 |
 |
GET UP JOHNS
http://www.myspace.com/getupjohns
[BIOGRAPHY]
[PHOTOS]
[PRESS]
[TOUR DATES]
[AUDIO]
|
 |
|
BIOGRAPHY
The Johns got their start in February of 2004 fooling around in the back
room at Zimmerman's Dry Goods in St. Paul. Like the great brother groups of
the 1930s and 40s--the Delmores, the Louvins, and the Stanleys -- the Get Up
Johns combine close tenor harmonies with adroit and polished musicianship.
Their aggressive old-time country sound (Jake Hyer on fiddle and mandolin
and Josh Wenck on guitar) began to coalesce during late night, store room
rehearsals. Hyer's West Virginian roots manifest in the sweet sadness of
his solos while Wenck's innovative bass runs, and array of rhythms give this
unpretentious duo the range and energy of a full band.
Dressed in matching black suits their repertoire is composed largely of
old-time country and gospel tunes, with an emphasis on songs recorded by the
Louvin Brothers. Each show is an inspired set of sin, salvation, and
heartbreak with Hyer playing the stone-faced straight man to Wenck¹s
garrulous carnie barker.
They were soon favorites on the Twin Cities music scene, headlining at the
Turf Club and the 7th Street Entry. In December of 2004 the staff of First
Avenue and local industry taste-makers picked The Johns for their annual
"Best New Bands of 2004" showcase in the Mainroom of First Avenue. They
also landed a top ten finish in the City Pages "Picked 2 Click" of 2005.
Their first full-length CD, "Trouble in Mind," will be released by Mercy
Recordings label in 2006.
|
|
PHOTOS
Click on a thumbnail to download that hi-res JPEG (suitable for publication):
|
|
TOUR DATES
- Oct 18th, 2008 * The Turf Club * Saint Paul, MN
|
|
PRESS
Get Up Johns
Trouble in Mind (Mercy Recordings)
Nashville City Paper – Nashville, TN
Vocalist, fiddler and mandolinist Jake Hyer and guitarist/vocalist Josh Wenck are only 28 and 30, respectively, but their musical heroes are a bit older.
That’s because the duo better known as the Get Up Johns are enamored of the classic country duo sound, particularly such close harmony units as the Delmore Brothers and Louvins, and you can hear their love for that sound in the crisp, tight and engaging harmonizing on the best cuts from their self-titled CD.
Whether it’s the cover of Kitty Wells’ “You’re Not so Easy To Forget” or the exchanges on Leadbelly’s “Midnight Special,” or even their own original “Guns To Carry” there’s a zeal and expert touch that comes from people anxious to not only accurately reproduce the music they revere, but add something to it as well.
“I didn’t really grow up hearing a lot of that music, but I did gravitate to it one I really began paying attention,” Wenck said. “My parents were the ones who introduced me to bluegrass and early country,” Hyer added. “I’ve really always embraced this music, much more than anything else that was being played when I was growing up.”
The Get Up Johns will bring their updated traditional sound to Nashville for the first time tonight at the Station Inn (9 p.m., 402 12th Ave. S., $8, 255-3307) as part of a bill with Kathy Louvin and Pamela Hayes plus J. T. Gray. “We’ve been looking forward to this for a long, long time,” Hyer said. “I’ve never been to Nashville, but I’ve certainly always been a huge fan of its musical traditions.” [web link]
Get Up Johns
Trouble in Mind (Mercy Recordings)
Creative Loafing – Atlanta, Georgia
THE GET UP JOHNS - The perfect cure for that Saturday night debauchery you're trying to forget today. The Get Up Johns are an endearingly old-timey duo from Minnesota who mine the best of the Louvin and Stanley Brothers' style. They are touring to support their engagingly primitive debut album Trouble In Mind, a collection of traditionals and originals delivered in the good ol' depression-era country-gospel approach, with close tenor harmonies backed by bare-bones fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Pass the plate, buy 'em a drink if they're thirsty and buy that CD; you need it for your salvation.
Get Up Johns
Trouble in Mind (Mercy Recordings)
Maximum Ink
GET UP JOHNS Trouble in Mind (Mercy Recordings) Lonesome harmonies wind
around racehorse licks and rolling river solos as Trouble demonstrates
simplicity¹s persuasive power. The Minnesota duo juggles mandolin, guitar
and fiddle for an unvarnished look at bright hobo blues and waltzing country
laments. Whether doling out upbeat toe-tappers or mournful heart-breakers,
Trouble revives authentic Americana with rousing finesse.
|
|
AUDIO
Click on an audio track below to download a mp3:
The Get Up Johns - Trouble In Mind [2006]
Cluck Ol'Hen [mp3] - 2.59 mb
Guns To Carry [mp3] - 2.47 mb
|
|
|
|
