Chamberflow/Dan Varner

For Immediate Release
September 21, 2004
Contact: Lori Riddle, Publicist
WiseSmith Management
(573) 489-9044•newslori@aol.com
Eclectic Gains Nationwide Airplay
More than 200 Stations Say “Yes” to Eclectic
Eclectic
LOUISVILLE, KY- WiseSmith Management in conjunction with Tinderbox Music of
Minneapolis, Minn., recently launched a nationwide radio blitz with Eclectic’s new
CD Tables Turned. The program was a nine-week blitz to 300 radio stations from New
York to Los Angeles. As of September 13, Eclectic has received airplay from more than
200 stations.
Many stations reported music from the album was received medium to heavy
rotation. The following three stations charted Eclectic as the following:
KKSM San Marcos, CA Charting at #2
KMSU Mankato, MN Charting at #16
KURA Ourey, CO Charting at #23
The radio music director at station WARY in Valhalla, NY said, “We love Eclectic.”
Eclectic would like to thank all of their new fans that have joined the city of
Eclecticville to make this possible. Thanks to all of the radio music directors that
have showed their confidence by placing us in rotation.
“Our continued success is based on all of the wonderful fans at home and abroad,”
said lead guitarist Justin Smith. “Keep requesting those songs!”
Eclectic would also like to thank Jon Delange and Tinderbox for their support, and
hard work in our promotions endeavors.
“Jon Delange and his staff are some of the best in the business, and we look forward
to long relationship with these fine industry veterans,” said Doc Smith, WiseSmith’s
VP of Artist Development and Management.
For your copy of Tables Turned go to www.eclecticville.com. For interviews, bookings,
or copies for radio, please contact WiseSmith Management Group at (502) 639-5493
or email WiseSmithInfo@msn.com.


- WiseSmith Entertainment

Eclectic Highlights 2002 to date:

*Signed with WiseSmith Management Group in 2002
*Co-Produced with Doc Smith their first full length CD "Tables Turned"
*Won the Regional Battle of the Bands 2003 LRS Fest
*Regular Rotation on WLRS and was in the top five most requested song "Breathe" for
16 weeks straight and hit #2
*Performed at the Great Lawn in Louisville KY in front of 7,000 people and fronted Sponge, Everclear, and Trapt
*Released "Tables Turned" fall of 2003 in Louisville KY Headliners Music Hall to a sold out crowd of 800 and turned 300 away
*Endorsement deal with Eminence Speakers LLC
*WiseSmith and Tinderbox Music put out a radio blitz Nation Wide to over 300 stations and Eclectic has been added to over 200 to date. Charting in three markets to date and charted in two markets at #23 and climbing CA & NY Stations are strong
*Performed in front of 12,000 people at Fourth Street Live outdoor concert in front of Hard Rock Café
*Wrote up in several Music Periodicals (See EPK Link Press)
www.eclecticville.com/presskit/index.html EPK
*Nominated for Best Rock Band in Leo in 2003
*Featured Artist on WB Network for Rascals Comedy Club Special Thursday’s 11:30 PM WB in Louisville, KY
*Was voted the Best Original and Best Local Rock Band of the Region in the LEO Magazine Choice
Award show November 9th, 2004 www.leoweekly.com
*Over 40,000 hits on eclecticville.com


- WiseSmith Management

Louisville’s Eclectic on the verge of something big? by Michael W. Bright If hard work, passion and determination were the coin of the realm, Eclectic could buy a Top 10 chart position today. Their CD release party at Headliners this Saturday is the culmination of two years of non-stop writing, rehearsing, gigging and traveling. It’s the kind of nose-to-the-grindstone ethic that leads to success, but it contrasts sharply with the casual circumstances surrounding the group’s origin. It started out in 2001 with a phone call to then-22-year-old guitarist-singer Brendan Kavanaugh, asking if his band could play the annual Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival. Sure, his calendar was open — so the gig was booked. One problem: Kavanaugh didn’t have a band. He had played solo acoustic sets around Lexington while attending UK, but a band? A call to a jamming buddy turned up guitarist Justin Smith, whose brother Terry played drums. With a rented drum kit, the three went to work. Then Kavanaugh remembered that former college roommate Jamie Richardson had purchased a bass guitar. After a few all-nighters, the quartet played the festival. They never looked back. “We’ve been working our asses off for two years,” said Kavanaugh between sets last weekend at the Phoenix Hill Tavern. Asked if he expects the release of the new 10-song CD to be a turning point for the band, he demurred. “It’s just another step, just the next step.” Manager and producer T.R. “Doc” Smith disagrees. He’s been keenly focused on Eclectic for the past year and believes the CD will break the band through airplay or industry awareness. As Justin and Terry’s father, he’s entitled to a touch of unmitigated enthusiasm. But the 25-year music industry veteran said he’s seldom seen such passion on stage, or in the recording studio. “We’re talking 15-hour days back to back, and these guys still wanted to try more things,” he said. Regular weekend trips to Nashville’s Sound Kitchen started last February. Their business plan also included live gigs in Louisville at Tailgaters, Wick’s Pizza, Dutch’s Tavern, and O’Malley’s, and regular stints at Phoenix Hill Tavern. Then there are the day jobs. Kavanaugh is ready to quit “tomorrow” and devote all his energy to the band, but can’t afford it. “We’re not putting any money in our pockets (from playing live),” he said. “It all gets invested in the band.” Tables Turned showcases vocals by Kavanaugh and Justin Smith, and the collaborative songwriting of the quartet, but lacks the musical finesse that comes with maturity. “We still need a lot of rehearsal,” Kavanaugh confided, referring to plans to hit the road next year. The single “Breathe” is an organic monologue that swells to a blistering rant. The recording doesn’t pull off the transcendent power of their live performance, but it’s getting local airplay, and the Phoenix Hill fans know the words to this song as well as Eclectic’s other originals. On stage, it’s obvious which tunes the band owns. Kavanaugh admits a transformation takes hold as pride and passion replace their sometimes reckless performance on cover songs. “There’s no greater thrill than seeing 20 or 30 people in front (of the stage) mouthing your own lyrics. My heart pounds out of my chest.” Reflection on the band’s path leading up to the CD release inevitably leads to questions about the future. “I won’t be doing this in two years,” Kavanaugh said. “I’ll be traveling, playing to packed houses. I’m not sure where, but it won’t be the Phoenix Hill Tavern three nights a week.” There’s talk of sponsorship deals in the making, and representatives of major labels are offering encouragement, but no deals yet. The band hopes to showcase their talent to industry audiences with trips to Chicago, New York and Atlanta in the coming months. “We’ve got a lot of things up in the air right now,” said Doc Smith, before adding, “Something big will be happening to this band in 2004.” Eclectic’s CD release party is at 8 p.m. this Saturday at Headliners. Plan of Man and VilleBillies are also on the bill. Call 584-8088 for more info. Contact the writer at mwbright@insightbb.com


- LEO Michael Bright

For Immediate Release
March 16, 2004
Contact: Lori Riddle, Publicist
WiseSmith Management
(573) 489-9044•newslori@aol.com
LOUISVILLE, KY- Eclectic, along with their management, WiseSmith Management,
have signed an endorsement deal with the worldwide company Eminence Speakers,
located in Eminence, Kentucky. Vice President of WiseSmith, Doc Smith, and Chris
Rose of Eminence Speakers believe this partnership is a win-win for Eminence and
Eclectic.
Coming together with Eminence Speakers is just another milestone in the career of
Eclectic,” Smith said. “We are honored to work with Chris Rose and the fine staff of
Eminence. They produce a great product that they stand by.”
The partnership with Eminence Speakers will allow Eclectic to both use and promote
one of the finer products in the music business, according to Smith.
“Eminence Speaker LLC is proud to announce a very special addition to our stable
of endorsing artist,” Rose said. “Long time users of Eminence loudspeaker components,
Eclectic is one of the hottest bands we’ve seen come out of the Kentucky area in a long
time. We are very happy to have them endorsing our products and look forward to the
priceless feedback they will be able to provide us on existing products, as well as for
the development of new and exciting loudspeaker technology. We are confident that
Eclectic has a very bright future in the music industry and are proud to be associated
with their organization.”
There will be a press conference in the coming days to formally announce the
endorsement. The details of the deal will not be published.
Congratulations to all those that made this endorsement possible. Eclectic is looking
forward to a long relationship with Chris Rose and the staff at Eminence.
####
ECLECTIC SIGNS ENDORSEMENT DEAL
Eminence Speakers and Eclectic form partnership
Eclectic - WiseSmith Management, Lori Riddle

LOUISVILLE, KY– ECLECTIC’s first single, “Breathe,” from the album Tables Turned
has been selected for a compilation CD by A&R Worldwide, a talent discovery and
development group in Beverly Hills, California. The compilation, titled Unearthed,
Vol. 1, is a sampler of independent musical talent from around the world. It is
distributed to radio stations and music industry executives worldwide.
“The A&R Worldwide compilation CD is an exciting step in ECLECTIC’s career,”
said Manager/Producer Doc Smith. “This compilation is going worldwide to major
radio programmers, promotions companies, tour managers, film producers, rock
media outlets, and record labels. It gives us an opportunity to spread this incredible
project, Tables Turned to the masses. Not just anyone is asked to be on such a
major project and we are honored that A&R and Mike Savage asked us to contribute.”
ECLECTIC released Tables Turned, to a sell-out crowd November 15, 2003 at
Headliner’s Music Hall in Louisville. More than 800 fans packed the club while
another 200 listened at the door waiting for someone to leave so they could get
inside.
“Breathe” was placed in regular rotation on Louisville’s WLRS 105.1 on October
8, 2003. It was among the top five most requested songs of the day for more than
14 weeks hitting as high as number two. Tables Turned has sold more than 400
copies.
ECLECTIC hits the road for a show in Chicago on January 23 and will continue
playing regional shows in the coming months traveling to Virginia, Indiana,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. This year’s tour comes at the end of a busy 2003
for ECLECTIC highlighted by the release of Tables Turned and their victory at the
WLRS Battle of the Bands earning them an opening play slot for a crowd of 5,000 at
WLRS Fest V.
####
For Immediate Release
November 18, 2003
Contact: Lori Riddle, Publicist
WiseSmith Management
(573) 489-9044•newslori@aol.com
ECLECTIC EARNS SPOT ON A&R COMPILATION
“Breathe” available on Unearthed, Vol. 1
Eclectic - WiseSmith, Lori Riddle

Eclectic story

By Kevin Gibson

Packed houses and screaming throngs of fans are the way of life for these four lads. Every show seems to be standing room only. And when the band's manager tries to reserve a small room at a major downtown hotel, the clerk says, "It's for Eclectic the rock band? Are they going to play?"

So these four young men known as Eclectic sit down with their manager T.R. "Doc" Smith and a music journalist they've never met to conduct a private interview: one table and six chairs in a mighty room that's 3,000 square feet if it's an inch. But this band isn't on tour and this isn't Rolling Stone we're talking about. This is a group of Louisville guys, all 24 or under, who worked all day then came to the Galt House's Samson Room to talk to a daytime marketing guy who likes writing about music in his spare time. And they're all itching to go watch the University of Louisville men's basketball game and to have a beer.

So, no, these guys aren't rock stars. Not yet, anyway. They are the sum of their parts and then some, made up of a humble engineer, a maintenance specialist, a sales tech and a ... what's your occupation again, Brendan Kavanaugh?
(c) James Moses
Brendan Kavanaugh

"I'm a pimp," says the lead vocalist and his words echo through the enormous empty room. (That's rock `n' roll speak for a retail sales specialist.)

So why are they packing rooms with every gig?

"The most important thing that brings people back," said lead guitarist Justin T. Smith, "is the passion we have, the passion we show in our music. People love that. People don't get to see that a whole lot in bands."

His manager - and father - agrees.

"You've got great songwriting ability, great composition and to top it off, this wonderful stage presence," Doc said. "That's what I saw when they were still raw and not even developed. Every song would take me into their world. When you can do that to me, you're accomplishing something."

Yeah, Doc has been around the music business a year or two. But we'll get to that later.

What Eclectic has become is yet another Louisville band that has developed such a buzz that it seems ridiculous to think that they won't find fame and fortune in their future. There are so many who seem so ripe for fame's picking, so many bands to follow in the footsteps of Days of the New, My Morning Jacket, Tantric, Flaw ... you get the picture.
(c) James Moses
Justin Smith

And Eclectic's draw is indeed its passion. And this band has people behind it who believe and are willing to work to make it happen.

They have a young man named Daniel Welborn running street team operations; he's a young guy who has experience doing promotions with Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and more and his reason for being with Eclectic is his love for the band.

Then there's sound tech Ed Clifford; his stepsons persuaded him to attend an Eclectic show and he's been hooked ever since. "I couldn't imagine being a sound engineer for any other organization," Clifford is quoted as saying on the band's web site.

Publicist Lori Riddle does her job with Eclectic from long-distance while pursuing a Master's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. Meanwhile, the band's webmaster, Megan Richardson (bass player Jamie's sister), said she's in this three years now not just to fulfill sisterly duties, but because she is a believer.
(c) James Moses
Terry Smith

"I signed on to work with the band in the very beginning," she said. "Even though they weren't the band that they are today, you could always see that they were destined to do great things."

So what is it that makes the crowds keep coming? "You can't describe what draws everyone to the band," she replied. "You have to experience it. Their aura on stage is addicting. I've been able to see countless national and local acts, but I've never left a show as fulfilled as I do when I see Eclectic. They have a song for every mood and draw a group of fans as eclectic as their music."

And these guys are being played on local commercial radio, which ain't easy either. Says WLRS promotions director Davie Hill, "What I look for in a band besides their ability to play and sing is: Are they having fun? Can they get the crowd to give back what the band is giving? Eclectic does all that and more, making everything feel spontaneous."

WLRS DJ Ken Mudd said of Eclectic's single "Breathe," which has been in the top five (hitting No. 2) requested songs in the Louisville market, "[They] have taken the music to the next level. The bar has just been raised ... and others will have to climb it."

And then there's Doc. Doc is a marketer from way back and he knows the music business from a special perspective and has the additional advantage of being father to Justin and drummer Terry. And he has his own reasons for jumping on the Eclectic bandwagon, many of which are complicated.
Eclectic website
Jamie "Weez" Richardson

Doc grew up with country music: His father was involved in country music and that influence led Doc to develop country acts later in life. His wife is a gospel singer who not only has used her husband's development services but also has supported him in pursuing them elsewhere. And, of course, Eclectic was kind of a no-brainer.

"At the beginning of 2002, I started watching these guys together and I said, `There's something here I've been looking for 15 years."

The band came to him and asked him to represent them, but he said no. He thought it was time for them to do their own thing, find their own way.

"But I kept thinking, `These guys have got something here.' I was watching and thinking, `There's something magical about these guys.' They came back to me again and I said, "If I take you on, this is how it's going to be.'"

And so began a different stage in Eclectic's passion for playing music. As it turns out, it was never about the interviews in ridiculously large ballrooms.

But musically, it began sooner.

The Making Of A Band
Kavanaugh's family photo albums contain numerous pics of little Brendan playing toy guitars in his jammies. He tried writing rap songs and tried guitar lessons and by the time he was 19 he was at UK and playing acoustic gigs. Soon, he quit college to pursue music full-time. This brought him home to Louisville, where he ran into Justin and the two began writing songs. This collaboration, which took place close to five years ago, was the foundation on which Eclectic was built.

As the story goes, Eclectic actually had a gig before it even really existed. The Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival contacted Brendan to see if his band would pay a gig at the 2001 version of the festival. He didn't have a band, but he said yes anyway. So Brendan began making a few phone calls. He contacted Justin, whose brother Terry played drums. Terry had no drums, so he rented a set and this gave them most of a band - but no bass player was to be found. Didn't matter. Kavanaugh remembered that his former college roommate, Jamie "Weez" Richardson, had a bass guitar. Like ex-Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe 40 years before, suddenly, without ever having planned it, Richardson was a bass player in a band. It took a couple of all-nighters, be he learned the songs in time for the Gaslight Festival (although the rumor is he had to read some of the chords from a cheat sheet come showtime).

And all this, musically, makes the band Eclectic extremely, um, eclectic. Why? Well, there are distinctive personalities and musical backgrounds at work. Kavanaugh's influences range from Bob Marley to Radiohead; for Justin, it's Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Perry and more; Richardson lists among his influences the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Outkast and Miles Davis. Richardson, in fact, only bought the bass for fun. He was wrapped up in classes at the University of Kentucky and had only bought the instrument for personal entertainment. (By the way, his influences range from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Miles Davis. Analyze that.)

Terry, meanwhile, entered the fray almost as accidentally as Richardson. He was a baseball player during most of his teen-age life. He played drums as a youngster - he cites Chad Smith (Chili Peppers) and Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) as influences - but gave it up to swing lumber and catch fly balls. But after high school was done and Terry's baseball career was finished, his brother led him back into music.

And so Eclectic was on its way. Sort of.

You see, Eclectic's first name was ... Irishanna. No, this is not a Celtic band. The name was to be pronounced "ear-ish-awnna;" and it meant nothing. But it might as well have been Gaelic for "what a ridiculous name we have," because it was so fleeting that hardly anyone noticed. (Think of the film, "That Thing You Do." In that flick, the name of the band The Wonders, which was initially spelled "The Oneders," was repeatedly mispronounced as "the oh-need-ers." Eclectic learned the same type of lesson about keeping it simple.)

But Irishanna it was.

"Brendan came up with it," Justin said. "I don't know why."

"He used to dress up as a leprechaun," Richardson interjected. (For the record, Kavanaugh isn't exactly blessed with extreme height.)

"People started bringing pots of gold and shit" to gigs, Kavanaugh said and they had to change the name to Eclectic.

Ahem.

The band hit the college bar scene in Lexington to hone their chops and wait for Richardson to graduate. Naturally, they played a lot of covers so the drunken coeds and frat boys could dance, but there was always a higher goal.

"From the day we started," Kavanaugh said, "we played a few originals. I had about 50 songs, but only about four that were complete. It was about 70 percent covers."

"But our goal was to be an original band," Justin said.

Afterward, it was back to Louisville and it was about two years ago that Eclectic unleashed itself on the River City. It has been a slow and steady climb; they played their final cover show last year and the boys eventually convinced Doc to come on board as manager.

Recalled Doc: "At the beginning of 2002, I started watching these guys together and I said `There's something here I've been looking for 15 years. The boys came to me and said, `Would you work with us,' and I said, `Naw, just do your own thing.' But I kept thinking, `These guys have got something here.' I was watching and thinking, `There's something magical about these guys.'"

Still trying to formulate a plan - Kavanaugh and Justin will tell you they weren't terribly organized in their approach - they came to Doc again.

"I said, `If I take you on, this is how it's going to be.' They agreed. I signed them in November 2002 and took them straight into studio the next February."

Thus the album Tables Turned was born.

Hard Work, Dedication And Lots Of Fans

They recorded at the Sound Kitchen in February and put in some grueling 14-hour sessions. What started as a four-song demo grew into a full-length album. Eclectic debuted the finished product with a bash at Headliners Music Hall in November - 250 fans were left out as the place quickly filled to capacity and by 1 a.m. the bar was sold out of every major beverage.

"We brought to the fans a taste of Eclecticville," Doc said in a press release recapping the event. "The city is growing, the population growth is in a steep climb and Tables Turned is the ticket to a new, innovative and passionate act that is destined to take the world by storm."

Wait a minute. Weren't these guys just playing at the Gaslight Festival with rented drums a couple or three years ago? What gives? Are these guys rock stars already?

Not really. They've just methodically - and musically - paved their own way.

Richardson's sister Megan summed up the band's sound thusly: "Take Sister Hazel, mix them with some Red Hot Chili Peppers and Hootie and the Blowfish, then stir in Lifehouse, Nickelback, the Counting Crows and Caroline's Spine and you might be able to receive a sampling of their sound. To put it simply - they are eclectic."

And beyond the tasteful mix of styles they blend into their songs, their work ethic is nearly unheard of.

"What Eclectic has done," Doc said, "is taken the grit-and-guts approach ... when we went into the studio, we said, `No more cover tunes. We're just going to take our lumps.' The clubs asked us to come back anyway. In that way, I think Eclectic has helped open a door to what couldn't be done before."

And that may be just one thing Eclectic has checked off its long list of goals. Truly. This is a band that focuses on writing songs and keeping the shows tight and energetic, while their supporting cast takes care of the business end. They approach the band not so much as "if" they will find success, but "when." For instance, late last year when "Breathe" was added to regular rotation on LRS, the band didn't throw a party or run through the streets screaming (another "That Thing You Do!" reference in case you were wondering) - they merely marked it off their list of things to do.

"We sat down in November 2002," Doc said. "We said we want to do this and this and this. Later, I started listing the goals we had reached and Brendan said, `damn!'"

"Nothing that is going to happen right now is going to surprise us too much," Kavanaugh said.

It was also around the time of the recording sessions that the band members stopped taking any salary from the money the band brings in. Every nickel goes back into the band coffers.

"We took it as a challenge and we did it," Richardson said. "All the money we make gets put right into the bank."

"It's drive and determination," Justin said. "I've been around the music business since I was young kid, since I was 12 or 13 years old. I just learned from studying people in the business the things you have to do to allow yourself to reach certain goals and become successful. One of those things is invest in yourself. That shows you have determination. More than likely others are going to take that chance to invest in you too."

Doc said he has talked to nine different labels about possible opportunities for Eclectic. "We didn't contact them, they contacted us," he noted. "These days in the music industry they are looking for energy and passion, truly gut-wrenching passion. There's probably more buzz (about Eclectic) in L.A. and Atlanta than in Louisville in lot of ways."

But he and his boys are waiting for the right thing, not just looking to sign on the dotted line. Whether they build their own label and secure distribution or find the right deal with an existing major, they're only looking for the method that will best help them achieve their goals. So what will they be doing in two years or five years or 10 years?

"We won't be playing in bars, that's for sure," Kavanaugh said.

"Between now and the next 24 months," Doc said, "these guys will be out touring full-time. These guys will become platinum-selling artists. In 10 years, Eclectic will be its own successful company."

"In 10 years, we want to build our own empire," Richardson agreed. "We're just challenging ourselves because you have to challenge yourself in order to do anything."

"We're going to keep doing what we're doing," said Terry, summing it all up.

"Bren's going to retire from music and become the all-time winningest jockey at Churchill Downs," Richardson said. Ouch, another short joke.

"Yeah," Kavanaugh said, "I'll lose about 40 pounds." Then he launched into a PG-13 jockey joke that won't be printed in these pages. Afterward, laughter echoed through the Samson room.

"Come back in five years if you want and it will be the same four of us in this room and we can talk about the same stuff," Kavanaugh said.

To which Doc, ever the promoter, added: "These guys have a conviction that they're in it for the long haul. They've got an album full of great songs. We went in there and spent thousands of dollars on it and they came out with some great songs because of their ability and willingness to be developed and be creative in the studio. They have all the makings of a Grammy winner."

- Louisville Music News