Shotgun Laser Quartet

For the last decade, the members of SLQ have been playing in and out of bands and solo projects on and around the east coast. Jonny and Lewis began playing together in high school in Chattanooga TN, forming "A Pleasant Evening" with material influenced by early rock and folk. After two great years, they regretfully went their separate ways to school.

Around the same time, Brian Hennen began studying the bass with a new approach focused on the harmonic aspect of the instrument and polyrhythmic improvisation. He developed his technique playing in numerous projects with local drummer Peter Guile (Marshall Stanko Band/Dubble Chen), and establishing unique modes of rhythmic and social deviation.

Winston Brown, a golf prodigy and high school friend of Lewis's, revealed his innate talent for vocal improvisation in a series of jam sessions culminating in acoustic performances in 2000 and 2001. Winston continued to develop his skills as a guitarist for the next 5 years as a recording artist in Mobile. A born bluesman, he was immersed in the regional sounds and quickly applied them to his instrument.

Jonny continued to play the drums and was quickly seduced by the intoxicating speed and drive of early punk, somewhat a depature from the rock and funk-oriented drumming of his days in A Pleasant Evening. Continuing his practice regimen, Jonny developed his talent for speed and power, a combination of elements that would serve to further the emotional character of his playing style and that of the band's.

From 2002 to 2005, Lewis was playing with musicians in Charlottesville Va as the Uptown Nutbrown Firing Squad. Known for experiments in extended disco-funk improvisations and their progressive approaches to song structure, UTNBFS enjoyed local success, but was only a stop along the way. When Lewis returned to Chattanooga, Brian was the picture of enthusiam, seemingly aching to collaborate. Lewis introduced Jonny and Brian, forging the first bonds of the SLQ rhythm section.

Winston had begun writing songs. And, although they began acoustic, He was anxious to see how they sounded with the accompaniment of drums, hoping to add a fuller and more pleasing sound.
Fuller is just what he got; Jonny's punky, bar room shuffle was enough to get the blues kid swinging like a monkey from a tree, and enough to get the cannonball rolling.

Since the Summer of 2005, SLQ has written and performed a repertoire of over 30 originals and nearly as many covers, but always evolving to eek out the old and hail in the new. Having toured the southeast from Charleston to Sewannee and Charlottesville to Dundee County, Shotgun Laser Quartet prides itself on well-wrought music, never lacking in experimental soundscaping with an edge that borders on the explosive.