Ryan Shupe & The RubberBand
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Ryan Shupe is a country music fiddle player and singer from Utah. A fiddle player since age 5, Shupe formed the RubberBand, a group of musicians with a constantly changing lineup. In 2005, the band yielded the hit single "Dream Big."
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[edit] History
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Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand, is a very unique band that has taken the music industry head on and made music on their terms, and have been successful with doing so. The group started due to Shupe’s one of a kind idea. Shupe had been a part of numerous groups and performed at many places in the Salt Lake City area. Realizing that it was easier to find gigs, than to keep a band together, Shupe decided to make a band that had a gang of different musicians that would alternate depending on the gigs. This would eliminate all the mess that came with a band breaking up. The idea did not work out as planned. Instead, Ryan Shupe, Craig Miner, Bart Olson, Colin Botts, and Roger Archibald, formed a lasting bond between them that has allowed a permanent band and success. The group gained more and more fans as the group started to become stable in its members. In 1999, they decided to become full time musicians. The band traveled in a van, tried to book as many performances as possible, and tried to make ends meet. Olson says “We've all been really dedicated to each guy having a job in the band…Whether it was marketing or booking, we divided the back room work amongst ourselves and really became a good little business.”, which proves the seriousness of which the band takes their music business. The band is the priority in all the member’s lives, when Archibald says “After I switched to the band being my main job, I was still giving guitar lessons to make ends meet. But that was my side job, even if we were playing a free show, the band was the priority.” Touring with five guys in a small van, sometimes made for some hardships. “If we didn't love it so much we’d probably self destruct.” says Olson, confirming once again the dedication that the members have. They each have made great sacrifices for the success of the band. For example, Botts quit his job and graduate school for the band. The love of music that these musicians have can be summarized when Olson says “-- the smell that can be created in a carpeted van, the nights you pull over on the side of the road because there's nowhere else to sleep – that’s all secondary to how much we love being musicians.” After several years, the band was ready enough to make a deal with a label company. They first had to figure out what genre they were. They had never previously thought of this, but Shupe says “We were just playing music. When the time came, I really felt like Nashville was the place for us. A side from the music, the lifestyle and values, they have helped us feel right at home.” Nashville was interested early on in their music, but many companies wanted to make changes which the band was not going to make. They are one of the few bands that records with just the band playing, and no more. Jason Deere, a Nashville song writer and producer, got together with the band and made a full recording, which then was brought to label companies. Few bands make a full finished product and present it to the companies. Finally, Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand, found their match at Capitol Records. The debut album with Capitol Records, was “Dream Big”, which the title song became one of there biggest hits, and they began to receive more attention form the public.
[edit] Member
Ryan Shupe – Shupe started playing the fiddle at the early age of 5, and at age 8 started to play professionally with the PeeWee Pickers, a national touring band. Through the years he has learned the guitar and the mandolin. He started the Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand in 1996, which he writes, sings and plays an assortment of instruments for the band.
Craig Miner - Miner plays the guitar, bouzouki, banjo, and mandolin. He has made almost all his own instruments. He started playing the ukulele that his dad bought at a garage sale, and then played the guitar in a band with some of his friends in high school (the Smokey Mill Boys). He played the electric bass guitar in the high school jazz band also. At 15 years old he learned the banjo and then picked up the mandolin.
Bart Olson – Olson plays the drums for the band, but originally started his musical career with the fiddle. When he was 12 he started drums and at first focused on jazz style, but soon expanded into various styles. He graduated from a college in Utah with a degree in International Studies.
Roger Archibald – Archibald has been playing the guitar since he was 11 years old. He practiced with heavy metal music in the background from his brother’s music. He is a very precise guitarist and vocalist, which have earned him the nicknames “The Robot” and “Sine Wave”.
Colin Botts – Botts had an early exposure to music when he attended the rehearsals of the community college orchestra that his mother played the violin in. When he was 8, he was signed up for violin lessons, and he also learned how to play piano. At the end of sixth grade, his orchestra teacher gave him a bass to learn over the summer, which he played in the jazz band in middle school. Bass became his primary instrument in high school. He went to jazz festivals with the jazz band, and usually received awards for his bass skills. In the symphonic band in high school, he played the drums. Botts was accepted to Brigham Young University, where he received a scholarship to study bass.
[edit] Style
The style of Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand is unique and different from any styles previously heard. They have a country bluegrass sound with pop/rock stylistics. Most of their receptive audience has been those who listen to country music. All the music is originally written and recorded by only the band members, unlike most musicians that have their music changed and have additives to the recordings when making a new music. Their music has been influenced by artists like Johnny Cash, AC/DC, Willie Nelson, The Police, and a few others like Bob Marley and Bela Fleck. Ryan Shupe is the main songwriter for the group.
[edit] Albums
- If I Were a Bird (1996)
- Simplify (1999)
- Live! (2001)
- The Gift (2005)
- Dream Big (2005)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album |
| US Country | |||
| 2005 | "Dream Big" | 27 | Dream Big |
| 2006 | "Banjo Boy"A | - | Dream Big |
AReleased but failed to chart.
[edit] External links
[edit] Bibliography
• "Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand." CMT. 2007. Country Music Television, Inc. 1 Feb. 2007 <http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/shupe_ryan/artist.jhtml>.
• Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand. 2007. Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand. 1 Feb. 2007 <http://www.shupe.net/>.
