RANDY STONEHILL BAND
Between his historical ties to the early days of contemporary Christian music to a prolific streak of intelligent songwriting and a tireless work ethnic on the road, Randy Stonehill has become one of today's most beloved troubadours. And with a legion of fans spanning multiple generations, a constantly shifting sphere of artistic endeavors, plus a newly renewed vision, the tunesmith is poised for one of the most exciting and enlightening periods of his three and a half decade career. Rather than resting on his laurels or merely regurgitating yesteryear, Stonehill is taking a bold step forward by teaming up with his brand new, eponymously named band consisting of drummer Randi Scott, bassist Steve Mitchell and lead guitarist Ben Abney, which marks his first full-fledged outing of this nature since the late 1980s.
"Touring solo has never gotten old to me, but the last regular band thing I can recall doing was the Keaggy/Stonehill Band," says the singer/songwriter, citing a 1989 California festival as the last gig for him and fellow guitar slinger Phil Keaggy. "I've done one offs here and there, but I think this line-up is cool on a number of levels. For starters, a band really inspires you and it helps me blow out the cobwebs. They allow you to work harder and move more, but these guys in particular also give me plenty of space. I can take a break at the center of the show to bring down the set to a more intimate place and give the audience a taste of that solo concert dynamic and then the band comes back for some more fun and thunder."
Though the band just loaded up its tour buses at the tip of 2007 for the very first time, rumblings occurred the prior year when Scott called Stonehill sharing the guys' interest in accompanying the living legend on the road. Considering the fact that he and the other players were already members of the Chicago-based rock band Supermint (who spent the past few years touring with the Gin Blossoms and its side project Gas Giants) made the offer even more appealing.
"I feel like God literally dropped this in my lap and it's been the most timely gift because it's always important to challenge yourself in fresh ways," Stonehill contends. "These are all really seasoned guys who have a pretty extensive track record in clubs, but they were looking for something that showcased both musical vitality and spiritual vitality. They offered to bring me into different venues, broaden my audience and also promised it would be a rollicking good time, which it has been thus far."
Anyone who's caught the group in concert can attest to the foursome's instant chemistry and raucous rock and roll offerings, which could be accurately compared to a sanctified version of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers or perhaps a mini-version of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. Aside from those adventurous sounds, the line-up also allows Stonehill to showcase sections from his entire catalogue in the way those tunes were originally recorded.
"Right now the trip down memory lane sounds pretty fresh because the audience has not heard these songs with a band in so many years, and in some cases, I haven't even heard some of them that way since they were initially cut," he continues. "As dates keep popping onto the calendar, the set will certainly evolve and we'll start to incorporate new songs."
Though fans are sure to fawn over the fact that Stonehill's committed to a batch of new material by year's end, they'll be even more eager to know the album once again reunites the performer with Keaggy. The sessions literally started by accident when the Los Angeles based Stonehill was visiting Nashville on business and paid a visit to Keaggy's home studio.
"It all happened very naturally when I popped over and we started kicking around some ideas," he reveals. "We had this idea for a song called 'Irresistible Future' and literally finished the lyrics upstairs in his living room before heading downstairs to put it down. He called up a drummer friend and it turned into a little garage rock party that had the song almost completed by the end of the night. A few days later he sent me an email and said 'you know, this is so cool, do you wanna make an EP as a rockin'/funky glorified garage band that's loose without being sloppy?' I was immediately game and we started with a goal of knocking out five or six tracks, but now we're looking at ten, maybe twelve. I guess we'll just know when we get there!"
The pair has had some extra time to tag team in Music City as of late thanks to yet another new foray for Stonehill. Beyond working on the duo's own original material, he's entered the ranks of writing for mainstream country artists thanks to encouragement and networking ties from longtime friend Jamie West (a music industry veteran whose lengthy resume includes Liberty Records A&R during Garth Brooks' monumental run).
"We had dinner one night and it led to a real epiphany moment," Stonehill confides. "She told me how she knew I was a west coast guy and that I probably wouldn't consider moving to Nashville, but as long as I'd make a commitment to coming once every four to six weeks that she could help make it happen. So she basically grabbed me by the chin to make this commitment and told me that God would honor it and that I'd love it. She was right and it's leading me to a place where I can live out my dream of having home seasons and road seasons."
Out of his lengthy list of co-writers, Stonehill's already teamed up with The Warren Brothers (an acclaimed country act in their own right), Rivers Rutherford (an ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year" award winner who penned the Dolly Parton/Brad Paisley duet "When I Get Where I'm Going"), Alan Shamblin (responsible for the Bonnie Raitt classic "I Can't Make You Love Me"), Stacy Wideltz (who wrote "She's Like the Wind" from Dirty Dancing) and Rob Crosby (a mastermind behind Martina McBride's smash "Concrete Angel").
As Stonehill settles into that angle of the music industry, he also recently christened Stonehill Productions with guitarist Mike Pachelli, which allows the front lines artist to spend time behind the boards working with other acts. Aside from working with established artists, Stonehill seeks to share his expertise and give back to younger acts hoping to make a mark on music ministry ranks. Lastly, the switch hitter is once again uncovering his inner child and alter ego Uncle Stonehill, working with a Hollywood production company to possibly turn the Uncle Stonehill's Hat CD series into either a TV or DVD pilot. Indeed it's a very busy but continuously exciting chain of events in what promises to be one the artist's most ambitious years of reinvention.
"I just feel like life is short at best and I want to keep moving forward as long as God lets me really," Stonehill sums up. I also feel like the more I grow as a Christian and the more I try to keep developing as an artist, the more work I find and I have more freshness and depth to offer. I'm not interested in putting it in low gear or riding on the comfortable material from the past. And even when the avalanche of work and challenges seem like they are going to make me fall down, God inspires me and lights a fire, which is the most exciting part of this current season."
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Website: RandyStonehill.com
