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Leopold & His Fiction w/ Should’ve Been Cowboys & Sarah Wise

June 14, 2014 @ 9:00 pm - 11:55 pm

LEOPOLD AND HIS FICTION

Naked, stripped down and aching with adrenaline is the rawness of Leopold and his Fiction. A revolving group of friends led by Detroit native Daniel James (lead vocal/guitar), their essential make up sprouted from collaborations made on the road in the whirlwind cycle of touring. From San Francisco to LA to Austin various musical adventures had come and gone, until James found a common vision in the musicians he’d met along the way. Their seminal force is the catalyst for soul-drenched, bare-bone rock ‘n’ roll that shakes with the power of ’73-era Stooges while seducing with the rhythm and blues of Motown.

Originally formed as an outlet for Daniel James to exercise his virtues gained from years in Detroit, Leopold and his Fiction absorbed pieces of the Motown catalog along with the protopunk resonance of Iggy’s Stooges and molded them into a personal version of the rock ‘n’ roll dream. “I lived a heavily drug-induced, alcohol-crazed lifestyle that I thought you needed to live to get to the top of an industry whose facade is fueled by such,” says James. “It wasn’t until I moved far away and met this family of musicians, that I found who I really am, it’s where I need to be.” James balanced his raw, naïve energy and became a founding member of country folk rock act Cowboy and Indian, enjoying a successful run playing festivals including Austin City Limits and recording a full length album.

“Vocal harmony and traditional folk is one side of me,” says James, “but I need to release this direct surge of energy.” Composed and redefined on and off stage, Leopold and his Fiction is a beast in all its glory when plugged into their amplifiers and fully cranked. It’s as if they, themselves, are connected directly into an electric socket. “The band elicits a power when it’s time to perform that is unable to be harnessed in any other medium short of a fist fight,” says James. “Whether that’s on stage or in a recording studio it’s almost hard to contain it. It’s more life than I’ve ever felt before.” It was that sonic fever that landed the group recent support slots for The Cult and ZZ Top.

When James was younger he wrote songs about escaping, and long trips through a desert, never really looking back, always pushing forward. With Leopold and his Fiction the songs have naturally matured. “Leopold is a fictional entity that gives me a vehicle to discover these characters,” says James. “For me, it is similar to writing a novel by cultivating very specified personalities in various and often ominous situations with different outcomes.” The songwriter claims to have gone through a rebirth since coming to Austin. It’s where he fell in love, quit drinking and had a daughter. “With nothing blanketing my receptors I can let down my guard,” he says. “I’ve never been more vulnerable and, in a way, never more fearless. It’s very honest and liberating.”

For the past year Leopold and his Fiction have been working with Grammy-nominated producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith (The Datsuns, Slayer, Jet, The Dandy Warhols, etc…) in recording and capturing a captivating musical journey that is as relentless as it is inspiring. “Frenchie saw our show and listened to our records,” says James. “He was very blunt and said, ‘I’m confident I can make you guys shine!’ He brought a lot out of me and the band. The energy was very positive and the songs are confident, edgy and packed with emotion.” Amidst the band’s hook-filled party rock James was also able to refine his more melodic Neil Young / Jackson Browne side.

“When I was really young and spent all my time listening to records, I would dedicate my attention to songs that facilitated my emotions,” says James. “Sometimes ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,’ other times “Going to California’. The best music for me explores a demographic of both introversion and extroversion. It’s a craft just like any other. I have to work at it rigorously over and over until I find the combination that works best for the song.” The next Leopold and his Fiction album promises a full pallet of artistry from America’s deep, dark underbelly and rootsy fabric to a revival of an Rn’B-tinged, backwoods charm. It goes back to the days when Motown and Stax loaded singles with a hip-shaking groove on the A-side and a ballad in 6/8 on the B-side that could be crooned under the moonlight.

Leopold & His Fiction on Facebook | Leopold & His Fiction on Twitter | Official Website

Should’ve Been Cowboys



Should’ve Been Cowboys is a four-man Indie Rock band from College Station, TX. They formed a year ago and have performed throughout the Brazos County. Over the course of 2012, they performed thirty-eight shows. Front-man Clayton Tumlinson’s beautiful vocal melodies, Taylor Maddox’s attention-grabbing lead, Nathan Garcia’s dynamic drum style, and Brenton Kim’s solid foundation, compose Should’ve Been Cowboys. This fun and high-energy band will leave audiences floored for more.

Taylor Maddox comes from a family with absolutely no musical background or talent. He started playing guitar in 7th grade[2003]when his mother bought him an electric guitar for his birthday. In all honestly he started playing to catch the attention of a girl at church, but thanks to that, his dream of being a life-long musician was born. He met 2 of his best friends, Nathan and Clayton, at the same church in 2005 when we were all raw musicians. Barely knowing anything, Taylor climbed on stage and fell in love with it. Letting David Gilmore and Jimmy Page be his major influences as a young musician, he fell in love with multiple genres and allowed music to take over his world.

Clayton Tumlinson grew up playing music with his older brother, Bobby, who is 6 years older than him and played the piano. Clayton got his first acoustic guitar for Christmas from his aunt and uncle when he was 11 and they’ve been jamming together ever since. Right off the bat Clayton was writing songs and playing guitar without any prior knowledge how to do so. He played at the First Assembly of God in Marble Falls, Tx every Sunday with his brother and it was then that he realized he knew he wanted to be a musician. Since then he has put everything he has had into music. Leading with passion and ending with his own blood, sweat, and tears.
Nathan Garcia was surrounded by music from a young age. With a drummer and DJ for a father, music was always there. He learned to play the drums at a young age, performing in his first talent show at the age of 9. Ever since then, drumming, and music in general, have become his passion. At the age of 17 he started learning to play the guitar and his love for music grew exponentially ever since. After moving to College Station, Texas in 2010, he began forming relationships with other musicians he had met years before. This would eventually lead to the group Should’ve Been Cowboys being formed. Since then Nathan has been teaching guitar at a studio in College Station and hopes that through this he can share his love of music with a younger generation.
Brenton Kim began playing bass in Dallas, TX. Starting at the age fourteen, his musicality has developed throughout the years. Absorbing influences from multiple genres, Brenton approaches the bass with a peculiar and distinct feel.

Should’ve Been Cowboys on Facebook | Should’ve Been Cowboys on Twitter | Official Website

Details

Date:
June 14, 2014
Time:
9:00 pm - 11:55 pm