Artist Information
Biography
Debra Farris Band Recently won 2nd place in Santa Barbara Blues Society's "Battle of the Blues Bands", trailing the winner by only 3 points!
GoodTime Danceable Blues Funk! "Blues with Grooves". The most creative description we've heard is "Bonnie Raitt meets K.D. Lang at Brickhouse". Prominent influences include Beatles, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robben Ford, Jonny Lang, Elton John, James Taylor, Motown and many Blues Greats. Woven through the Blues vein is also funk, classic rock, jazz and great prosody. You'll hear both originals and favorites delivered with a gutsy energy that makes people turn their heads and listen, or just get up and dance!
Debra Farris Band's upbeat style is positive and very dance-able. Debra Farris Band has a broad appeal and sings Universal themes where everyone can find common ground. In a single performance, the band plays a variety of originals and favorites, and there is inevitably a song or two that people know and love. Notable at a Debra Farris concert is everyone having a good time, whether they are dancing, tapping their toes, nodding heads or just smiling. There is something about the tunes and the delivery that makes everyone feel good.
The Santa Barbara based 4 piece band is has played hundreds of pubs and clubs in CA from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles, as well as area festivals, weddings, private parties and corporate events. The band also plays unplugged for a quieter, more intimate performance, perfect in smaller settings. The band usually books one month in advance, and is quick to respond, commit and post bookings on the web. Booking information, performance schedule, song cuts, and more information can be viewed at www.debrafarris.com, ReverbNation, www.cdbaby.com/group/debrafarris, myspace, Facebook, iTunes and more.
The band (DFB) assists with its own promotion, boasting a 750 person volunteer email fan base, as well as postering, website postings, and flyers. They also have multiple CD's and T-shirt merchandise, and even contests, drawings and gifts to patrons at gigs. Debra will work with each venue manager to create a set list and mood appropriate for the setting.
Debra, a Kalamazoo, MI native, has written, recorded and released 8 albums, published through "Share The Ride Music". She also composes multiple genres of music for licensing to other artists, commissioned songs, children's music, soundtracks, podcasts, and radio jingles. Debra regularly travels and performs solo without the band. Debra collaborates with her Dad, Howard Farris, Susan Hewitt, and other songwriters. Debra is an active ASCAP, TAXI and Sonicbids member. You'll often see her at Songwriting Conventions and events.
She has opened for Alligator Blues Artist Coco Montoya, Cougar Estrada, drummer with Los Lobos, and Women's Music Favorites Tret Fure, and Disappear Fear, as well as sharing stages with Artists Burleigh Drummond (Ambrosia), Blame Sally, Tina Schlieske, Charlie Hitchcock (Particle People), Kenny Edwards (Linda Ronstadt Band), Karla Bonoff, Kenny Loggins & son Crosby Loggins, Freebo (Bonnie Raitt Band), Bluegrass legends Tim and Molly OBrien, David Piltch (K.D. Lang Band and Holly Cole Trio), Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Pseudopod (Interscope Records Best College Band in America), and the GoGirls at SXSW.
Instrumentation
Debra Farris - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, and Harmonica
MIchael Hallstrom - Lead Guitar and Vocals
Josh Meyers - Bass, and back-up vocals
Bill Wolf - Drums
Discography
Discography: Most Recent to Past
To The River - Soon To Be Released! 2012
Nashville Demo, 2009 (Debra Farris/Susan Hewitt compositions to license)
Open Sky, 2008 (Deb solo singer/songwriter CD)
Turn Around, 2008 (w/ Howard Farris)
Catching The Dream, 2007 (w/ Howard Farris)
Gotcha Covered, 2006
Blues Cat, 2004
Cabaret4Choice, 2003 (collaborative project),
LIVE at Kraftbrau, 2002
LIVE 2000
Comes The Dawn, 1998
Luminous Cocoon, 1993 (collaborative New Age project).
DFB has listening or down-loadable tracks on several websites; including www.debrafarrisband.com, CD Baby, iTunes, Myspace, ReverbNation, A & R Unlimited, Taxi, RPM Challenge, Seven South Recordshop, IUMA, iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, and at least 64 other sites. They also have had radio and TV airplay through Clear Channel's New Music Network, Santa Barbara Channel 17's Music Cafe, WYCE Public Radio in Michigan, KCSB 91.9FM, and podcasts RadioCrystalBlue.com, Joe Stuckey's Audio Style, BluzzRadio, Bobjes Blues Pages, Indie104, Hambone's Blues Rumshack, and RadioFly1.
Debra Farris has Composed, Directed, Arranged and Produced for other projects, including Radio commercials and voiceovers, video soundtracks "Into the Rhythm", The YMCA's Summer Camp Program, the 2003 Cabaret 4 Choice Project, Earthday EveryDay Compilation 2007.
Online and Radio Airplay:
KCSB Fm 91.9 (Santa Barbara, CA)
WYCE Fm (Grand Rapids, MI)
INDIE104 ~ iRADIO LA
Radio Fly 1
Bluzzradio
Bobtjes Blues Pages
Blues Bunny Online Magazine
Radio Crystal Blue
Official Website
Links
Audio
-
Get Up - DF Original
Listen -
Exponential - DF Original
Listen -
Comin' Back For More
Listen -
Love Has Been Here
Listen -
Walk Away
Listen -
Sweeter Now There's Three
Listen -
The First Step - DF Original
Listen -
Good Luck - DF Original
Listen -
Route 66
Listen -
Who Owns Me Anyway
Listen -
Far Away
Listen -
Population Time Bomb
Listen -
Walk Away - Instrumental
Listen -
Good Luck - Instrumental version
Listen -
Sweeter now There's Three - Instrumental
Listen -
AmaZing
Listen
Lyrics
Press
-
Rick Chudacoff, Producer, Gouda Music, Nashville, TN
[+ Show ]
“You are much further along than so many songwriters I hear. You do so much so well in the world of ...
-
Utne Reader, Best of Alternative Press
[+ Show ]
“Open Sky has 10 new original acoustic songs by Debra Farris; Astonishingly beautiful music to stir ...
-
Tyler Blue, Writer, Santa Barbara News Press
[+ Show ]
"Loving Music for Music Sake, Debra Farris also carries her passion beyond the stage into composing....
-
Michelle Gysan - VP Marketing, Lightwave Systems, Optical Pickups
[+ Show ]
“Debra Farris is an extremely gifted alchemist, stirring blues, rock and soulful rhythms into magica...
-
John Mooy- Sound Engineer, Guitar Tech., Musician
"Debra Farris Band sounds 'Funkin' Great!"
-
Rad Schreiber - Performance Photographer, Graphic designer, Documentary Film Maker, Artist
[+ Show ]
"Okay. I have been listening to music intensely for the past 3 months on the road. All I"ve got to s...
-
Patricia Rushton - Harper, Composer
[+ Show ]
“Debra Farris Band isn’t just another tight club band; Debra Farris stands out as a Singer/Songwrite...
-
Oceanna - Visual Artist, Painter, Lomi Lomi
[+ Show ]
A MUSIC RAVE FOR YOU:Try this on...! Cruizin on Highway 1 from Santa Cruz southward 4 speakers, su...
Setlist
DFB is happy to tailor sets and times and styles according to specific requests. DFB is conscious of volume based on the venue and event present.
SAMPLE SONGLIST:
SET 1 Dinner set
1. Fragile (Sting) - Samba style
2. Aint No Sunshine (Bill Withers) Classic
3. Angel from Montgomery (Bonnie Raitt) Ballad
4. Knockin On Heaven's Door (Clapton) reggae
5. Summertime(Louis Armstrong) 6/8 slow blues
6. The Thrill is Gone (BB King)
7. Moon Dance (Van Morrison) - jazzy
8. Spooky (Atlanta Rhythm Section)
SET 2
9. Kansas City Blues (Harrison) blues shuffle
10. Before You Hit The Ground (Jonny Lang) Funky
11. Chevrolet (Robben Ford) Rockin' blues
12. Crossroads (Cream) Cajun Blues
13. Lowdown Dirty Shame (T-Bone Walker)
14. Start it Up (Robben Ford) Blz Shuffle
15. Mustang Sally (Bonny Rice) Classic
16. Born Under a Bad Sign (Albert King)
17. Hit The Ground Running (Jonny Lang) Blues
18. Get Up (Debra Farris) - Funky DF orig.
SET 3
1. Route 66 (Bobby Troup) - Swing shuffle
2. I Saw Her Standing There (Beatles)
3. Yellow Moon (Neville Bros) Swamp Funk
4. Aint Doin Too Bad (Bobby Bland) Funky blues
5. Use Me (Bill Withers) Funky
6. Chain of Fools (Aretha Franklin)
7. Hound dog (Big Mama Thorton) rhumba blues
8. Black Cat Blues (Cafe R & B) Shuffle
9. Rainbow Blues (Debra Farris) 1-4-5 slow blues
10. Susie Q (John Fogerty) classic rock
OTHER TUNES To Choose From:
11. Dont Get Around Much (Duke Ellington) blues version
12. Tight & True (DF orig.) Hiphop blues
13. Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker) Slow Blues
14. Crossroads - Cajun Bo Diddley style
15. Strange Brew (Cream) funky version
16. Down So Long (DF orig.) Funky blues
17. City Blues (Michael Hallstrom) blues rhumba
18. Come Together (Beatles) rockin' blues
19. Proud Mary - (Fogerty) Funky version
1. Across The Universe (DF) Reggae One drop
2. The First Step (DF Orig. ) Rock
3. Wild Thang (The Troggs) reggae style
4. Exponential (DF Orig.) Blues Pop
5. Wisdom of The Fool (DF Orig.) new jack
6. Love Alive (Ricki Lee Jnz)- island music
7. Roaster's Blues (DF orig) Rockin blues
8. Love Letter (Bonnie Raitt) blues rocker
9. For What It's Worth (Buffalo Sprgfld) 60's rock
10. Shakey Ground (Bowen, Hazel, Boyd) Funk
11. Love to Life (DF Original) Rhumba Blues
12. Act Naturally (Beatles) Country Blues
13. Bye Bye Love (Bryant) shuffle
14. Moo Cow Blues (DF Orig.)Slow Blues Shuffle
15. Hand In My Pocket (Alanis Morisette) funky
16. Ticket To Ride (Beatles)
17. I Shot The Sheriff (Marley) Reggae
18. National Defense Blues (Ledbelly)
19. I Feel Good (James Brown)
20. Money ( Beatles)
21. Feels like Rain( John Hiatt)
22. Hand Jive (Johnny Otis)
23. Junkyard Dog (DF Orig) Blues
25. Bad Whiskey (Amos Milton)

