Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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Artist: Juston Stens
Hails From: Philadelphia
Song: 'Edge of the Moon'
Album: 'Trash or Treasure' [iTunes] [Amazon]
Sounds Like: The Band, Dr. Dog
In Their Words: "'Edge of The Moon' was written while I was a member of Dr. Dog in my free time between out first two tours with My Morning Jacket and continues to be one of my favorite and most sincere songs. The recording began in Tucson, AZ on a Tascam 388, an 8 track tape machine with Golden Boots at the helm and resumed 7 years later in New Jersey. It is the first song to feature members of the Get Real Gang and not tracked solely by me and is the first step to future album plans to record as a band."
- AOL Spinner
“I was drawing from Ennio Morricone as much as I was from the Beatles,” Juston Stens says of “When Fire Burns Out,” the first single from the debut album by the former Dr. Dog drummer. It’s an influence that’s clear and audible from the very first notes of the, which ring out full of Spaghetti Western atmosphere and attitude. “[It's] about feeling lost and alone after a period of happiness that has passed, and finding it hard to believe that you could ever find that again,” he says.
Still, just because a song conjures up images of the dusky Italian landscape doesn’t mean that it sounds like a downer, and “When Fire Burns Out” is a surprisingly dancy tune for a song about being convinced that you’ll never love again. The guitar jangles just right, and Stens’ deep, crooning vocals make him sound more like a bandleader at an old-school dancehall than he does anything else — all that, and the guy gives us a glimpse of what a Lennon/McCartney/Morricone collaboration might have sounded like. We’ll take it. - MTV Hive
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
After six years, countless tours, and five albums with Dr. Dog the time had come for drummer Juston Stens to part ways and realize his own musical journeys and visions. After a long break, I needed to return to myself, my guitar, my piano, my pencil and paper, and my voice. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Juston put down the drumsticks and returned to guitar to write new and finish old songs of life, love, loss, heartache, and heartbreak.
I had a head full of songs that had been stored up there for way to long and needed to empty some out to make room for all the new ones sprouting up, Juston said. I had been writing songs throughout my 20s and while a member of Dr. Dog. I didn't have my own band so I never had a proper outlet for them.
In January of 2010 Juston left Philadelphia for Tucson, AZ to record his first solo work with his old friends The Golden Boots. From there he traveled to Black Mountain, NC to record with the mountain wizard Seth Kauffman of Floating Action. To round it all off he returned to Philadelphia to mix with long-time Dr. Dog collaborator/engineer Bill Moriarty. A few of these songs were originally released as his debut EP, Heavy Metal Heart, in August 2010 on Park The Van Records. Now Juston is set to self-release the full collection as it was meant to be heard via his debut full-length, Trash or Treasure, on March 6, 2012 -- just in time for SXSW.
Trash or Treasure is an emotionally honest rock n roll gem that channels storytellers of old while managing to sound beautiful and new. The collection of eleven songs is rounded out with final track Collider, which was recorded with friend and collaborator French guitarist Naïm Amor during a more recent visit to Tucson.
Before recording this batch of songs, I had only written and recorded alone and the only collaborating I knew was what I contributed to Dr. Dog songs, said Juston. I realized during these sessions what it meant for me to invite someone else to take part in my creative songwriting and recording process. I always go into it with a vision of a song, but it is a good feeling to allow someone else to help get you there. Giving up control can be difficult but sharing a musical experience can be very rewarding.
Recording these songs inspired Juston to take things to another level for his next project. Introducing: Motorcycle Sessions 2011. During the fall of 2011, Juston drove his 1972 Triumph motorcycle across the country, stopping in a dozen different cities to collaborate with musicians hed met over the past few years. Each stop created a new track for his next album, one of which (Collider feat. Naïm Amor) landed on Trash or Treasure, and the whole experience was filmed for a documentary. Album and film coming in fall 2012.
Juston Stens started and played in many Philadelphia-based bands throughout the years before joining Dr. Dog in 2004. After the split he formed a band to play his songs live The Get Real Gang and together theyve shared the stage with bands such as Hacienda, Brass Bed, Giant Cloud, David Vandervelde, Pomegranates, Arms, Powder Kegs, Spinto Band, The Generationals, and more. Juston currently also plays drums in The Generationals live band and has toured as a drummer for David Vandervelde.
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