Small Town Sleeper

Sunday, February 17, 2008
Dayton Daily News

With properly tousled hair, extra-tight T-shirts and a few random piercings, the four guys of Small Town Sleeper were obviously the only rock stars at Steak 'n Shake.

But, as if the band name isn't obvious enough, they're not above sharing a steakburger with the common folk. OK, so they're still fairly common themselves - but on one recent night, they were arguably the only ones who could talk about recording at Capitol Records and playing the Whisky a Go Go between bites.

"You can have success and be real," lead singer Troy Brown explained.

The Urbana band learned that, he said, by opening a handful of shows last summer for Daughtry.

Playing to more than 20,000 people at one concert alone, they also got a taste of life at the top.

And as with a hand-dipped milkshake, they can't help but want another sip.

"If we work hard enough, we can get back to that level," Brown said. "Remember when we had catering and dressing rooms?"

But as the band - Urbana native Brown, Springfield native Derek Snowden on lead guitar, West Liberty native Will Greider on bass and Colorado transplant Dann Burd on drums - waits for its debut album to be released, the road ahead seems about as long and winding as they come.

Especially in this day and age.

"America's so jaded," Brown, 27, said. "They see 'American Idol.' That's a free pass to the front of the line. There's a song on the radio and an album in time for Christmas."

Small Town Sleeper, which makes no apologies for its radio-friendly brand of pop-rock, is doing it the old-fashioned way, complete with a van.

The band recorded its debut for the indie Upper 11 Records in 2006, then spent a good chunk of last year on the road.

They still don't know when their first album, "Conversations," will see the light of day. The label, Brown said, is continuing to negotiate with a distributor.

And as with a hand-dipped milkshake, they can't help but want another sip.

"If we work hard enough, we can get back to that level," Brown said. "Remember when we had catering and dressing rooms?"

But as the band - Urbana native Brown, Springfield native Derek Snowden on lead guitar, West Liberty native Will Greider on bass and Colorado transplant Dann Burd on drums - waits for its debut album to be released, the road ahead seems about as long and winding as they come.

Especially in this day and age.

"America's so jaded," Brown, 27, said. "They see 'American Idol.' That's a free pass to the front of the line. There's a song on the radio and an album in time for Christmas."

Small Town Sleeper, which makes no apologies for its radio-friendly brand of pop-rock, is doing it the old-fashioned way, complete with a van.

The band recorded its debut for the indie Upper 11 Records in 2006, then spent a good chunk of last year on the road.

They still don't know when their first album, "Conversations," will see the light of day. The label, Brown said, is continuing to negotiate with a distributor.

But when they weren't with Daughtry - himself a product of the "American Idol" hype machine - the local guys were walking in the footsteps of most every band that came before them.

On a Monday night in Atlanta, they played to a rather small crowd. "Six," drummer Burd said, "including the people who worked there." In Wichita, Kan., they were mismatched on the bill with metal bands. "It's kind of embarrassing to go through that," lead guitarist Snowden said, "but it keeps us humble."

Proud of their small-town roots, being humble just comes easily for the foursome - even after getting to record at two of the world's most fabled studios. "If you get swept up in it, your career is over before it begins," Brown said.

The band recorded the basic tracks for "Conversations" at Electric Lady Studios in New York. "J.Lo was upstairs. The Black Crowes were down the hall," Brown said. "It was one of those pinch-me moments."

On the other side of the country, arranger David Campbell - the same guy who orchestrated "Iris" for the Goo Goo Dolls - put strings on the album at Capitol Records. Brown remembers casually asking who was booked for the studio at Capitol's iconic round building in Hollywood right after them.

"They said Eric Clapton."

So to go from that back to band practice in a barn in Champaign County isn't as demoralizing as one might think. Even if they make it big, the guys of Small Town Sleeper don't see themselves leaving anytime soon. Economically, it just makes sense.

"You can live twice as large here," Brown said. - By Andrew McGinn (Staff Writer)

No, the album release date hasn't been finalized, but momentum is definitely picking up for local band Small Town Sleeper.

Completing a distribution contract is a long process, said lead singer Troy Brown of Urbana. The rock/pop band recorded its album "Conversations" two years ago in Los Angeles, London and New York under the label of VMR/Upper 11. A change in distribution companies and scheduling issues has prolonged the much anticipated "official" release.

The band was able to pre-release "Conversations" in late summer/early fall 2007 as the band jumped on a tour to open for former American Idol star Chris Daughtry. It's an experience that changed everything for the band.

"It's one of the biggest things that happened for us," Brown said. The band, made up of other local men Derek Snowden, lead guitar, and Will Greider, bass/vocals, along with drummer Dann Burd of Colorado, had expected just one show with Daughtry.

That appearance at Summerfest 2007 at Milwaukee's Marcus Amphitheater turned into almost a dozen more shows with the performer.

Since that time, STS has sold 2,000 copies of its pre-released album and their songs are also available through iTunes.

Most recently, the single "Backseat" has hit the radio waves and can be heard on more than 20 stations around the United States.

"Since we've gone to radio, each week we get more adds," Brown said.

The band hired a radio promoter who works with a network of stations. Those stations test the song and then add it to their playlist if enough interest is there.

"As long as it's doing well, they'll keep adding it and picking it up," he said.

Right now it's only being played in the smaller markets, including Star 92.1 in Lima.

Brown said Ohio is a really big market so they haven't made it to many stations in their home state.

"We're a rock band, but not on rock radio," he said.

For radio, the band is considered Top 40, which can be a tough spot to be in - squeezed in between Daughtry and Justin Timberlake.

"It's hard to have that label because the show we put on is a rock show," Brown said.

Something is working, though. STS will be headed back to New York next week for an interview on New York City's biggest radio station, Z100. Brown said they will be on air at 12:30 p.m. with the interview and some cuts from the album.

STS will also be at Sirius Satellite Radio the same day.

Part of the process is "to show your face" and "thank everyone for all they do for us," Brown said. That includes interviews and small acoustic spots.

While in New York, Brown hopes to touch base with some other contacts, such as MTV. Currently STS is featured on MTV2's On the Rise. Right now the band is No. 1 in Columbus, No. 2 in Ohio and No. 30 nationwide. To vote or to learn more about this, visit www.mtv2ontherise.com.

Spreading the word

Promotion is a big part of "making it" and Brown said that can be tough without the luxury of being on "American Idol" or another national venue to get noticed.

"It's going to take some time to make a national impact," he said. "You have to promote yourself to the whole country."

The band has built up a fan base by traveling all over the U.S. to do shows, both big and small.

"Everything we've been doing has been word of mouth," Brown said. "We don't like to limit ourselves."

Upcoming events include a show this Saturday at Spirits in Springfield, as well as May stops in Dayton, Michigan and Columbus. STS will return to the area for a free concert on June 19 as part of the Springfield Arts Council's Summer Arts Festival.

The free show is a different setting than people are used to seeing the band in, Brown said, and it's a way to be in the Urbana/Springfield area.

"It's important for us to stay tied to the community," he said.

Moving forward

STS isn't just a hobby for the members of the band. They are serious about making it a career. To do this, they must continue to practice "because we're still learning to be showmen," Brown said.

"We practice to just become professionals," he said. "We take it seriously."

STS plans to add more shows through the summer and may get some tour stops with Daughtry again, if it works out.

Management is currently looking heavily into getting an agent for the band. Brown said the manager oversees the band's career, while an agent would employ the band, booking shows and using their contacts to do so.

"We don't want to jump at the first agent," he said. "We want to get the biggest agent we can."

He said there are many "pieces to the pie" when it comes to releasing an album and getting a name out.

"It's all about the biggest team with the biggest muscle," he said.

To learn more about Small Town Sleeper and upcoming shows, visit www.myspace.com/smalltownsleeper. - Beth Deere