Austin Gilliam
Austin, Texas, United States
Music
Press
Fans recognize Gilliam with his stage presence. His six-foot-five vikingesque stature commands attention.
Gilliam recalled that he became interested in playing the guitar when he was nine years old. “I found an old guitar in my closet and took it from there,” he said.
“Music runs on both sides of my family,” Gilliam said. His grandparents and other family members were musicians.
Gilliam began playing in bands in and around Kingsville since he was 15 years old.
Most recently, Austin has been active in the studio, both as a musician and vocalist, but also a producer. His production debut (Keith Davis, Jason Marbach, “Eclipse”) was released October 2010 and he is in the final stages of his second album as a producer (Mark Jungers, Jeremy Halliburton, “Whiskey & Lies”). - Kingsville Record
Austin Gilliam’s musical heart cannot be contained in the frame the Lord gave him. Austin gives you every ounce of ability he has, blowing your mind every time. - Grammy-award-winning engineer, producer
Austin’s a swtichblade. He’ll cut you to your soul.
- Bassist, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cody Canada and The Departed
It’s six-feet, five-inches of bullshit-free, rocked-out guitar fervor from local hero Gilliam, the tattooed Viking of roughneck Americana. His band, the Politicians, ain’t too shabby neither. - The Current (San Antonio)
Austin is as passionate about playing music as a sawmill blade is about fresh timber.
He’s also a gentleman to be around on and off the road.
- Matt King and the Cutters
I’ve seen Scott Wiggins Band live several times and always thought the most compelling thing about the show was the energetic lead guitar of Austin Gilliam. And there’s something inside me that wants Gilliam, who provides superb background vocals, to step up to the front mic.
It’s a tribute to Austin Gilliam’s guitar skills that (Producer Keith) Davis, himself a master guitarist, does not break out his Telecaster anywhere on the album (“Burn”).
— Texas Music Times
- Texas Music Times
Austin Gilliam looks as if he is about to kick your face in at any moment. He won’t, of course. But his music will. His music won’t think twice about kicking you in the face. Austin, on the other hand gives really good hugs, so don’t worry about him, but consider yourself warned about his tunes.
- Drew Kennedy and the Golden Wing of Victory
Austin Gilliam looks as if he is about to kick your face in at any moment. He won’t, of course. But his music will. His music won’t think twice about kicking you in the face. Austin, on the other hand gives really good hugs, so don’t worry about him, but consider yourself warned about his tunes.
- Drew Kennedy and the Golden Wing of Victory
Guitarist Austin Gilliam is a heckuva player. - Red Dirt Report
If you haven’t heard (Austin) Gilliam’s band (The Politicians) ... It's easily one of the best shows around. That Gilliam boy can bring it.
- San Marcos Local News
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Fans recognize Austin Gilliam as a guitar player. Maybe its his six-foot-five viking-esque stature. Or his nine-inch signature pin-up-girl tattoo. Or maybe its just that hes a really, really good guitar player.
But fans of the music scene know the media recognized more than three years ago: Austin Gilliam is a heckuva guitist but hes a guitarist with a killer set of pipes.
Austin cut his teeth in the Americana scene playing lead guitar and singing harmony vocals with the Scott Wiggins Band. His guitar and vocal work on the bands sophomore album, Burn (Adam Odor, Keith Davis) was critically acclaimed and the CD netted two of the Top 25 singles in 2009.
After departing the Wiggins Band, Austin played most notably with Drew Kennedy and Javi Garcia and the Cold, Cold Ground before joining Matt King and the Cutters. The Cutters kicked off its emerging, national-touring presence with a stop in Nashville, where the band recorded The Cutters (Vance Powell) EP. Later, Austin found himself on the road full-time with Brandon Jenkins, with whom hes also recorded.
With a true passion for music, Austin is known to fill his schedule and often play as many as 10 gigs a week sometimes with as many as nine different bands.
Ive taken influence from each project Ive had the pleasure of being involved with and combined them the best way I know how. I continue to do that to this day, Austin says.
While he is best known as a guitar player, his album credits and critical acclaim heavily reflect his vocal talent. Now Austin, with his band, The Politicians, looks forward to sharing his voice, his songs, and of course, his guitar playing, with you.
And if there's one thing Gilliam's learned in the music industry, it's this: you dont stand for something, youll fall for anything. So his band, the Politicians stands up for rock music the way you remember it. Music with an Americana flair that could only come from a New Braunfels-based act. Austin Gilliam and the Politicians are bringing their campaign off the beaten, local path and travelling to you, bringing you music you can believe in.
The Politicians are edgy without trying to hard to be; Americana roots rock that pulls the roots out of the ground and then spits them back at the audience. But Gilliam has a pop sensibility softening his hard-assed, hard-edged sound and roots, and a blues background that gives him his switchblade soul. The boys gonna cut you, and youre gonna like it.
Gilliam, along with Bassist (and childhood best friend) Bob Driver and Drummer Miles Stone bring it in power-trio form. While six-foot-five-inch Gilliam and his band mates neither of which looks less intimidating than Vikingesque frontman Gilliam will not, literally, punch or kick you in the face, his music will. The music will definitely kick you in the face. Or at least, itll give you something to believe in, to stand for. Its something youll want to hear. Perhaps, if you're a fan, it's what you've been waiting for.
Believe in Music. Vote for Austin. Stand for Something.
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