BASCOM HILL Charlie Victor, lead vocals Jason Sheridan, acoustic/electric guitar, vocals Joe Sheehan, rhythm electric guitar Quin Stickler, bass, vocals Craig Walkner, drums
Bascom Hill is on the move.
They haven’t yet reached their goal – which, aside from world domination, involves following their debut album Maybe with an even stronger sophomore release.
True, they’re taking a somewhat circuitous route, one that’s led them up to the north woods and, briefly, left them stranded outside of St. Louis, watching as their van blew up like something out of Die Hard or Speed.
But they are getting there. New songs are being written. Demos are being cut.
Most important, one of the hottest bands ever to come out of Madison, Wisconsin, is broadening its territory, picking up new fans as they travel down into the Deep South and line up their first appearances on both coasts – arriving, of course, in their still intact, brand new van.
Those who’ve followed Bascom Hill from the beginning, back when they called themselves Tasty Wanton and emerged from doing acoustic sets at the University of Wisconsin to playing major shows throughout the state, know that they’ve evolved quickly into one of the most engaging acts ever to break from this part of the country.
They describe their sound as “Jack Johnson meets U2,” with acoustic and electric textures fusing into a sound that’s both intimate and uplifting. Their lyrics, elusive in imagery yet direct in emotional impact, weave through this fabric; the combination engages bodies and minds, equally and irresistibly.
The loyalty of their fans have put Bascom Hill on a fast-track concert trajectory in recent months, as they’ve been called to open for The Fray, the Guffs, the Pat McGee Band, Hanson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and other headliners.
Critics have caught on too. They’ve lauded the band’s “smooth pop vocals” and “funky rhythms” (Rick’s Café), “tight harmonies, affecting lyrics, and breezy sound” (Capital Times), and “crisp guitar melodies that glow with Midwestern sincerity” (Download.com). And early in ’06 Bascom Hill won their first WAMI award, certifying their album officially as the best in Wisconsin.
Equally important, the entertainment industry is tuning into Bascom Hill. Their songs have earned exposure on television: MTV’s Next, Date My Mom, and Gauntlet II, Lifetime’s Cheerleader Nation, UPN’s America’s Next Top Model, even ESPN’s Wanna Go Fishing? XM Radio’s XMU/Channel 43 selected them early in ’06 as “artist of the week.” Dear Mr. President and other independent films have added Bascom Hill to their soundtracks.
They’ve also made it onto high-profile compilations, such as Groove Rock Gear’s U Heard It Here First, distributed at the VH1 Rock Honors Awards Show, and an upcoming package from Aware Records.
Somehow, in the midst of all this activity, the band has also taken steps toward recording their second album. The first of these involved the songwriting team of lead singer Charlie Victor and guitarist/singer Jason Sheridan driving up to a log cabin they’ve been visiting together since they were kids – not to hang with their families, as they did back in the day, but to whip up some new material.
“We actually wrote a couple of our first songs up there, when we were in high school,” Sheridan says. “Charlie’s parents own the place, but I hadn’t been there in five years, so we decided to get out of our daily studio routine and see what the woods might inspire. We were there for three days, coming up with new musical ideas, and then we came back to my studio to record what we’d come up with.”
It’s a little premature to discuss any trends forecast during this retreat, but Sheridan is willing to hazard a few guesses about where the band is headed. “Really, we went in a lot of new directions,” he explains. “In terms of lyrics, we came up with some songs based on loneliness and maturing and wondering about where we’re going in life. Being secluded with these thoughts really helped us to bring them into definition. And musically, we’re experimenting with loops and electronics to get more of an urban/modern feel. It’ll be interesting to see what we can pull out of ourselves with that.”
This shift toward a more aggressive groove coincides with the addition of the band’s latest member, drummer Craig Walkner. Since his arrival in the summer of ’05, Bascom Hill has galvanized its traditional strengths – great writing, strong vocal and instrumental chops – with a more emphatic rhythm. There were unexpected benefits as well, including Walkner’s talent for promotion and, on one memorable afternoon, for filming under pressure.
“We were going down to Austin for South By Southwest,” Sheridan recalls, “about twenty minutes north of St. Louis, when Craig said, ‘Do you smell smoke?’ He looks behind us, and there’s a billow of smoke coming from the back. So we pull over, and the whole undercarriage of the van is on fire. We get all the guitars out, and we detach the trailer and push it away.”
Within fifteen minutes flames had engulfed the vehicle. By this point Walkner had whipped out his video camera and, in the nick of time, captured the moment of explosion – a milestone now memorialized on the band’s website, bascomhillband.com. Such was their dedication that even this catastrophe didn’t deter them on their mission to make it to Texas. The wreckage still smoldered as Sheridan made his way into the nearest town – Troy, Illinois – and bought another van off the local dealer’s lot.
With fifteen hours to spare, they hooked up the trailer and got ready to roll. Then someone noticed that one of the tires on the trailer had gone flat – and that was enough to make them late to their gig by mere minutes.
“We’ve had our ups and downs,” Sheridan admits, laughing. “But that’s the way this business is. We’ve played to three thousand people and sold a billion CDs and gotten totally pumped up, and the next day we’re playing to three people. But the overall trend is definitely up. It’s like the stock market.”
That, of course, makes Bascom Hill a solid, blue-chip bet. Watch this space for more news in months to come …