Stephanie Eason Band

The Stephanie Eason Band will be joining Colt Ford for two dates in November and December as part of Colt's Fall Tour. Colt Ford is an accomplished singer/songwriter who has written songs for the Professional Bullriders Association (PBRA) and for other "A-List" Nashville performers such as Montgomery Gentry and Jamey Johnson. He is best known for co-writing "Dirt Road Anthem" with Brantley Gilbert, which was recorded by Jason Aldean on his 2011 CMA Award Winning Album of the Year My Kinda Party. Colt is also one of the co-founders of Average Joe's Entertainment, a record label that features up and coming and established acts such as Josh Gracin, Corey Smith, Kevin Fowler, Montgomery Gentry, and Matt Stillwell.

The Stephanie Eason Band will be performing with Colt Ford on two dates of the tour, November 30th at the Compound Grill in Phoenix and December 12th at the Museum Club in Flagstaff.

The Stephanie Eason Band are a five piece contemporary country band that blends new country, rock, bluegrass, and pop, and delivers hit songs that appeal to a broad audience while staying true to Stephanie's country roots. Stephanie's inviting performance style has an undeniable "girl next door" charm that perfectly complements the band's accessible, melodic sensibilities.

The Stephanie Eason Band (SEB) have already hit the Top 100 Billboard Country Airplay Charts twice with their first two singles, "Holdin On" and "Happy Ever After" and are touring in support of their latest release, "The Red Letter Days".
For tickets and info, visit http://thecompoundgrill.com/compound/tickets/ or Pollstar at www.pollstar.com
Website:http://www.stephanieeason.com
- Top 40 Charts.com

Stephanie Eason's aching vocals should be all it takes to put these local Country Thunder veterans on the mainstream country radar from Phoenix to Nashville. "The Red Letter Days," their promising debut, is packed with would-be country hits, from the feisty "It Ain't Love" to the gently rocking country-pop crossover smash in the making, "Holdin' On"... - The Arizona Republic- AZ Central- Written by Ed Masley

Arizona has gotten some bad press this year; but the Indie music scene in cities such as Phoenix continue to churn out talented acts who succeed locally and push at the national bubble. One such act are new country stalwarts The Stephanie Eason Band. Eason's voice may be the glue that draws the band together, but Stan Hitson (lead guitar/vox); Mike Galli (pedal steel/vox/guitar/harmonica/mandolin); Brandon Kinser (drums) and Eric Gilboe (bass/vox) all bring distinct talents and songwriting skills to complement Eason's voice, fiddle and acoustic guitar. The Stephanie Eason Band released their debut album this summer, a collection of twelve original tunes called The Red Letter Days. Blending new and classic country, rock, blues and bluegrass, The Stephanie Eason Band truly fit the post-genre movement perfectly.


Stephanie Eason has the sort of voice that makes people stop and listen; an alluring alto full of the goodness that country music once personified tempered with a dash of the joyful deviltry that always made it a fun genre. The Red Letter Days opens with "Charlotte To Phoenix", a song about jumping on that once big chance and holding on when it presents itself. It's a leap of faith centered on love and being in the moment. "It Ain't Love" gets to the point quickly, a forward come-on song that is likely to earn The Stephanie Eason Band some serious attention from commercial radio programmers. The song is well-written and performed, and should crossover easily between country and pop formats.


"Endlessly" is a song about falling in love and the anguish brought on by an uncertain outcome. Delivered in a fine country/Americana arrangement, "Endlessly" is a tremendous bit of songwriting that mixes imagery and emotion in almost magical proportions. "How To Start A Fire" is a classic country tune about young love, sparks and the life their memory can take on years later. Tempered with southern rock guitar work, this tune has real commercial legs. Don't be surprised if you hear it in a movie or on the soundtrack of a television show in the near future. "Happily Ever After" offers common sense love advice in song while debunking the prince charming archetype. The song is well written, but it's the hook in the chorus that will grab you and keep you coming back.


"He Don't Know" is all about being in love with a friend who's clueless and the daily struggle between the fear of telling him and the torture of staying silent. Delivered in a classic country arrangement, Eason handles the vocal with style and grace. "It Was A" is a catchy rockin country tune about all of the wrong roads we travel in out paths to find love. The song is very radio ready with a pop sensibility that's tremendous. "Be Careful What You Ask For" tackles infidelity from a non-traditional angle; a reminder that some things just don't come with a warrantee. The Red Letter Days closes with "Country Time", with The Stephanie Eason Band getting back to their old-school country roots on a danceable and fun tune about building love the old fashion way.


The Stephanie Eason Band has already gained a lot of attention in their home state, but The Red Letter Days has the band poised for the sort of attention that comes with stepping onto the national stage. Whether the big break comes with The Red Letter Days, or whether the album simply opens the door for it to happen next time around remains to be seen, but there's no denying that Stephanie Eason is a first-class vocalist and front woman, and her band could walk onto any stage on Music Row and be welcome. The Red Letter Days is as special as its name.


Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)


Learn more about The Stephanie Eason Band at www.stephanieeason.com or www.myspace.com/stephanieasonband. The Red Letter Days is available from Amazon.com as either a CD or Download. The album is also available from iTunes.
- Wildy's World

Well the time has come to launch ATC's Indie Spotlight Series with the introduction of Arizona's own Stephanie Eason Band. In part one of this three part series, we'll introduce the band and provide a little background about the group and its lead vocalist, Stephanie Eason. So, come meet the Stephanie Eason Band!




The Stephanie Eason Band is a five member band led by lead singer, Stephanie Eason. The group describes their sound as one that blends mainstream country, bluegrass, pop, blues, and rock into one awesome blend of music. This description is prominently displayed during their live shows, which are among the best any bar or nightclub has seen. The group often includes covers of country songs by artists like Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, and countless others as well as original songs from their debut album, The Red Letter Days.

At such a young age, Stephanie Eason has already proven she's got the vocal chops and stage presence a person needs to be the lead singer of her own band. Stephanie's love of music began when she learned to play the fiddle and piano in elementary school. Since realizing her love and passion for performing, Stephanie has played anywhere and everywhere she possibly can. She's already opened for legendary country artists like Randy Travis and was invited by Naomi Judd to share the stage with her at a local women's expo. It's clear Stephanie is already on her way to becoming one of Arizona's brightest stars.

The rest of the band includes a group of guys who are some of the best musicians Arizona has to offer. Accompanying Stephanie on lead guitar and vocals is Stan Hitson. According to the band's website, Stan has spent many years performing in bands and writing songs. In fact, he's written everything from pop songs to country songs to even a rock opera. Stan wrote or co-wrote six of the twelve songs included on the group's first full length album, The Red Letter Days.

Now, what's one of the most essential parts of a country band?? The drums of course! That's where SEB's drummer and percussionist Brandon Kinser comes in. Hailing from Casa Grande, AZ, Brandon began playing the drums at a young age and has since performed all over Arizona with several bands. According to the website, Brandon's had experience playing in several genres of music including country, rock, and jazz.

The band's fourth member, Mike Galli, originally hails from Northern California. Mike is the epitomy of a multifaceted musician. In the band, Galli provides lead and harmony vocals as well as playing the mandolin, steel guitar, and the mouth harp. In addition to his diverse musicianship, Mike also contributes to the songwriting process as well. Mike wrote or co-wrote three of the songs on the group's album.

Last but certainly not least is the group's bass guitar player, Eric Gilboe. In addition to his bass guitar skills, Eric also provides harmony vocals as well as lead vocals during his turn in the spotlight at live shows. Like most of his bandmates, Eric began playing guitar at an early age and has since had the opportunity to tour around the country with country acts like Gary Allan, Dave Mason, David Allen Coe, and many more.

Like I mentioned above, the group recently traveled to Nashille's 16 Ton Studios to record their first full-length album titled, The Red Letter Days. Next week, part two of our Indie Spotlight will be a review of The Red Letter Days, if you'd like to get a headstart on the album, which I highly recommend, then please purchase it by clicking on one of the links below. - All Things Country Music Blogspot

At the ripe old age of 23, country music performer Stephanie Eason has achieved her life goal.

"I'm living my dream," Eason said from her Gilbert home. "I'm making a career out of something I love. This is my full-time job."

The Stephanie Eason Band plays from 8:45 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday at Matt's Saloon, 112 S. Montezuma St., in Prescott.

The five-member band includes Eason on fiddle and lead vocals, Prescottonian Stan Hitson on lead guitar and vocals, drummer Brandon Kinser, Mike Galli on steel guitar and vocals, and Eric Gilboe on bass and vocals.

Although most venues advertise the Stephanie Eason Band as "country," that's a label that Eason says is a little misleading.

"We're a high energy fusion of bluegrass, modern country, rock and blues," she explained. "We cover the whole spectrum of music. We want to be different and reach out to a broader audience."

She started playing violin and piano in elementary school, and played in symphony orchestras and at church talent shows. Her music career took off in 2004 when she competed at Phoenix's "Gimme the Mike" contest.

"I was runner-up for first place," she said of her near victory at age 17. "I got a lot of exposure after that." She also formed her first band, Southeast and Latigo.

In 2005, country superstar Naomi Judd invited Eason to join her on stage at the Arizona Women's Expo. In 2007, she went on to perform in front of nearly 100,000 fans at one of the nation's largest country music events, Country Thunder USA.

Eason's off-the-wall brand of country music is what caused Hitson a year ago to travel from Prescott to Scottsdale to answer Eason's advertisement for a guitarist. His former band, Southbound, recently broke up and Eason was looking for work.

"I saw her ad on Craigslist," Hitson said. "It was the first and only time I've used Craigslist."

Eason's description of her music, and what she was looking for in a guitar player, caught Hitson's attention.

"She was looking for someone who wanted to break out of the usual country music mold," he said. "I decided to audition, but I told my wife that the last thing I wanted to do is play in a bar band in Phoenix."

He went to listen to Eason one night and was hooked.

"Hiring Stan has worked out beautifully," she said. "Stan rocks."

This past February, Eason and the band traveled to Nashville and recorded their first album, "The Red Letter Days," which includes 12 original songs written by Eason, Hitson and Galli.

"I always say the songs write me," Hitson said. "If I can get myself out of the way, the song is already there."

Eason and the band are not strangers to Prescott or Matt's Saloon - they play about once a month - but at the rate she is gaining notoriety, she may find herself making fewer trips to Whiskey Row. She already has opened concerts for some of the biggest names in country music: Clint Black, Randy Travis, Diamond Rio, and Naomi Judd, to name a few.

"We're putting all our efforts and energy into making this work," said Hitson, who logged 12,000 miles traveling to shows in the past year. "I describe our music as innocence and wisdom expressed as pure delight in the form of music. Steph has a lot of innocence in her and she's an attractive force for audiences."

"If you just call yourself a country band, you immediately shut out a lot of people," Eason said. "I get a lot of people who come up and say that they're not a country music fan, but they like what we do."
- Prescott Daily Courier- AZ Edge

The Stephanie Eason Band is proud to announce the release of their debut album, “The Red Letter Days”. The album, featuring twelve original tracks written by the various members of the band, captures the spirit of contemporary country music with a flare of bluegrass, rock, traditional country, and pop mixed in. The variety of styles included on the album appeals to a broader audience while staying true to Stephanie’s country roots.

The title of the album, “The Red Letter Days”, reflects Stephanie’s feelings about the recording and this exciting period in her life. Traditionally, schools and churches marked special dates on the calendar such as Christmas or graduation with large, easy visible red ink. These events were called “Red Letter Days”. Stephanie and the band feel that this album is a truly special collaboration, and the title was appropriate as the beginning of what will be a lasting relationship with both the musicians and the audience.

The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered on Nashville’s Music Row at 16 Ton Studios. It was produced by John Rickard and engineered by Mike Esser. 16 Ton Studios, owned by Danny White (formerly of Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers) have also recorded albums for Paul Deakin of The Mavericks, Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, and many others. The studio provided a very warm and inviting atmosphere and the band drew a lot of inspiration from the memorabilia hanging on the walls and around the studio. You can almost feel the Hank Williams steel guitar vibe on songs such as “Endlessly” and the ghost of Patsy Cline on “He Don’t Know”.
The twelve songs included on “The Red Letter Days” are the culmination of the experiences of all the band members. Each member has a distinctive “voice”, and it is what makes the album and band stand out from the crowd. Stephanie’s almost angelic vocals are the glue that pulls the entire ensemble together. The varying writing styles of the band are apparent. From the whimsical “Happy Ever After” to the hard driving “It Ain’t Love”, the band seamlessly mixes new country, rock, bluegrass, pop, and blues into a sound that is original and refreshing.

The band, composed of Stephanie Eason (vocals, fiddle, acoustic), Brandon Kinser (drums), Mike Galli (mandolin, vocals, pedal steel, rhythm guitar), Stan Hitson (lead guitar, vocals), and Eric Gilboe (bass, vocals), approached the songwriting process from a group effort, with one of the group bringing in lyrics and a basic chord progression. From there, each member added their “ingredients” to the mix to allow the songs to grow organically.

The album is available through the band’s website (www.stephanieeason.com), CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon. You can also purchase the album and other merchandise at live performances. The website also contains additional information about Stephanie and the band, as well as weekly blogs and a mailing list. You may also add Stephanie as a friend on Facebook and MySpace, or follow the band on Twitter (Keyword: SEBcountry). The Stephanie Eason Band plans to tour this summer in support of the record.
- SEB Press

Stephanie Eason is a multi-talented musician whom is no stranger to success. She continually performs at the Annual Country Thunder USA festival. Country Thunder USA is a festival that draws nearly 100,000 visitors each year. Some of the headliners at Country Thunder USA are Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, Keith Urban and Alan Jackson! Along with performing at world renowned Country music festivals Stephanie was also a finalist out of 4000 entries for the "Gimme the Mike!" challenge which featured some of the greatest performers in the Southwest. The contest was broadcast on KTVK TV in Phoenix. She has also been featured on Tim and Willy a CMA® award winning radio personality show. On top of that Stephanie has also performed with Naomi Judd of the legendary country band the Judds!

In February of 2010 Stephanie traveled to 16 ton studios to record the album Red Letter Days. Stephanie Eason Band's album Red Letter Days is a great Country music album. The guitar riffs and licks are so clean you could eat of em! Which, I'm guessing is the band's plan! Well if that's the case they should be eating very well soon because I don't see any reason why this band will not be a national success within their genre. The album has everything you would want in a country album such as great guitar licks & tones from Stan Hitson who also adds a little backing vocals, Mike Galli's lap steel riffs which are executed with extraordinary precision and grace, a super tight rhythm section played by Eric Gilboe on bass and Brandon Kinser on the skins and...oh yeah Stephanie Eason whom with a extraordinarily great voice fronts the band with style. If you're a fan of country music check out the Stephanie Eason band's 2010 release Red Letter Days.


If you're a fan of country music you should certainly check out this band they are really pro and very good. You can really tell they put a lot of work into the album and it sounds very slick.
You can find their latest release at:

Amazon


Itunes


www.stephanieeason.com

- Sacramento Underground Music Examiner- Jason Avery