The End of America

The End of America is not some grand political statement.
It is a band making music where the road takes them. This New York City based trio took cues for their name and songs from the writings of Jack Kerouac. The concept of traveling to the ends of the "groaning continent" seems almost like a dare, whereby those who choose to accept it will follow the road till they find themselves where all artists long to be: the farthest you can go.

It began in the summer of 2010. As friends who met on tour years prior, Brendon Thomas (banjo & mandolin), James Downes (guitar), and Trevor Leonard (guitar), set out to write and record for a week in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. Using a portable recorder, the band came away from the session with their debut album, Steep Bay, tracked live at Thomas' lakeside cabin. All frontmen of previous projects, the trio honed a sound at Steep Bay that showcases their 3 part harmonies and honest song writing.

"These three cats blend their voices as effortlessly as Crosby, Stills and Nash. A deeply organic, beautiful album. And this whole thing was written and recorded in 7 days." (Ripple Effect)

Fast forward through two years of touring, and the occasion is again set for a band in pursuit of capturing moments together in a room, this time to tape. The trio added a rhythm section, inviting Brian Pitonak (bass) & Jarrod Pedone (drums) to the session. With one night of rehearsal and in the fewest takes possible, their latest album Shakey was recorded in 3 days. The title is a nod to Neil Young and his Tonight's the Night record, whom the band credits for their live approach to recording. Shakey was released in December 2012 on Forest Park Recordings.

Since the release of Shakey and Steep Bay, TEOA has performed at festivals including SXSW, Savannah Stopover, Baltimore Folk Fest, and has opened for the likes of Beck, Gary Louris of The Jayhawks, Good Old War, and Rocky Votolato. Last February, Beck Hansen contacted The End of America to perform at his SongReader sheet music album release. As one of 3 artists chosen by way of a Youtube video interpreting Beck's new songs, the band's performance in Los Angeles received applause from Spin Magazine, Filter, and Hollywood Reporter.