Lucky Stiff

LUCKY STIFF
http://www.luckystiff.net
gavin@luckystiff.net

You know you've found the perfect rock band for your music listening pleasures when you subconsciously start singing along to a song you've never heard

before, as I did with their track "Brand New Plan." Catchy lyrics always make for a great rocking band, and that is exactly what LUCKY STIFF are! I really like the guitars this band offers; even the slower rock tracks have some pretty amazing guitar licks. The vocals are very well suited to this style of music, I couldn't imagine them fitting in anymore than what they are. Of course the drums and bass provide a nice thumping rhythm to keep you bopping around the room as the lyrics penetrate deeper into your cranium. Overall, I'd have to say this is one of the best rock bands I've heard this month, if not this year! [Wednesday Elektra]
- spacejunkies.net

Band Feature - Lucky Stiff

If I said to you “Lucky stiff” you probably wouldn’t know what I was talking about or would guess it was the name of a jazzy cocktail at your local bar - maybe? Though you’d be wrong. Lucky Stiff are a rock band that hail from Seattle, Washington, a band that exudes passion for rock music. Gavin Haugen, Jeromy Leonard, Rick Valentine and Mike Klepper make up this four piece rock set. Gavin is lead vocalist, song writer and guitar player, Jeremy plays bass, Rick plays drums while Mike also delivers guitar and vocals.

First impressions of their music would suggest they are a high octane energy driven rock band. You get this impression from the full throttle electric guitar riffs that hit you from the get go when listening to their music. Though there seems to be more to them when your senses adjust. The track ‘Pretty When You Cry’ delivers heavy rock sounds but also has a folksy style flowing through it evident in the drum arrangement and melody.

The track portrays a relationship nearing its demise with lyrics like “I guess its for the best had me losing sleep.” Though the upbeat melodic flow of the song detracts from the serious subject matter. It seems that’s what Lucky Stiff want the listeners approach to be on their music. The band says “Its not the kind of music you’d want to over analyze more of an escape.”

Lucky Stiff seem to be the product of a group of guys who have engrossed themselves in the cause of rock music. This isn’t some manufactured band and you get the sense there are no rookie players here. Gavin Haugen lead singer of Lucky Stiff was the founding member of the Seattle based ‘Stumblebum.‘ Mike Klepper was founding member of ‘Cobalt Mary’ and ‘Clamp’ and Jeromy Leonard was founding member of bands ‘Bigtop’ and ‘MC Stagger.’

Through their music Lucky Stiff make you aware that they are a band and not some marketing tool to sell CD’s. The band say “Our live shows are our signature, Lucky Stiff are first and foremost a live band.” I wanted to know if they preferred a large or intimate audience “We usually like playing to large crowds, sometimes its nice to play in a smaller more intimate situation but overall the more the merrier.”

‘Brand New Plan’ takes a tongue in cheek swipe at American political policy and lyrically has fun with the subject but also leaves the listener thinking. I asked the bands main song writer Gavin Haugen how important the song writing process was considering they believe their songs shouldn’t be over analyzed “As far as the song writing process goes its not only important its everything to me.” He went on “The lyrics are something I work on by myself sometimes they come quickly and sometimes it may take months, I have songs I’ve been working on for years, you can never have enough material.”

The group has a myriad of music genre influences from 70’s Punk, Country and obviously Rock n’ Roll and these are all fused together to create their busy sound. This band also has some attitude and edge on show on the track ‘Apocalypse Boy.’ With lyrics that display unruliness and non-conformity that would sit well with any angst teenager or rebellious soul.
With tracks that may mean different things to various people and strike a chord of resonance with particular groups I asked the guys what type of fan goes to their shows “I’d say its 99 percent overly beautiful women (jokingly) and other bands on the bill.”
You wouldn’t expect any other answer from a rock group.

What Lucky Stiff bring to the music table is a genuine love of the rock music genre. You instantly hear and feel this in the energy and rawness of their sound. Their next gig is on April 14th at the Lakepointe Bar and Grill in Kenmore Washington. - Lloyd Blake- thirst4music.net

...tracks such as 'Get Around Girl' with it's thrashy summer sound, are ripe for radio play. The song is upbeat and catchy with great guitar sounds... Lucky Stiff has the feel of a refined, well heeled band with a punky rock sound in the genre of PIL and the Clash. Energy is the key to this band's music...
-Christina Harper
Herald writer - The Everett Herald (Everett, Wa.)