Spoonshine
Anacortes, Washington, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Spoonshine has been consistently delivering the finest blend of folk, Americana, and country in the Northwest for a long long time. Currently functioning as a four-piece band, they deliver layered guitars, mandolin, bass and drums with intermixed vocal harmonies. Their newest release, Beloved Shadow delivers more of the same while continuing to push the boundaries of the genre.
Spoonshine accomplishes what many bands have tried: a polished and well-executed album of quick boot-stomping jams (see track one, “Shadow”) and tragically uplifting slow songs (see “By The River”). They are, at their core, a string band that flexes their skills and abilities enough to keep a traditional sound fresh and new. Songs focus on controlled mandolin and banjo plucking, with a tight rhythm section holding fast.
Beloved Shadow was produced by Adam Kasper, known for his work with bands like Cat Power, Pearl Jam, REM and Nirvana. Also joining the band in studio, George Schwindt from Flogging Molly contributed percussion parts and collaborated on the album.
Standout track is “Drunk Again,” an upbeat lament crying out, “Oh Lord! Forgive me, I got drunk again.” Build around a swinging banjo line, the sweet mistress named Whiskey comes to visit on sad and lonely nights and making them all into sinners.
After releasing one studio album and two live recordings, Spoonshine prove there’s still a lot of ground to be covered. This EP is beautifully recorded and produced, highlighting the skills of each member while remaining simple. Stay close to this band; Spoonshine is the gold standard for Northwest folk and Americana.
Self Released
For more, visit www.spoonshine.com
- What's Up! Magazine
Spoonshine; simply put their quick picking and killer chords are a force to be reckoned with.
Hailing from Anacortes, WA, this band has found a way to blend folk, rock, bluegrass, country, and punk into an Americana sound, uniquely their own. This Friday at Columbia City Theater, we are proud to welcome the Spoonshine duo: Jacob Navarro (Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo and Vocals) and William Cook (Upright Bass, Guitar, and Vocals) for the Roots & Branches Vol. 3: CD Release Party!
Of a recent performance the editor of Jambase, Dennis Cook, wrote this about the band: “Spoonshine rumbled with all the growl and scrapple you’d ever want from a string band with rock leanings. With fierce picking that recalls Tim O’Brien in his youth and a voice that just might unleash hellfire one day…”
Being a proud Skagitonian myself, Spoonshine has my heart as a local favorite. Their music offers listeners an array of sounds that can stir any mood. I never quite know which turn a song will take—either way, their music sends out great vibes that inspire adventure. - Northwest Folklife Festival
“With a thick, steady low end like Railroad Earth and a leader on mandolin/acoustic guitar that strongly recalls The Bad Livers, Spoonshine rumbled with all the growl and scrapple you’d ever want from a string band with rock leanings. With fierce picking that recalls Tim O’Brien in his youth and a voice that just might unleash hellfire one day, Jacob Navarro made one feel, by turns, that the grave loomed near or one had just gotten the best kiss they could remember in recent history….” Dennis Cook, Jambase. - Jambase
Discography
Dance All Night
Live at The Woodchopper's Ball
Live at Joshua Tree Music Festival
Homestyle
The Spoonshine Duo
Beloved Shadow EP
Photos
Bio
Anacortes-based band Spoonshine is proud to announce to release of the "Beloved Shadow" EP. Produced by Adam Kasper (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana) and two years in the making, the 6-song EP will be followed up with a full-length album in 2012.
It began in 2008, when Kasper crashed a neighbor’s party in the San Juan Islands, drawn to the swingin’ grooves and melodies coming from the house band. Eventually he invited Spoonshine into the studio, hired George Schwindt from Flogging Molly to play punky drums, and spurred the evolution of a band – from a down-home acoustic outfit to a versatile, complex rock band that traverses all sorts of genres, from bluegrass to grunge rock and all the Americana in-betweens.
Songwriting duo William Cook and Jacob Navarro have been performing in bands together since the late ‘90’s. Born and raised in Skagit County, Cook and Navarro frequently write songs about the oceans, rivers, valleys and farmlands surrounding their home. In “Darling Girl,” a miner laments about the death of his lover and the child she left behind - “Where have you gone, my darling girl/ It was for you that I was born/ They say they have seen you waiting for me out in the dead rows of corn.” They are the true embodiment of Anacortes arts scene, bringing a little bit of Skagit County with them wherever they go.
Born out of the indie-rock haven of their youth and young adulthood, Spoonshine has kept company over the years with bands like Beat Happening and Gravel. The EP also includes “Shadow,” written by indie icon Karl Blau, a longtime friend and collaborator.
Spoonshine makes a splash every time they perform. A live show is a genuine dance-your-ass-off event, and at their hometown shows fans have been known to dance out in the streets surrounding the venue because there is no room left inside.
In the last year alone, Spoonshine has been featured on KEXP’s Shake the Shack, opened for bands like the Hackensaw Boys, Jackie Green, and the Clumsy Lovers – and then there was Navarro’s cameo in Eddie Vedder’s hit song “Better Days” for the movie “Eat, Pray, Love.”
Spike TV featured 12 original compositions written by Jacob Navarro and William Cook on several episodes of “Half Pint Brawlers”. They have recently signed a publishing deal with 26f, run by George Schwindt of Flogging Molly acclaim. Spoonshine has been steadily building on a buzz from their high energy live shows, and growing list of studio credits.
Please contact Ali Marcus with any questions: alimarcus@gmail.com.
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