both Jim and Dick released solo albums.
Later in 2004, Julie Doiron, known for her solo recording and work with Eric's Trip, relocated to Sackville, just in time to play the second Stereophonic festival. Also that year the boys released their eponymous wallpaper greatest hits culled from Dawson Towne Recordings, Simple Songs, 6,000 True Stories and Rubber Covered Painter.
During this period, the twosome began to play as a trio, adding Paul Henderson as a fulltime drummer. Early shows with Paul would often still consist of Dick and Jim trading guitar and drum duties resulting in a two drum, one guitar band. Later in 2005 the trio began to back Julie Doiron and she began to play bass with them.
With Julie, the band shifted its makeup so that both Jim and Dick played guitar. This larger, fuller sound was toyed with during the summer and fall of 2005 and in early 2006 they released the There Are Days and There Are Days EP on the resurrected Sappy Records imprint. This record featured art and layout by local artists Erik Edson and Very Silly Monkey, and - although she was functionally a member - collaboration with Julie Doiron as well as local musician W. L. Altman. This record was mastered by Toronto's Noah Mintz.
The record marked a turning point for the band, leading to their first of several cross-Canada tours, as well as their most polished record to that point. During this time Chad VanGaalen of Calgary, Alberta, was in Sackville, as the artist in residence at faucet media arts centre, and during his time in Sackville he played several shows with Shotgun and Jaybird backing him up and playing with them.
After touring the EP, Paul, Julie and Jon Claytor set the very first Sappyfest in Sackville in motion. It was also during this time that they recorded "Trying to Get Somewhere." Released in the late summer, it has charted as high as #2 on the Earshot! charts. Their tour of this record with Woolly Leaves and also backing Julie, has been their most succesful to date.
Late in 2006 Paul Henderson left the band in favour of Jesse Baird (of drummer, the Janitors and Leslie Feist and brother of pidgeon) though everyone is still friends and loves one another.
[edit] Members
The band consists of the following members:
- Dick Morello — guitar, vocals, drums
- Shotgun Jimmie — guitar, vocals, drums
- Julie Doiron — bass guitar, vocals,
- Paul Henderson — drums (2004-2006)
- Jesse Baird — drums (late 2006 -
[edit] Discography
- Dawson Towne Recordings (2003)
- Sackville Classics For Simple Ukulele (2004)
- Shotgun & Jaybird (2005)
- There Are Days and Then There Are Days (2006)
- Trying To Get Somewhere (2006)
