Ipecac Recordings
Artists The Lucky Stars
Biography
The Lucky Stars play raucous good time dance music that sets the mood for a rollicking Saturday night on the town, as well as their very own brand of heart-broken blues that can provide the perfect soundtrack for the inevitable Sunday morning hangover.
The characters behind this music, Sage Guyton and JW (Jeremy Wakefield) stumbled upon each other one whiskey-soaked night at The Cattle Call Saloon, a long forgotten Hollywood Honky Tonk. The Hillbilly band that Sage was playing with that night caught J.W.'s ear, especially since he'd recently started learning to play the steel guitar and was looking for a band to join up with. Several bottles later, the two were waxing philosophical about their mutual interest in 1940s and 1950s Western and Hillbilly artists such as Merle Travis, Tex Williams, and Bob Wills, and by the time last-call rolled around they had decided to band together in the hopes of creating original music that would help keep the spirit of the music they loved alive.
Many of their heroes, were among the mid and south westerners who moved to California during the 1930s and 1940s in order to pursue employment during the depression and war years, bringing their musical culture with them. As a result, the music that flourished in Los Angeles at that time was an inventive hybrid of Celtic fiddle music, Blues, Cowboy folk tunes and early Dixieland jazz--music that later became known as Western Swing. Fittingly, The Lucky Stars are based in Hollywood, the town in which this music reached the height of its popularity via the burgeoning film industry.
The band's current line-up, which reflects a paired down version of the larger outfits that made this music popular, includes Sage Guyton on vocals and rhythm guitar, the inimitable JW on steel guitar and vocals, Mike Bolger playing piano, accordion and trumpet, Wally Hersom (formerly of Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys) on bass fiddle, and Lance Ray Soliday (Dave and Deke Combo, Smith's Ranch Boys) on drums.
With their trade mark two vocalist line-up and a variety of instruments to choose from, The Lucky Stars are able to provide a wide array of moods and rhythms. On songs such as "Sugar Mama," "Chisel To My Heart," and "Look What The Cat Dragged In" the band demonstrates its well-crafted song writing, sophisticated arrangements and considerable musicianship.
Recordings by the band include a full length CD, Hollywood & Western (Ipecac Recordings), "Everybody's Fool," b/w "Tennessee Tango" (Fate Records) as a 7 inch single and a four-song 7 inch EP entitled The Lucky Stars (Bucket Lid Records). These recordings have received widespread praise and airplay from Oklahoma to Okinawa, and several points in between. Publications across the U.S. are falling in love with the band. Recent praise has included reviews in publications such as the Los Angeles New Times which writes "The Lucky Stars' western swing is about as authentic as it gets without actually being authentic, a damn formidable feat." And Fright X gushes "...this CD is irresistibly addictive." The CMJ New Music Report placed them on the cover recently and enthuses "The Lucky Stars are a dream come true for anyone with a good sense of humour and a deep love for Bob Wills." While Florida's Ink 19 ventures "...mark this as a true Western classic."
Described as "kick-ass" and "heart-warming " by young and old respectively, The Lucky Stars appeal to diverse audiences, and are equally comfortable performing for a room of WWII veterans at The Elk's Lodge or opening for an all-ages Melvins' show at the Whiskey A Go-Go (which is, incidentally, how they got their record deal). So, whether you feel like cutting a rug or crying into your beer, The Lucky Stars have just the right musical accompaniment to suit your mood!
Releases
