East Coast Turnaround
Jeannette, Pennsylvania, United States | SELF
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On Sunday, August 28th, Jeannette’s own EastCoast Turnaround, filmed their very first music video for their soon to be smash hit, Where’s my Sunshine, right here in Jeannette. The public was invited to this awesome event.
The band and their camera men, started the morning filming in front of city hall, then in the early afternoon, and after much anticipation from loyal fans, the band and company meandered to an area just under the 7th Street bridge, where the bands most loyal fans were waiting to watch and participate in a crowd shot, to finish the filming.
The music video should be out in 2 -4 weeks. - Jeannette In-Spotlight
Jeannette's own East Coast Turnaround turned the city into a video set last weekend -- making a music video for its single "Where's My Sunshine."
The band, whose members hail from Jeannette, filmed the video at the city police station and under the Seventh Street Bridge. Mayor Robert Carter, the police department and Norfolk Southern Railroad assisted with the shoot.
The video should be available before the end of this month.
Band members are lead singer Chad Fetty, a welder by trade; lead guitarist Mike Butler, a retired prison guard; bassist Jason Fetty, a machinist; drummer Tim Penska; and the band's photographer-turned-harmonica player, Ray Kuchinka.
The Fetty brothers write the band's songs. Chad Fetty writes the majority of the music, but all the members contribute ideas.
The band practices in Jason Fetty's house in Jeannette and plays local venues such as Franco's.
East Coast Turnaround also uses Jeannette as the backdrop for all of its artwork and photography used on the CD jacket and promotional material -- and now the city is the stage for the group's first music video.
East Coast Turnaround's first single, "Where's My Sunshine," debuted this spring at No. 40 on the Cashbox Magazine Country music singles charts. The song moved up to No. 37 within a week.
The group signed a recording contract with Cashbox. A 12-track album is set for release later this year.
" 'Where's My Sunshine' definitely applies to Jeannette. Really, all the songs can because they are about real life," Chad Fetty, a true believer in his band and in the city, said last year. - By staff report, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
One of the fastest-rising bands on the Cashbox Magazine Country music singles charts comes from Jeannette.
East Coast Turnaround's first single, "Where's My Sunshine," debuted two weeks ago at No. 40 on the Cashbox charts, and moved up to No. 37 last week.
The success of the single is only the beginning of a wave of good news for the Jeannette quintet. The group recently signed a recording contract with Cashbox and a 12-track album is set for release later this year.
East Coast Turnaround recently played shows with Bret Michaels, Joe Grushecky, Leon Russell and Rusted Root. The band plans to travel to Nashville to play at the Country Music Association Music Fest in June.
Front man Chad Fetty said East Coast Turnaround is "a band of the people."
"The songs are personal -- about things that happened to me personally -- and they connect to the crowd base," Fetty said.
The composition of the band has changed a bit over the past four months. The band added drummer Tim Penska, a lifelong friend of Fetty.
"I'm the fifth Beatle of East Coast Turnaround," Penska said.
Fetty said he couldn't be happier to have an old friend helping him live his dream.
"Jason and I went to school with Tim, and we've been friends a very long time," Fetty said. "It's so cool that he's this great drummer, too."
Penska is not the only newcomer to the group. While fulfilling his duties as the band's photographer and graphic designer, Ray Kuchinka mentioned to Fetty that he, "just happens to play harmonica a little bit." Fetty said he asked Kuchinka to play and knew instantly that Kuchinka could bring a uniqueness to the band.
"Ray joined us and played along on 'Cadillac, Cadillac,'" said Fetty. "I heard him play for about two seconds and was like, 'yeah, man, you're in the band.'"
The band is re-recording the five tracks from its EP, "Season in Hell," to update the sound with Penska's drums and Kuchinka's harmonica.
The group will record seven new tracks for the album that Cashbox promises to promote to more than 200 stations nationwide. Band manager Robin Leonard helped land the deal for the band by doing what Butler said sets the band apart from those who do not make it -- working hard.
"I sent e-mail after e-mail to different record companies every day," Leonard said. "Finally, I got a response."
"I thought it was a bill collector calling me, so I didn't answer the first call," Fetty said. "But it was Cashbox Records and they had good news."
The band will shoot a music video in Jeannette in mid-summer for "Where's My Sunshine."
"This is where we are from," Fetty said, "and Jeannette has been so important to us and to the songs."
Fetty said the band will use a local video production company for the shoot. - By Dave Moio, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
The Season In Hell CD cover and title leads to the assumption that this is an album full of rockin’ outlaw music; however, while there are some “outlaw” moments like in ”Love, Life & Murder,” it’s not so much outlaw as it is Americana. While the group obviously works well together with the lead vocals familiarly wrapped with the rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass and drums, they play it too safe. East Coast Turnaround is a talented group that needs to add just a little more rowdiness to the grooves. - Country Entertainment USA
The band East Coast Turnaround is made up of brothers Chad (Led Vocals and Rhythm Guitar) and Jason (Bass Guitar) Fetty, Mike Butler (Lead Guitar), Brian Whipkey (drums) and recently added (but not on the album) Ray Kuchinka (Harmonica). They hail from the middle of Pennsylvania where towns no longer prosper as they once did. Chad Fetty began as a solo acoustic artist before joining forces with Butler (older than Fetty by 25-years) and a semi-reluctant Jason, who had to learn the bass. Eventually, after a few line-up changes they recruited Whipkey who leaned more toward hard rock and their sound was born. Imagine Charlie Daniels being produced by Rick Rubin and the result could be Season In Hell. There is no reference to the Arthur Rimbaud or Eddie and the Cruisers, but there are some fine tunes.
The circumstances of growing up in a home where the staples included powered milk and puffed rice and spending his twenties involved with the “apparent drug scene” in his hometown, color the lyrics written by Chad Fetty. All music on the album is credited to him.
Opening the album is “Only You,” which is the longest song of the bunch, clocking in at 6:37. It tells a story of falling and getting back up and how “it’s a long road to heaven; ‘cause you know I’ve been through hell.” The song is a slow southern rocker led by a solid beat on the snare, a deep bottomed bass line and punctuated by Butler’s fine subtle note picking on lead guitar. Fetty’s vocals evoke thoughts of early Skynyrd mixed with some Hank for good measure. It’s clear what East Coast Turnaround (the name being a play on the 70’s truckers term west coast turnaround, where a trucker would take speed and drive all the way to the west coast, turnaround and come right back, not the only drug reference on the album) is all about from the opening notes.
“Cadillac Cadillac” tells the story of Daddy, a bootlegger who drove a Coupe de Ville “heading for the county line” and his son who, once the still went dry, turns to cooking meth and the “people came around, ya know what I mean.” The band is playing an upbeat country flavored dance beat. Whipkey pounds away on the drums and cymbals as Butler throws in a few country-twanged guitar breaks. Play this in a country bar and the dance floor will be packed. On “Love, Life and Murder,” we get some jazzy interplay between the two guitars and Whipkey stutter-stopping the beat. Then the gritty- anguished vocals of Fetty blows in over some reverb aided staccato lead runs. The tale of “finding love, getting life and committing murder” where “nothing comes for free” is driven by the strong acoustic guitar work of Fetty and Whipkey’s strong left hand.
“Where’s My Sunshine” starts with Fetty simply backed by his guitar and you get a vision of what he was like as a solo-acoustic performer before the rest of the band comes in behind the steady hard beat of the drums and a hard rhythm line by Butler. The song then turns into something new, something different. It becomes a hard-rocker. Lyrically, this is the weakest song on the album with the title being repeated over and over for the most part.
“Outta My Head” is another song that tells the tale of excessive drug use; “outta my head is where I wanna be; outta my head is the only place for me.” At one point, the band contained Megan Nelson who played piano. On this song, there is a prominent piano in the background that lends a different sound to the country-twanged ballad, though there is no credit for it on the album. The song ends with the line “…I might have O.D.ed” and then the sounds of hospital devices beeping. It’s an ominous ending to an otherwise fine first effort.
East Coast Turnaround has taken the sounds of southern rock and infused them with a harder edge to attain the music they present on Season In Hell. With the inclusion of Ray Kuchinka on harmonica, their sound will change and possibly get blues-ier. It will be interesting to see the evolution of this band from their first album to their next and how their time on the road may have matured them as musicians. - Vinny “Bond” Marini
Discography
EP SEASON IN HELL / 1. ONLY YOU, 2. CADILLAC, CADILLAC , 3. LOVE LIFE AND MURDER, WHERE'S MY SUNSHINE (REACHED #3 ON CASHBOX COUNTRY SINGLES CHART), OUTTA MY HEAD.
JUST LIKE THE ROLLING STONES (SINGLE PLAYED WDVE)
CURENTLY IN STUDIO RECORDING FULL LENGTH CD, STILL UNTITLED
Photos
Bio
In the beginning…
Chad Fetty was the youngest of two brothers from the hard knock city of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, an area that stood in the shadow of what it once was. He started his singing career as a small child, singing at home or in many local churches throughout the area. Chad Fetty always had music in his heart and received his first guitar at the age of twelve. He then realized what type of music he wanted to play, one pieced together from influences in his life such as The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bruce Springsteen, and Chris Knight. In his early twenties Chad was a part of the apparent local drug scene of the region where he seen all the things that began to bleed out in the lyrics of his gritty yet truthful songs. At the age of twenty five Chad embarked on his acoustic solo career playing at local bars and clubs of the area. He was quick to convert anyone who would lend an ear with his soulful vocals and acoustic sound of music, not only for the people but by the people. Chad then approached his brother, Jason Fetty about starting a band. Jason also had a love affair with music but was apprehensive at learning something new. He was not quick to join his brother but began running sound at all his live performances. It was at one of these shows Chad’s friend Mike Butler Jr. brought his dad, Mike Butler Sr. to check out one of Chad’s acoustic performances. Mike Butler Sr. approached Chad shortly there after about starting up a band. Mike had played guitar for many years in the Marine Corp, but had just recently started to take it more seriously. So their first practice was at Chad’s house in Jeannette, Chad Fetty on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Mike Butler on lead guitar, and Jason Fetty on bass guitar and background vocals, Bryan Whipkey on drums. With the wheels now spinning East Coast Turnaround decided to add Ray Kuchinka on harmonica in the fall of 2010. Rays life was behind the lens as the bands photographer and graphic artist from the beginning. Then one acoustic session we heard him play his harp and discovered his hidden talent. He was a perfect fit from the range of his passion, to the mood he can set from his subtle yet potent background notes, to his bluesy foot stomping leads which just seem to elevate all levels of the music being made. They honed their musical prowess at many local open mic nights and jam nights in the city. The band had many name changes when first feeling their way through the scene such as, The Chad Fetty Band, The 10-4 Band, The Ponuts, and The All-star Trucker Band. It wasn’t until Mike was listening to a Jim Croce song titled Speedball Trucker. There was a reference to a seventies truck driving term called a west coast turnaround, that’s when a truck driver would take speed long enough to stay awake, then drive to the west coast, turnaround and drive back. They figured since they weren’t from the west coast the band would be called East Coast Turnaround, and the name just stuck. East Coast Turnaround then decided it was time to record their original EP titled Season In Hell. The EP was cut at Soundscape Studios in McKeesport with Doug Kaspar and Chris Batton at the helm. After many along night in the studio the band had finally captured their raw yet powerful sound and the push was on. They spent most of 2010 on a local touring spree and in March won the Pittsburgh Hard Rock battle of the bands which helped them receive some local recognition. Thus giving them opportunities to open for national recording artists such as Charlie Daniels, Leon Russell, Blackberry Smoke and many more. In The Spring Of 2011 the band made a line up change adding new drummer and percussionist Tim Penska, whose hard rock roots added a strong backline to their already gritty sound. With a lot of hard work we have come up with "our own sound" labeled by a fan as "Trucker Rock". Their original songs are poignant gritty stories from real life. In April of 2011 East Coast Turnaround signed on to be part of the Cash Box Records. Now with the players in place and the rough times getting rougher this band of unlikely brother’s story is just beginning.
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