Although their history goes much farther back, the story of Strange Occurrence begins in the fall of 2000. They were faced with giving up on the music business after 7 years in the Seattle music scene. The frontman of their project had quit after 3 years of solid commitment leaving them singerless and without a future. It was a last-ditch phone call to a friend, TJ Harris, that breathed new life into them. TJ's former band, Red Shoed Star, had performed with Strange Occurrence in the past, but they had long-since faded from the Seattle indie rock scene. Being huge fans of TJ's vocal ability and stage performance, the remaining members of Strange Occurrence were ecstatic to hear that he was willing to give the music business another try.
They used the first few months getting to know each other musically and professionally. As they developed, they realized that they were ready to take their music to a national level. In June of 2001, they packed up their families (12 people in all) and moved to Nashville. It was an incredibly huge undertaking and it proved itself to be their biggest challenge. They lost one of their founding members and a rhythm guitarist in the stress of it all. Using the down-time to their advantage, they worked the business side of their music until they settled a deal with Steelroots Records out of North Carolina. After penning the deal, they decided to move back home to Seattle.
Their debut record, Another Day to Start Again, was released in the summer of 2002. It found incredible favor with critics and their first single, Reach, climbed to number one on many radio station's charts. The video made a huge impression also, breaking into the top 5 on TVU's Most Wanted, a video program viewed around the nation. The song finally peaked at number 6 on the Radio & Record's Rock Chart for their genre before it lost its momentum.
Their Steelroots journey led them through the gauntlet of the American music business. They appeared on national television both in interview and performance. They toured extensively, released their singles to radio, and received a surprisingly warm welcome wherever they went. They played before thousands of excited onlookers at Illinois' Cornerstone Festival where they shot their second video to their radio single, Runaway. Unfortunately, by the time all this had built up, Steelroots Records decided to shift their focus into areas beyond the music business which left Strange Occurrence on the launch pad with no one to countdown their takeoff.
They are currently shopping for record label representation and writing new material for a follow-up record tentatively entitled, Everywhere But Home, an acknowledgement to the interesting circumstance that no matter how much success they experience around the country, they are still considered just another local band back home in Seattle.
It seems that from the ashes of the Seattle music phenomenon of the early nineties, a phoenix has risen. A band with strength, certainty, and faith. The world watches to see what the future holds for this amazing, young band.
TJ Harris (vocals) Joe Wiles (guitar) Eric Vickers (bass) Mike Middleton (drums)
