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Combining original songs and bright arrangements, Shotgun Honeymoon enters the crowded
pop/rock field with Foregone Conclusion. Perhaps the oddest thing about Shotgun
Honeymoon is that he, unlike, say, Jethro Tull, is an individual, not a group. Interestingly,
while one might define the music on Foregone Conclusion as pop or pop/rock, the
arrangements are dominated by acoustic guitars, cellos, violins, pianos, and mandolins. Yes,
an occasional drum, trumpet, and Wurly track enters the mix, but overall, the acoustic
elements stand out most heavily. While Shotgun Honeymoon has a gift for arrangements,
there are certain touches in the production of Foregone Conclusion that distract from the
music at hand. On "Beginning of the End," an insistent sweeping sound on the right channel
is more likely to pull the listener out of the moment than enhance the track's sonic field. This
leads one to ask whether the scratchy interference on "Labels of Blues" is an aural effect or
accidental. And while the instrumental mix is frequently sonically pleasing on the album, it
can become too busy on a song like "13." Foregone Conclusion offers an intriguing mix of
pop songs and acoustic arrangements along with production oddities that will please a
number of pop/rock fans while driving audiophiles to distraction. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.,
All Music Guide
- All Music Guide
Discography
Foregone Conclusion - LP
Produced & Engineered by Jeff Trott
Engineered & Mixed by Bob Salcedo
Released September 11, 2007
Broken Halo Records
Current single is 13
Photos
Bio
Born in Lexington, KY, Shotgun Honeymoon always displayed a love and passion for music. After moving around from state to state with his family, they finally settled in a small town by the name of Boca Raton, FL; A town that he still considers home.
While attending college at Florida State University, one summer afternoon he walked into a guitar shop, bought a music book and an acoustic guitar. From there he began teaching himself to play. It remained a hobby until a few years later one-college night; he entered a contest and decided to share his talent with the world. The rest of the contestants were playing cover songs and he wanted a way to separate himself from the competition. So, one week before the contest Shotgun wrote his first song, which eventually became "Beginning of the End." In front of 300 people, in a smoky college bar he took the stage for the first time, and even though he didn't win the competition he discovered a talent he didn't know he had and it blew the crowd away.
He graduated from Florida State, and left Tallahassee with maybe two or three songs under his belt. Later that same year he moved to Miami where he began to focus his talents and the songs began to flow. Raised on a diet of Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and The Dave Matthews Band, his music reflected those influences strongly in the beginning. He was inspired by how these acts could strip everything down into an incredible acoustic performance and then plug in and rock the house down. His songs quickly began to shape themselves, combining the slight fingering techniques of Dave Matthews with the power chords of Kurt Cobain and Billy Corgan. With every new song, he found a little bit more of himself and forged a sound of his own.
While in Miami, Shotgun began playing his first regular gigs as an opening act for his high school music teacher's band. He tagged along as they played bars, such as Boston's in Boynton Beach, as well as festivals all over the Miami area. But Miami was not a fertile ground for his creativity so he decided to move to Orlando. Soon he hooked up with a college friend and under the moniker of "Stoic" the two got plenty of gigs playing the local bar scene up and down the streets of Orlando.
Life in Orlando was good for a while, but he soon got the itch for the West Coast. Making his way to Los Angeles with only his car and guitar, he landed on a friend's couch and started to write again. Within a few days he was cranking out his best material yet. Within three months he was playing shows and meeting other musicians who shared his influences and desire.
Now calling Los Angeles his permanent home, Shotgun Honeymoon continues to write and develop himself as a writer and performer. His shows have grown in grandeur and attendance, and his music has gone from rehashing covers to personal stories of triumph, tribulations and love.
As Shotgun's career climbs, he will always remember sitting on a stage in a smoky college bar with nothing but his guitar for protection. He opened himself up to the world and to his astonishment, 300 strangers listened...and loved it.
"The chance to express emotions and give them a visual through lyrics and music is the best feeling in the world. The only thing better than that is when people stop what they are thinking, stop what they are doing, and get lost in your world as well as you can portray it, with a simple melody and a little poetry...and understand it."
Shotgun Honeymoon’s debut album “Foregone Conclusion,” produced by Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crow) was released September 11, 2007 on Broken Halo Records.
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