Stir
Encyclopedia
Formation and major label signing
Stir was founded in 1994 as a three piece band at the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, and consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Andy Schmidt, bassist Kevin Gagnepain, and drummer Brad Booker. Schmidt, Gagnepain and Booker had been in another band previous to Stir named "The Choice" and decided to form the band when that band's lead singer, Rick Smith, decided to no longer pursue a career in music.
The band released a self-produced, independent LP titled "Until Now" in 1995 under its own label, Stir Music. Later that year, the band played at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival. The band signed with the indie label Aware Records
Aware Records
Aware Records is an American record label, existent to seek unsigned musical artists and expose them to the mainstream media. The label has had success with a range of artists, including John Mayer, Train, Five For Fighting, Mat Kearney and Guster....
following the performance, subsequently releasing their eponymous debut album, "Stir" in 1996. This record included much of the material from the independent release. Later signed up by major label Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, the self-titled "Stir" was re-released to wider distribution.
Under the Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
imprint they also released their second record "Holy Dogs" in 2000 and were praised by radio program directors as the "new golden boys."
Commercial efforts and successes
The band found some radio success in the alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
genre. The highest charting single was "Looking For", from the eponymous debut, which peaked at number 8 in 1997 on the Billboard mainstream rock chart. However, the follow-up single, "One Angel" was said to be their breakthrough song, but failed to significantly chart during its release. The two singles from Holy Dogs, "New Beginning" and "Climbing The Walls", also saw some success on the Billboard charts in 2000, but were ill-supported by Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. While on tour with Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
, five songs from the band's set, including "Superstation", were broadcast live on the Westwood One radio network. During this time the band also made two appearances on the nationally syndicated radio show, Rockline, on May 12, 1997 and March 13, 2000. During support of Holy Dogs they made an appearance on then-popular VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
show The List, performing "New Beginning" as well as a cover of the Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
single "In Bloom
In Bloom
"In Bloom" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. Written by frontman Kurt Cobain, the song addresses people outside of the underground music community who did not understand the band's message....
" live in the studio. Rumors and talks of a late night TV performance never blossomed, although the band has stated they were close to appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman.
Even with all of this self promotion, and the semi-success of the singles, Holy Dogs failed to make a dent in the industry, selling roughly 45,000 copies by the end of the album cycle.
In late 2001/early 2002, Andy and Kevin entered a new song of theirs into the International Songwriting Competition
International Songwriting Competition
The International Songwriting Competition is an annual song contest based in Nashville, TN, whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of...
, an annual contest typically receiving 15,000+ entries from bands and artists around the globe, featuring industry judges such as Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (musician)
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...
of matchbox twenty
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
, Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
, and many others. Their song, "Skeletons" won the grand prize out of all entries.
This song, plus others such as "Hold On" and "What You Do", were slated for release on the band's forthcoming album, which Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
had scheduled for release on April 22, 2003.
Changes and setbacks
Following the tour in support of "Holy Dogs", founding member and drummer Brad Booker left the band to pursue a solo career, arranging compositions for some Volkswagen and NCAA ads, as well as joining up briefly with Gravity KillsGravity Kills
Gravity Kills is an American industrial rock band from Jefferson City, Missouri. Their music was described by one critic as "a blending of eerie industrial rock with a pop-infused melodic chorus and a bit of hard-core head banging."...
and then Apartment 26
Apartment 26
Apartment 26 was an alternative metal band from Leamington Spa, England. They played Ozzfest in 1999 and split up in 2004.They worked with Tchad Blake, at Real World Studios, on their self-financed Music For The Massive, having scrapped "Album 1.5" after two years of production...
(see notes below). In addition to his replacement on drums, a second guitarist was added to the band. At a concert in St. Louis on July 5, 2002, the newly reformed Stir appeared for the first time as a four piece, now including:
- Thom DonovanThom DonovanThom Donovan is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass and keyboards. He has released one solo album and is a member of the band Lapush...
, guitarist (LapushLapushLapush is an American rock band, formed in 2002 in St. Louis, Missouri. The group consists of Thom Donovan , Kevin Bachmann and Neil Bardon ....
) - John Pessoni, drummer (formerly of The UrgeThe UrgeThe Urge is a St. Louis rock band formed in 1987 by drummer Jeff Herschel, bassist Karl Grable, guitarist Pat Malecek, and singer Steve Ewing...
)
Stir debuted several new songs, including "Not the Only One", "First Time", and "Hold On." They also performed a cover of Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child o' Mine
Sweet Child O' Mine
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is the third single by American rock band Guns N' Roses, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S...
", as well as the fan-favorite cover of Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
's "Crazy Train
Crazy Train
"Crazy Train" is a song written by Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley. It was released as the first single in 1980 on Osbourne's first solo studio album, Blizzard of Ozz. The song was recorded in 1980, a year after leaving Black Sabbath, and later included on the live album Tribute,...
," which has been previously recorded for the Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
In Concert program. All of the original songs, also possibly including a studio cover of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's "Baba O'Riley
Baba O'Riley
"Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"...
", were set to be released on the group's third major-label disc on April 22, 2003. However, weeks before the scheduled release date, the album was shelved indefinitely due to a shift in the labels ownership and management.
Attributed to this change, a falling out occurred with Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, as everyone who was behind the band had either left or been fired by Capitol, leaving the group in limbo and the album of new material without official release. The band was eventually dropped by Capitol after extended talks, but the label retained the rights to the unreleased material as well as the previous albums (both of which are now out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
, but were made available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
in 2007). As posted to the band's message board, bassist Kevin Gagnepain refers to the unreleased CD by the title, "Untitled, Unmastered, and Unemployed". Since then, much of the material has been released to the internet by the band and is also available at an unofficial site with a large amount of compiled live and unreleased material.http://www.stirmusic.net
The End of Stir
The band unofficially broke up in 2005, shortly after Andy and Kevin played an acoustic concert on 11/26 at The Pageant in St. Louis, in support of a local musicians showcase. Gagnepain has stated on numerous occasions that the band is not indefinitely finished. However, there is some rumor circulating within fan circles that Schmidt has confirmed that the likelihood of any type of Stir reunion or concert is 'very slim' and 'probably won't happen.'During the 'extended' hiatus as Stir, several members have established themselves in new musical efforts as solo artists or with new bands during the lull:
- Brad Booker, after spending time in the groups Gravity KillsGravity KillsGravity Kills is an American industrial rock band from Jefferson City, Missouri. Their music was described by one critic as "a blending of eerie industrial rock with a pop-infused melodic chorus and a bit of hard-core head banging."...
and Apartment 26Apartment 26Apartment 26 was an alternative metal band from Leamington Spa, England. They played Ozzfest in 1999 and split up in 2004.They worked with Tchad Blake, at Real World Studios, on their self-financed Music For The Massive, having scrapped "Album 1.5" after two years of production...
, currently writes solo music and has racked up credits as producer, mixer, and co-writer with acts such as Piper and Bloom, J. Relic, Mic Averich, and Apryl Lauren. He is also involved in the cover band, Wyld Stallyns. In addition, he has played drums on Chloe Day's Trip-Hop hit "Kingpin".
- Founding member and bassist Kevin Gagnepain was the bassist with Tobi Kai & the Strays. Currently, he plays bass in the tongue-in-cheek cover band Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band (using the stage moniker "Jethro Dirt") and also with his new St. Louis based band, Shooting With Annie.
- Thom DonovanThom DonovanThom Donovan is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass and keyboards. He has released one solo album and is a member of the band Lapush...
has founded the band LapushLapushLapush is an American rock band, formed in 2002 in St. Louis, Missouri. The group consists of Thom Donovan , Kevin Bachmann and Neil Bardon ....
, handling vocals and guitar. The band was signed to Carson DalyCarson DalyCarson Jones Daly is an American television host. He is the host of NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, a late-night talk show that began airing on January 7, 2002. Before his role as host of that program, Daly was a VJ on MTV's TRL, and a DJ for the Southern California based radio station KROQ-FM...
's co-owned label, FourFiveSix Entertainment, in 2005, and has appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC (Dec. 2, 2005). Their debut album, "Someplace Closer To HereSomeplace Closer to HereSomeplace Closer To Here is the debut studio album by American rock band Lapush, released in June 2005 through fourfivesix entertainment and Fontana/Universal. The album went to #15 on the Alternative/Specialty Album Chart and features the singles, "Quit You Now", "Aurora," and "Say...
", was released on June 5, 2005. The album went to #15 on the Alternative/Specialty Chart and featured the singles, "Quit You Now" and "Aurora". "Aurora" was also featured in the television show, "MoonlightMoonlightMoonlight is the light that reaches Earth from the Moon. This light does not originate from the Moon, but from sunlight. The Moon does not, however, reflect sunlight like a mirror, but it reflects light from those portions of its surface which the Sun's light strikes. See diffuse reflection.In...
" on CBS. The band released their second album, "Modern BluesModern BluesModern Blues is the second studio album by American rock band Lapush, released in May 2007. The album features the singles, Closer and Run. Several songs from the album have appeared in "The Hill's" on MTV....
", in 2007. Songs from this release have appeared in several television shows on MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, including "The HillsThe HillsThe Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
", "College LifeCollege LifeCollege Life is a popular song, first published in 1905 and written by Hery Frantzen. Today the most well-known version is by Billy Murray, who recorded a 1906 version for Victor Records which has entered the public domain.-External links:* *...
" and "16 And Pregnant".
- John Pessoni is still active in the St. Louis music scene as part of Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band (using the stage moniker "Johnny Dirt"), as well as with the occasionally reuniting band The UrgeThe UrgeThe Urge is a St. Louis rock band formed in 1987 by drummer Jeff Herschel, bassist Karl Grable, guitarist Pat Malecek, and singer Steve Ewing...
Kevin and John are involved in a Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
tribute show entitled "Wish You Were Here" and perform under the name El Monstero Y Los Masked Avengers. Four to six shows each year typically take place at The Pageant
The Pageant
The Pageant, sometimes called The Pageant Concert NightClub, is a music venue in the Delmar Loop district, located on the western edge of Saint Louis, Missouri, just east of the University City half of the loop area....
in St. Louis during the week leading up to Christmas. Through 2005 Schmidt participated in the tribute band as well, but has not been involved since.
Typically, details of the whereabouts and on-goings of founder and frontman Andy Schmidt are more elusive from the online community than the rest of the band. Rumor has it that he is contracted by a well-known entertainment company, chiefly in a song writing capacity. He lives in the Los Angeles, California area. He does occasionally surface for solo performances as well, but his location makes it difficult for extended prep needed for any type of Stir concert.
Albums
- Fall, 1993, Forty Lashes Music (independent release as four-piece band "The Choice")
- ...Until Now, 1995, Stir Music (independent release as three-piece band "Stir")
- STIR, 1996, Aware RecordsAware RecordsAware Records is an American record label, existent to seek unsigned musical artists and expose them to the mainstream media. The label has had success with a range of artists, including John Mayer, Train, Five For Fighting, Mat Kearney and Guster....
, re-released on Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... - Holy Dogs, 2000, Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
- Untitled, Unmastered, and Unemployed, 2003, (unreleased)
Charting Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | |||
| 1996 | "Looking For" | - | 8 | STIR |
| 1997 | "One Angel" | - | 23 | |
| "Stale" | - | 21 | ||
| 2000 | "New Beginning" | 18 | 16 | Holy Dogs |
| "Climbing the Walls" | 39 | 39 |
Trivia
- Andy Schmidt penned a song with John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
that was set to be used on Stir's unreleased album. A rough demo was reportedly cut, with Mayer on backing vocals and guitar, but the song never materialized past that point and was not included in the studio sessions for the album. - Andy and Kevin are hockey fans, fans of the St. Louis Blues in particular.
- Before STIR was signed, Andy used to teach private guitar lessons around the St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
area. - Their final show was actually a short acoustic set performed by Andy and Kevin, opening for some local St. Louis bands, in November 2005.
- The original members actually met in high school in St. Charles, MO. Not until college did they form the early beginnings of STIR.
- In 2000, STIR contributed a live version of their song "Climbing The Walls" to the charity album Live in the X Lounge IIILive in the X LoungeLive in the X Lounge is a series of albums released by Birmingham, Alabama's former alternative rock radio station, WRAX.Though the station can no longer be found on the air, this series of live performances was produced while the station was known as 107.7 The X...
. - Stir has toured nationally and internationally with many bands, including CreedCreed (band)Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
, Collective SoulCollective SoulCollective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
, 3 Doors Down3 Doors Down3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
, TonicTonic (band)Tonic is an American rock band that has earned two Grammy nominations to date. The band was formed in 1993 by Emerson Hart and Jeff Russo. Later members have included Dan Lavery, Kevin Shepard, and Dan Rothchild. Signed to a recording contract in 1995, the band released its debut album Lemon Parade...
, and TrainTrain (band)Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
.
External links
- Stirmusic.net
- WetPaint wiki site - exchange messages, links to music
- MP3.com
- Chart History
- ISC Official 2002 Winners Website
- Stir concert review
- older fan site
- Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band Website
- Tobi Kai & the Strays Band Website
- Bookermusic & Brad Booker Official Website
- LaPush Band Website
- Take 5 interview with LaPush