The Big Medicine

Brothers Chad and Nathan Jackson were raised in a musical family and have long played together in Seattle hard rock bands, notably Local 808 and Drop Six. Their family members had often asked them to "slow it down a bit" and play something that would show the softer side of their influences. With this in mind, the brothers went on a retreat to Leavenworth, WA with just a portable recording studio and a couple of guitars. When they returned home and listened to the songs they had written there, they realized that this was the beginning of a project that simply had to become a reality.

They first called on longtime friend Garrett Craddock to help them get the new project off the ground. Nathan had previously been bandmates with Garrett in SP Unlimited, another prominent Seattle rock band, and knew that his versatility and broad range of influences would fit perfectly with their vision for the new project's direction. After some more collaboration they decided to pursue Brian Jackson (no relation to Chad and Nate.) Brian is another longtime friend and the drummer from Seattle area projects such as Us of All, Seymore Goldfish, Thread, Healer, and Violate the Standard. Chad also tapped Hellephant bassist and bandmate Josh Veals for the new project. Josh is also the former bass player for Jed, another popular Seattle rock band. After that, the band was still missing keyboards, so Brian asked longtime friend and former Seymore Goldfish bandmate Matt McKay to sit in. Matt found himself filling more of a multi-instrumentalist role; not only on keyboards, but baritone guitar, mandolin, and even tenor sax. Once all the members were assembled, they knew they had something special right from their first rehearsal and when they started getting into the songwriting process the band was complete.

So, what about the name? The band is named after a legendary white buffalo that the Flathead tribe in Montana called the Big Medicine. They found this to be an apt name because it carries a deeper meaning in that music itself is "Big Medicine" for all of the band's members - playing and performing keeps them "right in the head." Since all the band's members have backgrounds in heavy rock, this project is quite a diversion from what they are used to and a welcome escape into new territories.