Biography
Seattle's SUGARCANE MUTINY takes two shots of single-malt rock and adds a dash of twang. The band's lyric-driven songwriting and power-pop beats blend the dark humor and storytelling of a Cracker or Wilco with the loud jangly pop of the Smithereens and Fastball. Whatever you call it, it's original Seattle rock -- wet and quirky.
SUGARCANE MUTINY's 7-song CD "Your Town" is available in stores around Seattle or online at CD Baby, Napster and a dozen other e-retailers. The band took 2nd place in Roy's Battle of the Bands last year and their song Your Town won "best bass in pop rock" at Garageband.com last fall. SUGARCANE MUTINY has appeared at NW festivals including Hempfest, Tacoma's First Night Celebration and the International Pop Overthrow in Portland this summer.
SUGARCANE MUTINY has played in Seattle at Jules Maes Saloon, the Sunset Tavern, the Skylark Club, Redline Music, the Comet Tavern, Chop Suey, the High Dive, the Nectar Lounge, the Bamboo Bar and Grill and the Blue Moon. The band has also played regionally at the Red Room (Portland) the Wild Buffalo (Bellingham), the Swiss Tavern (Tacoma), Big Daddy's (Woodinville) and Flights Pub (Everett).
Singer-songwriter Jess Grant has migrated northward ever since fleeing his hometown of Los Angeles, where he was influenced by LA acts as diverse as X, the Doors, Joni Mitchell and the Runaways. While a rocker at heart -- he fronts the world's only tribute to Joan Jett, Jett City -- Jess' acoustic music has been heard on NPR's Car Talk and at the NW Folklife Festival.
Bassist Casey Allen has played with The Life, a Seattle pop-rock band that released two records on Green Monkey Records and made three Bumbershoot appearances. Next up was Jimm and the Boxes, a local band signed to Blue Rose, where they released a CD on Ptarmigan Records. His most recent project was Cats On Holiday, Cleveland Ohio's Favorite Mardi Gras Party Band.
Lead guitarist Travis Hartnett spent ten years in Austin TX, playing with Britt Daniels in his pre-Spoon band, composing soundtracks, working with dance and theatre companies, and performing at SXSW three times. He has studied with Robert Fripp and is a former member of Seattle Guitar Circle. His local bands have included David Bavas and the Down Comforter, Electrochakra, Tableland, and the Steve Ball Roadshow.
Drummer Scott Nordell spent ten years in No. California playing in comedy marching bands, theatre show pits and drum circles, along with bands that played everything from punk and country to blues and Motown. Later he moved to So. California where he played with Blue Cheer, The Coasters, The Shirelles and Fuzzy Logic, and opened for The Fabulous T-birds, The Stray Cats and Bobby Bland. Scott moved to Seattle in 2006.
Official website: http://sugarcanemutiny.com
You can also link up with us at www.myspace.com/sugarcanemutiny.
Instrumentation
Jess Grant: Vocals and guitar
Casey Allen: Bass and backing vocals
Travis Hartnett: Lead guitar
Scott Nordell: Drums
Discography
Your Town (7-song CD)
As the Door Slammed
Hothead
Just in Case
Detective Novel
Addressee Unknown
Bad Boy
Your Town
Recorded at Big Rock Recording in Woodinville, WA. Co-produced by Jess Grant and Mark Hopkins. Released in the Spring of 2008.