simplicity

Artist Information

Biography

Simplicity, the latest offspring of the Motor City's metropolitan turnstile of hip, soulful sounds and cultural shock waves, play an amalgam of rootsy americana rock, echo space soul, and earnest neo-standards. Survivors of the same all-boys Catholic high school, Simplicity came together in 2001 with a common desire to escape the inevitable boredom and emptiness of traditional career paths. It became apparent early on that this strange mix of Yzermanesque leadership (Brian Sheehan), blue-collar work ethic (Peter Avigne), quiet confidence (Francis Jaramillo) and stoic reliability (Franklin Jaramillo), along with an exceptional songwriting talent and prodigious instrumental ability, would transform Simplicity into more than just another local rock band.

Simplicity was recently honored with five nominations for the 2007 Detroit Music Awards: Best Live Performance, Best Songwriter (Brian Sheehan & Francis Jaramillo) Best Pop/Rock Instrumentalist (Sheehan) Best Pop/Rock Vocalist (Sheehan). Their dual nominations in the Best Songwriter category was the first in DMA history.

In 2002, Simplicity was honored with three Detroit Music Award nominations: "Best Live Act", "Best Songwriter" (Sheehan), and "Best Instrumentalist" (Sheehan). The band released their self-titled debut album in April of 2003. "simplicity" was nominated for "Best Pop/Rock" recording at the 2004 DMA's. In 2004 the band released its second album "Life After Life", garnering them a nomination as “Best Pop/Rock" recording at the 2005 DMA’s.

Touring heavily since February 2001, Simplicity has shared the stage with the likes of Yo La Tengo, Femi Kuti, Cheap Trick, Weird Al Yankovic, The GO, Galactic, Merl Saunders, Greyboy All Stars, The Charlie Hunter Trio, Jazz Mandolin Project, Gov’t Mule, Addison Groove Project, The Brothers Past, The Almighty Senators, The Slip, the Flaming Lips, the Silent Years, and the Hard Lessons.

Instrumentation

Peter Avigne - drums, vocals
Francis Jaramillo - keyboards, vocals
Frank Jaramillo - bass
Brian Sheehan - guitar, lap steel, synthesizer, vocals

Discography

1st Studio Release - "simplicity" (2003)
2nd Studio Release - "Life After Life" (2004)
3rd Studio Release - "Ego Straight" (2007)

Audio

• Someone Is Always Sinking
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• Broken String
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• Black Betty
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• Demonhawk
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• Something is Happening
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• Somebody's Dream
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Lyrics

• Someone Is Always Sinking
• Broken String
• Demonhawk
• Black Betty
• Somebody's Dream
• At the End of the Day with the Night Drawing Near
• Black-Eyed Susan
• Ego Straight
• Hunky Dory
• Only 19

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Ego Straight - Simplicity [+ Show ]
  

  Ego Straight Simplicity Great musicianship, accompanied by a very well toned voice, and just the...Ego Straight
  Simplicity
  Great musicianship, accompanied by a very well toned voice, and just the right amount of layering to produce a very solid album that rings similarities to a more modern, and more rocking Beatles. The CD takes you up and down through laid back melodies, to heavy epic rocking choruses and catchy vocal melodies. Simplicity is a quintessential asset to straight forward music, with a heartfelt point.
  Tr. 1 Someone Is Always Sinking - Very laid back song with a great back ground ambiance , accompanied perfectly by a great vocal melody and vocal harmonies.
  Tr. 4 Black Betty – Easy going introduction made up of piano, drums and vocal, leading into a very catchy and well written rest of the song
  Tr. 11 Wine and Roses – Great acoustic introduction, taking you into a catchy melody with heartfelt lyrics.
  
  

• Ego Straight - Simplicity [+ Show ]
  

  Nominated five times in this year’s Detroit Music Awards, Simplicity does not disappoint on their ne...Nominated five times in this year’s Detroit Music Awards, Simplicity does not disappoint on their new release. Reminiscent of college rock radio classics Ben Folds, Ben Harper, Phish and John Mayer, the songwriting on this disc is what stands out the most, rivaled by the very tight musicianship and tasteful arrangements of piano and guitars. Never ranging above a dull roar, the music doesn’t hit anyone over the head but pushes gently with almost intellectual musical ideas, brushing against country and jam-band fare without losing focus on the emotional content of the lyrics. See simplicitymusic.com for CD release information.

• Life After Life - Simplicity [+ Show ]
  

  The great CD Roundup Robert Downes Life After Life • Simplicity The real thing: an electr...
  The great CD Roundup
  Robert Downes
  
  
  Life After Life • Simplicity
  The real thing: an electric pop band with an acoustic vibe that’s square on the scene in the style of The Beatles channeling the Band or the Grateful Dead.
  Simplicity has performed several times at City Park Grill in Petoskey and Union Street Station in TC. If they’re as good live as they are on this 12-song CD, then they deserve a spot high on your “must see” list this winter. Led by songwriter Brian Sheehan, Simplicity mixes Beatlesque melodies with a fat bass dance groove, an epic keyboard attack and after-hours jazz joint guitar leads that go down as smooth as Courvoisier. The great thing about this mercurial band is they’re hard to pin down: they’re a bit Britpop with shades of the old dancehall era. There’s nothing to suggest a “Detroit” band here in terms of the city’s iconic garage rock sound -- the ethos of alt rock Motown has been cold-filtered out of the music and barely exists as an aftertaste. Yet in fact, the band has won several Detroit Music Awards for songwriting, recording, and their live act. Sheehan was also a top 10 finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competion, and it’s easy to hear why. Highly recommended.
  

• Simplicity Promises Show Anything But 'Simple' [+ Show ]
  

  By Lowell Torres Feb. 9, 2007 The Detroit band Simplicity will hit the stage at 10 p.m. tonight ...By Lowell Torres
  Feb. 9, 2007
  
  The Detroit band Simplicity will hit the stage at 10 p.m. tonight at The Verve, located at 677 Wabash Ave.
  
  Simplicity is made up of Brian Sheehan, guitar and vocals; Peter Avigne, drums and vocals; Frank Jaramillo, bass guitar and Francis Jaramillo, keyboard and vocals.
  The band plays what they describe on their Myspace site, www.myspace.com/simplicityband, as an "amalgam of rootsy Americana rock, echo space soul and earnest neo-standards."
  
  Hailing from the Motor City, the band formed in 2001, after the members were attended the same all-boy Catholic high school. The band jokingly states that they have once again proven that "pollution, crime and high unemployment rates aren't the only things spewing from the orifices of Detroit, Mich."
  Simplicity has toured throughout the Northeast and Midwest, as well as throughout Colorado. For their first show in Terre Haute, Simplicity looks to do more than just add to their growing collection of fans.
  
  "We hope to achieve excitement on stage," Sheehan said. "It's the greatest rush you can get. We want the audience to feel that as well."
  Sheehan said that each of the band members have had an interest in music and a desire to make it their career since early childhood.
  
  "I think the first time each one of us heard a Beatles tune, we were hooked on music," Sheehan said.
  Those who attend should expect a lot, Sheehan said.
  
  "I think we write great songs," he said. "We really try to deliver musicianship and artistic relevance."
  One of the band's goals has always been to be more than just another local rock band.
  "We take making music very seriously," Sheehan said. "The casual listener may not pay attention enough to understand that, but playing live for people that care is amazing."
  
  Taking their music seriously should not be confused with any form of musical snobbery, Sheehan stressed.
  "We also rock," he said. "I mean, we rock hard. Shred before bed!"
  Simplicity's third studio album is due out May 25. Their first album, the self-titled "Simplicity" is indefinitely sold out, while their second album, 2004's "Life After Life" can be listened to and purchased through their Web site, www.simplicitymusic.com.
  "We're excited to make our Terre Haute debut," Sheehan said. "We want to keep doing this as long as we can."
  

• Be Nice to the Keyboard Player [+ Show ]
  

  Steamboat Springs, CO March 4, 2005 Simplicity came through town in September, and I wrote about...Steamboat Springs, CO
  March 4, 2005
  
  Simplicity came through town in September, and I wrote about the band then. Of course, many bands have passed under the bridge since, and I had forgotten.
  
  I plugged in their CD, "Life after Life" and started taking notes. Without realizing it, I found myself drawn to the same thing in their music -- the sound of their keyboard player.
  
  Francis Jaramillo is a classically trained pianist who came to rock 'n' roll only after he joined Simplicity five years ago.
  
  The learning curve was steep, but he already knew how to handle the music harmonically.
  
  "(Jaramillo) is the X factor in this band," guitarist Brian Sheehan said. "When he's right on, we're right on. When he's not feeling it so much, we have a harder time."
  
  Lesson to the audience: Be nice to the keyboard player if you want this to be a good show.
  
  "He can take things that are ordinary and make them extraordinary," Sheehan said. "Of course, he has no concept of himself that way."
  
  Simplicity hails from Detroit, where its home stage is at the Tap Room. The band members pride themselves on their songwriting.
  
  Although their sound is 100 percent, plugged-in electric, they have a sweet-voiced style that would and has translated acoustically.
  
  They played here half a year ago, but Sheehan promised a set list full of new songs and obscure covers by the likes of Beck and Ween.
  
  "We write a lot," he said.
  

• CSIndy Band Spotlight [+ Show ]
  

  Tonight, I suggest you get down to Laura Belle's (734 N. 19th St.) to catch Detroit-based rock band ...Tonight, I suggest you get down to Laura Belle's (734 N. 19th St.) to catch Detroit-based rock band Simplicity. A band that's spending nearly a month in Colorado alone is one or more of three things: 1. a relentless touring machine; 2. a collection of snowboard or ski enthusiasts; or 3. grist for the mountain-town jam-band mill. I'll let you be the judge. Just know that they were nominated for Best Pop/Rock Album at the 2004 Detroit Rock Awards and that they've played with the Jazz Mandolin Project and Charlie Hunter Trio, which should set off some alarms for you. For more information, door time or cost, call Belle's at 630-7600 or head over to www.simplicitymusic.com .
  

• Simplicity to Rock Out at Papa Pete's Tavern [+ Show ]
  

  November 11, 2004 The Detroit rock 'n' roll ensemble Simplicity will headline at Papa Pete's Ta...
  November 11, 2004
  
  The Detroit rock 'n' roll ensemble Simplicity will headline at Papa Pete's Tavern this Saturday.
  
  The band, known for its original material and outlook on rock music, is making a return trip to Papa Pete's in support of its second album "Life After Life" and to connect with the growing fan base throughout Michigan.
  
  Guitarist and vocalist Brian Sheehan, one of the top-10 finalists in the 1999 John Lennon Songwriting Competition, is extremely excited to be back in Kalamazoo.
  
  "Right now, we're trying to focus on touring in Michigan, and Papa Pete's is a great venue to play," he said. "I had a great time playing there before because it's such a unique venue with a wide open space to play to."
  
  Simplicity has been together since 2001 and bases its success on being songwriters, something that Sheehan feels is almost rare in today's music scene.
  
  "We try to write good songs; something that isn't really the standard effort of most rock bands these days," he said. The band's song writing skills are what has led its members on some 230 shows throughout the country, playing extensively in Colorado, Vermont and their home base in Michigan.
  
  "We play an average of at least seven shows a month," Sheehan said.
  
  Despite their forays into the west, Sheehan and the rest of the Simplicity members are happy to be back in the Midwest where they feel they belong.
  
  "Further out west, people take their music very seriously and are fanatics," Sheehan said. "That's not really a bad thing; it's just that if they like you they really like; and if they don't, then they let you know. Here in Michigan and the Midwest you can just put on a show and everyone is there to have a good time."
  
  Simplicity has been compared to several different bands and prides itself on its classic rock and jazz tunes.
  
  "Well, we've had a couple of people say we sound like the Beatles, which just makes me blush," Sheehan said. "We have more of a classical and jazz harmony feel to our music, but we are a rock band and some of our songs are heavier."
  
  The band's influences stem from classic rock legends and newer quasi-underground staples.
  
  "My influences as a songwriter starts with the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead," Sheehan said. "But I'm definitely into some newer stuff like Beck and Rufus Wainwright."
  
  According to Sheehan, one of the highlights of the band's intense touring schedule was sharing the same bill as modern progressive rock favorites The Flaming Lips.
  
  "It was great," he said. "We were playing a festival in Massachusetts and I got to meet and talk with Wayne Coyne."
  
  Overall, Simplicity members hope to make their stop in Kalamazoo a good experience for their audience.
  
  Simplicity will be playing at Papa Pete's Tavern, behind the Blue Dolphin in Kalamazoo. The show will start at 9:30 p.m.

• Americana Rock-Simplicity to perform at Bell's [+ Show ]
  

  Simplicity is an understatement. From the sound of it, Simplicity's live show will rock Bell's E...
  
  Simplicity is an understatement. From the sound of it, Simplicity's live show will rock Bell's Eccentric Cafe and Beergarden on many different levels.
  
  "They have over 200 songs to choose from," Simplicity publicist Brian Moore said.
  
  With over 350 shows in 12 states under their belt, Simplicity knows how to put on a show.
  
  Simplicity resembles the sounds of the Beatles mixed with Led Zeppelin and tossed together with some Ween, Fiona Apple, and Beck.

• Athens Music Scene [+ Show ]
  

  By Eric Leighton Athens News Music Writer Tonight, Detroit's Simplicity brings their reverb-la...By Eric Leighton
  Athens News Music Writer
  
  
  Tonight, Detroit's Simplicity brings their reverb-laden, euphonious, dreamy groove-rock to the hall of Jackie O's. I like what I hear when I listen to these folks: good originals, nice harmonies, interesting interludes.

Setlist

Simplicity has done sets anywhere from 45 minutes to well over two hours in length. They will play up to three sets in one night.

Current Originals in Rotation:

All in Good Time
Applause
At the End of the Day with the Night Drawing Near
A Thousand Times
Baby Jesus
Believe
Black Betty
Black-Eyed Susan
Broken String
Can You Answer All These Things?
Damn Whiskey
Deep Blue Sea
Demonhawk
Despair and Depravity
Dirty Lie
Don't Come
Dragonslayer
Driving to Absolution
Drollery Quest
Drop Dead Dame
Easy Days
Echo
Ego Straight
Errand
Getaway Car
Gun Down
Hearts that Bleed
Homestead
Hours and Days
Hunky Dory
I Don't Know
Lager, Stout, and Ale
Left Before Right
Life After Life
Lines
Manastee
Motion Sickness
My Main Concern
Nashville
Nothing Was Better
Only 19
Opal
Ordinary Man
Rose McGowan
Somebody's Dream
Someone is Always Sinking
Something is Happening
Talk
The Object
Thirsty
Trainwreck
Untitled
Wash
Water
Wine and Roses
Wisenheimer

Basic Requirements

Calendar