Sons of Bill
| Sons of Bill | |
|---|---|
 In Richmond, Virginia. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Genres | Rock, Americana, Alt-country |
| Years active | 2006 - Present |
| Labels | Gray Fox Records |
| Website | www.sonsofbill.com |
| Members |
Sam Wilson James Wilson Abe Wilson Seth Green Todd Wellons |
Sons of Bill is a five-piece rock and Americana band from Charlottesville, Virginia.[1] founded by brothers Sam, Abe, and James Wilson, along with bassist Seth Green and drummer Todd Wellons. The band took their name from the Wilson brothers' father, Bill Wilson, a musician and professor emeritus of philosophical theology and southern literature at the University of Virginia where the band initially formed. [2]
History
Formation
The seeds of Sons of Bill formed in 2005 when James Wilson graduated from Deep Springs College in California and moved back to Virginia. On his way home he visited his older brother Sam Wilson who was living in Brooklyn, NY playing guitar in a rock band and free-lancing as a jazz guitarist. The two brothers spent an evening in Sam's apartment playing old country songs that their dad had taught them, as well as some new songs that James had recently written. Upon returning home that summer James began playing those same songs with his other older brother Abe Wilson at parties and open mic nights around Charlottesville and the idea of forming a band was hatched. Abe was currently home for the summer from architecture school at the University of Maryland. Childhood friend Seth Green was recruited to play bass and Todd Wellons, who had independently played in bands with both Seth and Abe, was brought in to play drums. The band played their first formal show on December 23, 2005 and within several months both brothers had moved home to Virginia to pursue the band full time.
A Far Cry From Freedom
In February 2006 the band placed 1st in a Battle of Bands and won recording time at Crystalphonic Studios in Charlottesville. Armed with nine original songs written by James, in addition to two of Sam's compositions, they entered the studio after only three months and several shows together as a band. The album was independently released in April 2006.
One Town Away
In October 2008 the band traveled to Santa Clarita, CA to record their sophomore album with acclaimed recording engineer and producer Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Sting, Wilco). The sessions produced the album One Town Away which was released in June 2009 on Gray Fox Records. The album features songs written by James and Sam Wilson, as well as keyboardist Abe Wilson and bassist Seth Green. It also features Brian Caputo on drums.[3]
Sirens
Sons of Bill began pre-production work on their third album in the Spring of 2010. Several months later they received a phone call from David Lowery of 90's alt-rock band Cracker who was interested in producing their next release. The band first met with Lowery in the fall of 2010 to discuss plans for the album and subsequently entered Sound of Music Studios with Lowery and engineer John Morand in December 2010. In March 2011 the band initiated a fan-funded campaign through Kickstarter[4] to help offset recording and production costs. The campaign was a success, hitting its $20,000 goal in just over 24 hours and eventually doubling that goal in the month it was active.[5] Since then the band has continued working at Sound of Music, in addition to returning to PLYRZ Studios to work with Jim Scott again, and recording at Mission Sound Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Sirens was released on March 27, 2012.
Track Listing
- 1. Santa Ana Winds (4:28)
- 2. Find My Way Back Home (4:06)
- 3. Siren Song (4:34)
- 4. Angry Eyes (4:54)
- 5. Turn It Up (7:27)
- 6. The Tree (4:26)
- 7. Life In Shambles (feat. David Lowery & Johnny Hickman) (3:10)
- 8. This Losing Fight (3:37)
- 9. Radio Can't Rewind (4:09)
- 10. Last Call At The Eschaton (5:20)
- 11. Virginia Calling (5:13)
Personnel
Sons of Bill
- Seth Green - bass
- Todd Wellons - drums, percussion
- Abe Wilson - vocals, piano, organ, guitars, Wurlitzer, accordion
- James Wilson - vocals, guitars
- Sam Wilson - vocals, guitars, lap steel, mandolin
Additional performers
- Johnny Hickman & David Lowery - additional vocals & guitars on "Life In Shambles"
- Alan Weatherhead - pedal steel & Mellotron on "Radio Can't Rewind"
- Luke Wilson - harmonica on "Angry Eyes"
new material
The band released two new songs, "Bad Dancer" and "Higher Than Mine", as a Vinyl 45 through WarHen Records for Record Store Day (April 20, 2013). They have spent much of 2013 in the studio working on new songs for upcoming release, reportedly in late 2013 or 2014.
Band members
- Sam Wilson: lead guitar, vocals, pedal steel guitar, harmonica
- James Wilson: vocals, rhythm guitar
- Abe Wilson: piano, organ, rhythm guitar, vocals
- Seth Green: bass
- Todd Wellons: drums
Discography
Studio albums and EPs
- A Far Cry from Freedom (2006)
- One Town Away (2009)
- Take a Shower, Call Your Mother, Your Life Is in Shambles - EP (2010)
- Sirens (2012)
- "Bad Dancer"/"Higher Than Mine" - 7" single (2013)
The band's website and soundcloud page also offer several full-length live concert recording free to recipients of its e-mail list.[6]
References
- ↑ "Sons of Bill MySpace Page". 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ↑ "Sons of Bill Official Page". Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ↑ "Features - Exploring the outlaw heart of Sons of Bill’s new album, One Town Away". C-Ville. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
- ↑ Adler, Carlye (2011-03-18). "How Kickstarter Became a Lab for Daring Prototypes and Ingenious Products". Wired.com. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
- ↑ "Sons of Bill: the third album by Sons of Bill — Kickstarter". Kickstarter.com. 2011-04-03. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
- ↑ Ryan DeRose. "Sirens | Sons of Bill New Album". Sonsofbill.com. Retrieved 2012-05-29.