Grant Ewing

Artist Information

Biography

It seems a lot of artists find a musical root in the Hill Country of Central Texas. Whether it comes from the rolling slopes of lush countryside, the winding rivers, or just the overbearing presence oak and cedar in the air, something continues to pollinate the bulbs of creativity of the modern songwriter. In the town of San Marcos, one such institution guilty of said charges is the tin and wood structure, Cheatham Street Warehouse. A longstanding tradition of songwriting’s greatest penmen have come to the oasis of lifeblood on the corner of Cheatham Street and North LBJ Drive to seek muse and spin the yarns of life.
In the fall of 2004, Grant Ewing walked up the dry rot and carpeted ramp, passed the heavy iron gate and strode up to the thick, wooden bar to inquire about a position serving beer to patrons and performers alike. He was aware of the building’s pedigree, however his countenance could not have prepared him for the education he would experience as a fixture in the establishment’s existence for the coming years. During his tenure, Grant would be subjected to countless songwriting sessions, performances and late night diatribes with the likes of Todd Snider, Adam Carroll and Cheatham Street proprietor, Kent Finlay. It was also here that he would befriend aspiring guitarist, Hunter St. Marie.
A university student, St. Marie favored the Monday night jam band scene over the Bar’s heralded songwriter’s night, exchanging chops with some of the most established local musicians. A mutual friend recommended Hunter for the Sound Engineering position at Cheatham Street and after spending countless nights learning live production skills, he began directing his focus towards the recording studio. When Hunter opened his first tracking room, it seemed fitting that coworker Grant be the first client to record. An album of blues, mellow rock and Tom Waits influenced songs, Rainmaker was Grant’s first foray into full band arrangements. Personal contacts and the ever-present talent that passed through Cheatham’s doors allowed Ewing to assemble a top-notch studio band. Drummers, saxophonists and Finlay’s own son Sterling helped christen the studio along with St. Marie filling the recently vacated lead guitar position.
After years of pick up gigs with numerous bands, St. Marie willingly settled into his role, recommending long time friend Jake Sutton for consistent drumming duties and pianist Nathaniel Klugman to add another dimension to the sound field. Sutton, a rock drummer at heart, found the loose, slinky grooves in Grant’s songs in need of a tune up and carved a tight niche in the band’s backbeat. Nathaniel Klugman, an Austinite and former Berklee student, found the interesting chord structures and arrangements perfect to expand on with organs, acoustic and electric pianos. Recent addition, bassist Colin Colby, rounds out the lineup. A multitalented instrumentalist, Colin brings yet another musical perspective to the already diverse band.
After honing their chops and forging brotherly bonds on the road, 2008 saw the group return to the studio to create a fresh soundscape behind Grant’s diverse songwriting and powerful vocals. With tighter arrangements, masterful engineering and production, the album is organic. There is no pitch correction. There is no metronome. There are no samples. This is a real album, made by the real musicians, cut live in Austin. The songs are razor sharp with memorable performances. Soul, Blues, R&B, Gospel, Rock and Roll, even a honky tonker, transcends categorizing the group into the proverbial blues/rock band. A true testament to the seedling that burrowed its way into the mind of Grant Ewing and germinated so many years ago in the most fertile of soils.

Instrumentation

Grant Ewing-Singer, guitarist
Hunter St. Marie-Guitarist
Jake Sutton-Drums
Gerald Massoud-Bass
Nathaniel Klugman-Piano
Kevin Flatt-Trumpet
Matt Price-Trombone
Mitch Montez-Saxophone

Discography

Grant Ewing - Rainmaker
Grant Ewing Band - Move

Links

• MySpace
• Grant Ewing You Tube-1
• Grant Ewing On You Tube-2

Audio

• Careless
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• Switch and Spot
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• The Touch
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• Sit In Your Own Mess
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• Garden Batch Treat
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• Spill My Mind
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• Thankful
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• Umbrellas
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• Man In The Mask
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• Down Again
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• Too Early, Still Sleeping
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• All Night Ramblin
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• Saga
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• Rainmaker
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• GEB Shakes up Hub City [+ Show ]
  

  Music fans in the depot district were treated to a great show Thursday at the Blue Light courtesy of...Music fans in the depot district were treated to a great show Thursday at the Blue Light courtesy of the Grant Ewing Band.
  Driving all the way up from San Marcos, the blues rock group hoped the trek to Lubbock would increase their fan base as well as promote their new album “Move.”
  Before the performance, lead singer Grant Ewing said the band had something different than the average West Texas bar band.
  “We don’t fly under any specific genre,” Ewing said when asked what listeners could expect from the band’s music.
  Ranging from swinging blues to soulful rock and energetic country, the group offers music for a wide range of tastes. With influences like the Dave Matthews Band, Ray Charles and Otis Redding, one of group’s main goals is to inspire others to be artists themselves.
  From the show opener, listeners recognized Grant’s strong Dave Matthews influence. The high-energy jam band style and deft soloing make the group seem only a violin and a soprano saxophone short of the real DMB.
  The songs were tightly executed and energetic one track and smoldering in blues and soul the next. Guitarist Hunter St. Marie and pianist Nathaniel Clugman exchanged masterful solos all night long, unafraid to take on blues, rock, soul and country riffs.
  As one particularly slow but passionate blues song wound down, drummer Jake Sutton suddenly threw the tempo into overdrive and launched into a raging country jam. The transition seemed to get the entire room excited as the song dashed forward at break-neck pace that would have the best two steppers hard pressed to keep up.
  The Grand Ewing Band’s seamless navigation between genres was a true testament to its musicianship and talent. They executed dynamic falls and rises perfectly, weaving the individual sounds together.
  Everyone present seemed impressed by the show. When asked about the bands performance, music lover Sarah Yost said the band had an “enthusiastic live performance and a really great stage presence. They add a new feel bringing their sound into pop music but staying true to their blues sound.”
  The management of the Blue Light also took note of the band’s skill and positive reception by the crowd.
  “I have been working here for three-and-a-half years, and these guys shook my ear more than normal,” Manager Ryan Murphy said.
  Unfortunately the relative anonymity of the group did not bring a large crowd to the Blue Light, but the response of those present were a testament to the quality of the music. Murphy mentioned he looks forward to another visit from the Grant Ewing Band.
  “We will definitely try to get them back on a better night,” he said.
  The Grant Ewing Band’s ability to shift from genre to genre and maintain a constant level of musical quality and energy sets them apart from the average West Texas bar band. Music lovers in Lubbock would do well to watch for the next time they make it up to Hub City.
  
  http://www.dailytoreador.com/la-vida/willms-grant-ewing-band-shakes-up-hub-city-1.1905541

• Soulful and captivating [+ Show ]
  

  "From soulful lyrics to rock racing rhythms, The Grant Ewing Band always delivers a captivating musi..."From soulful lyrics to rock racing rhythms, The Grant Ewing Band always delivers a captivating musical experience."

• a local treasure of the first water [+ Show ]
  

  If it is true that a prophet is never recognized in his own country then it's the only excuse you ca...If it is true that a prophet is never recognized in his own country then it's the only excuse you can have for not being a fan of the impressive talents of the Grant Ewing Band performing at the Triple Crown tonight. Led by Ewing's compelling voice, the band is an amalgam of everything that makes this area such a flashpoint for music, with equal parts of country,soul,blues,rock and Americana. This band is a local treasure of the first water.

• Ewing brings band to visit his hometown [+ Show ]
  

  If it weren't for San Marcos' live music establishment, Cheatham Street Warehouse, Grant Ewing m...
  
  If it weren't for San Marcos' live music establishment, Cheatham Street Warehouse, Grant Ewing may have never crossed paths with several of his bandmates.
  
  A few artists who got their start at the music hall, which opened in 1974, include George Strait, Charlie Sexton and Terri Hendrix.
  
  Ewing, a 2001 King High School graduate, left Austin for San Marcos and formed the bluesy rock jazz outfit, Grant Ewing Band, six months ago. Ewing, who had grown tired of the big city, wanted to be closer to Cheatham Street Warehouse, where he bartends and performs twice a month.
  
  "I think where I'm at had a lot to do with (the band's growth)," said the 23-year-old vocalist and lead guitarist, who was making contacts last week at the Steamboat Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
  
  "It's a good place for connections and a lot of people to start bands. I'm very thankful. A lot of people want to play at Cheatham Street. I'm lucky to be one of them."
  
  Ewing met Cheatham soundman Hunter St. Marie, who is his lead guitarist. St. Marie introduced Ewing to future trombonist Eric Lenington, and bassist Sterling Finlay is the son Kent Finlay, owner of Cheatham Street Warehouse.
  
  Other band members are drummer Jeff Botta, saxophonist Rodney Howle and electric pianist Nathaniel Klugman.
  
  The group's first CD, "Rainmaker," featuring 12 original tracks, is available at Surf Club Records.
  
  On Sunday, Ewing hits the stage for his first Corpus Christi show with his band at Dr. Rockit's Blues Bar. When he lived in Corpus Christi, he sang and played guitar for two years in the Texas Country band The Next Exit.
  
  His parents, Mike and Patti Ewing, reside in Corpus Christi. Ewing taught himself guitar in 1997. Two years later, he began writing music.
  
  "I never had any lessons," he said. "I took piano lessons for five years or so, but I never practiced. I never became any good at it and on my own, I picked up guitar and learned everything slowly but surely. My senior year in high school, I definitely knew I wanted to be part of the music industry."
  
  Sometime next month, his Web site, www.grantewing.com, should be up and running.
  
  After Ewing graduates in the spring with his associate's degree in commercial music management from Austin Community College, he says he'll have time to travel with the band. Ewing hasn't played concerts out of state.
  
  "That degree is more of a backup plan," he said. "I'd much rather play with the band, keep booking and get as far as we can. But if that doesn't work, I'll try to find a job. I'm playing it by ear."
  
  Inspired by Dave Matthews, Tom Waits and the late Ray Charles, Ewing has written songs including the fun classic blues tune "All Night Rambling" and the fast swing single "Down Again."
  
  He also delivers his version of "(Night Time Is) The Right Time" by the late Ray Charles.
  
  Ewing prefers the current musical style of his band in comparison to what he has done in the past.
  
  "I think (blues-rock) is a lot more fitting for me," he admitted. "It's a lot more natural. The country thing didn't really work for me. I was just kind of following the crowd in high school."

• Kick ass
  

  "They're a kick-ass band. They show up and kick ass."

• Sham Wow [+ Show ]
  

  "Hey camera guy...you gettin this? The Grant Ewing Band soaks up the crowd with one song. If the Ger..."Hey camera guy...you gettin this? The Grant Ewing Band soaks up the crowd with one song. If the Germans love it, you know its gotta be good!!!"

• Innovative and Talented [+ Show ]
  

  "I've always said good music is good music, regardless of a genre. Rarely do you find a band so tale..."I've always said good music is good music, regardless of a genre. Rarely do you find a band so talented and innovative they can only be labeled 'good music'. If you have never heard the Grant Ewing Band, prepare yourselves people, this band is for real."

Setlist

97% original material. Typically we cover a 3 hour night by playing a cover heavy first set for 75-90 minutes, then close out the night with our stronger, original songs for the 75-90 minutes.

We cover songs by Otis Redding ("These Arms of Mine," "I've Been Loving You"), Ray Charles ("The Night Time"), Sublime ("Jailhouse"), Led Zepplin ("Whole Lotta Love"), Ray LaMontagne ("Bring Me Flowers"), Steve Miller Band ("Take the Money"), Beatles ("Do it In The Road","Norwegian Wood"), and T-Bone Walker ("Stormy Monday Blues").

Original Songs include, "Careless", "Switch and Spot", "The Touch", "Sit In Your Own Mess", "Garden Batch Treat", "Dirt On You", "Stinger", "Thankful","Umbrellas", "Down Again", "Too Early, Still Sleeping", "How About you", "wise In The Kitchen","All Night Ramblin'", "Man In The Mask", "Saga", "Rainmaker", "Balcony","Welcome Home", "Alice", and "Focus".

Basic Requirements

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