The Honey Island Swamp Band Brings a Sledgehammer to Demolition Day
“They’re irresistible by their name alone…” – Elmore

Think The Band’s Big Pink album and add a splash of hot sauce with Willin’ by Little Feat – this group of New Orleans vagabonds nails it.
New Orleans, LA or San Francisco, CA– From the pristine waters of the Honey Island Swamp, to the vibrant streets of New Orleans, to the hazy corner of Haight-Asbury in San Francisco, this band has endured devastation, relocation, and revitalization. A group whose sound has been tagged “Bayou Americana,” the Honey Island Swamp Band takes the hammer to the nail with the help of producer Luther Dickinson, and presents Demolition Day to the world April 29 on Ruf Records.

This album marks the 10-year anniversary of the Honey Island Swamp Band, which formed in San Francisco, CA via New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina displaced the founding members. With little hope of returning to their beloved city, the band channeled the blues and emotions of their circumstances to develop a soulful style and sound that critics have compared to legendary Blues-Roots-Rock Artists such as The Allman Brothers, Little Feat and The Band.
Recording at the Parlor Studio in New Orleans, Honey Island Swamp Band teams up with producer/musician Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars to capture a rhythm and a feel born straight from the heart of Americana. The album features a host of New Orleans finest musicians, including guest appearances by keyboardist Ivan Neville and Tab Benoit on pedal steel.

“Their all encompassing sound of blues, roots, country, and soul has been described as “Bayou Americana.” – No Depression

“We’ve always wanted to record to two-inch tape, to get that old analog sound,” says bandleader Aaron Wilkinson, “and this was our first opportunity to make it happen. Luther was the perfect producer to help us nail that old-school, authentic sound. He was great at keeping us focused on the spirit of each performance, not getting bogged down in details and perfectionism. That’s what we were looking for and what we needed.”

After all, polish isn’t necessary when you’re working with songs this strong. Across its eleven cuts, Demolition Day tips a hat to most of the great American genres, while adding the Honey Island Swamp Band’s inimitable thumbprint. There’s the spring-heeled slide-blues of “Ain’t No Fun”, the upbeat funk of “Head High Water Blues”, the cat-house piano and country-fried guitars of “How Do You Feel”. But then, on the emotional flipside, there’s also the reflective wah-guitar lilt of “Say It Isn’t True”, the mournful funeral-jazz slow-burn of “No Easy Way” and the heart-in-mouth acoustic confessional of “Katie”.

“We’re diverse and complex people,” explains Chris Mule, the band’s guitarist, “and our audiences are as well. So we try to let our music reflect that.” Drawing from their diverse backgrounds, the band’s lyrical content is quite colorful. “They really are all over the map,” Aaron explains of the topics explored on Demolition Day. “Some are rooted in reality and personal experience. “Head High Water Blues” is a look back at the Hurricane Katrina experience now that ten years has passed. Much has been rebuilt, but much has not and never will be – and the song is more about the emotional scars that can never be fully erased. Others are just fiction and storytelling. We had the music for “Through Another Day”, and it sounded sort of old and epic and Southern, and that inspired this Civil War-era storyline that became the lyrics. Others are just sort of playful nonsense about life and relationships, like “Watch And Chain.”

Demolition Day is about rebuilding more than tearing down. It’s about a renewal of purpose, reflected through powerful lyrics and stories, great slide guitar on top of deep bass and rhythms that continue to move the foundation that the band was built upon.

New Orleans has a deep well of music, and that well has no rules – the only boundaries are the ones that we place on ourselves.

On Demolition Day, the Honey Island Swamp Band breaks these boundaries to deliver a sound so relevant and honest that even in the darkest of days – like the violent storm that brought this group of musicians together – Demolition Day still shines brightly.

Meet The Honey Island Swamp Band:

Aaron Wilkinson – mandolin, guitar, harmonica, vocals
Chris Mulé – guitar, vocals
Sam Price – bass, vocals
Garland Paul – drums, vocals
Trevor Brooks – keyboards

What the press has to say about Honey Island Swamp Band:

“Somewhere, there exists a dark, smoky bar with a jukebox that spins George Jones, Gram Parsons, Delbert McClinton, and Little Feat. And if that fantasy honky-tonk lights your Marlboro, you need to know about Honey Island Swamp Band.”
– Broward-Palm Beach New Times

“Blues, Southern rock boogie, Appalachian music and New Orleans swamp funk all factor into their sound, but it’s decidedly their own.”
– Keith Spera, New Orleans Times-Picayune

“Vintage country meets Gulf Coast boogie-woogie blues.”
– Baltimore Sun

“The Honey Island Swamp is a real place. It resides near the border of Louisiana and Mississippi. It’s therefore a fitting name for this band that draws inspiration from the music of those two states. With the Honey Island Swamp Band, soul, country, R&B and blues are all on equal footing. The two man songwriting/guitarist team of Chris Mulé and Aaron Wilkinson produce expressive, hook-laden tunes that honor songcraftwhile respecting the groove.”
– Jambase.com

“What a fine band this is –an utterly refreshing, unpretentious group of first-rate instrumentalists who also sing engagingly. Their music is as delicious as their name.”
– Susan Peña, The Reading Eagle

“Wilkinson’s songs lean toward country rock in the vein of the Band, early Eagles, or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Mule’s songs have a more rhythm and blues edge and a cynical, kiss-off sentiments as in ‘I can’t live the way / you’re killing me.’”
– David Kunian, Offbeat Magazine

“Straddling the line between soulful funk and country rock, Good To You cranks out good time tunes from the Crescent City, carrying the torch for forbearers like the Subdudes and Radiators.”
– Honest Tune Magazine

“A jolly rocking, sweet, swampy set of travelin’, drinkin’ and lovin’ trouble songs. . . 50 minutes of catchy hooks and gen-you-wine blue-eyed soul from one of New Orleans’ hardest working barroom bands.”
– Chris Rose, New Orleans Times Picayune

“Whether moving easily from moments Dead infused or Dr. John influenced, their self-described Bayou Americana sound never loses sight of its swampy swagger or solo driven joy.”
– Jim Brock, EyeOnTheMusic.com

“The Honey Island Swamp Band has matured from a burgeoning local act to a regional powerhouse to a touring outfit poised for a national breakthrough…it has garnered a sizable fan base across the country and served up two worthy studio efforts (2009’s Wishing Well and 2010’s Good to You).”

– Aaron Lafont, Offbeat Magazine

Empire Strikes Brass (ESB) is a high energy Brass-Funk-Rock band hailing from the city of

Asheville, North Carolina. Formed on the streets of their hometown, ESB is rooted in the New

Orleans Brass Band tradition of second-line parades and deep moving grooves reminiscent of old

school funk. Combining complex musical arrangements with thoughtful lyrical song structure, ESB

can stretch out and dig deep when they are feeling it or keep things tight and concise. The fat

sound of the horns paired with one dirty rhythm section makes the music downright psychedelically

nasty! Founded in 2012, ESB intentionally stretches the boundaries of the stereotypical brass band

paradigm, fusing sounds from various genres and weaving them together with the common thread

of Brass. The diversity of the music within their sets keep audiences guessing what is next to come.

Featuring rich group and strong lead vocals including Grammy Award winner Debrissa Mckinney

(Secret Agent 23 Skidoo), ESB not only takes its audiences on a ride to the dark side and back

instrumentally, they also use the force of soaring melody and lush harmony to transport the

listeners to another dimension. The band released its debut album, "Theme For A Celebration" in

2017 and it was tapped as one of the top 100 album releases in 2017 by WNCW 88.7 radio. Since

their conception, ESB has been a consistent fixture at various festivals throughout the east coast.

They've had the pleasure of having Warren Haynes (Allman Bros. Band and Gov’t Mule) sit in with

them at New Mountain Amphitheater in Asheville, NC and the honor of headlining four years in a

row celebrating the life of Dizzy Gillespie in his hometown of Cheraw, SC, for the South Carolina

Jazz and Heritage Festival. ESB has co-billed with such artists as Dr. John & Lettuce. The horns

have sat in on performances with Galactic, The Big Something, and many others. ESB horn

players JP Furnas, Paul Juhl and Alex Bradley are also featured on the live album compilation from

world-renowned artists Beats Antique entitled “Creature Carnival” released in 2015. The band is

known to regularly parade off stage into the audience leading the crowd in a raucous procession

around the venue before, during or after their set.

Members of the band have also been expanding their musical resumes and repertoire. Notable side

projects and performances include keyboardist Lenny Pettinelli’s recording and performing with

Jazz is Phish featuring such artists as Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews Band), Chris Bullock

(Snarky Puppy), Michael Ray (Sun Ra, Kool and the Gang), the Chase Brothers and many more.

The band's founder, saxophonist Paul Juhl, performed with John Oates (Hall and Oates) at

MerleFest. In addition to her work with Skidoo, Debrissa McKinney has performed with artists such

as Karl Denson and Laura Reed. ESB horn players Kyle Snuffer and Alex Bradley have recorded

on Marcus King's upcoming 2018 release produced by Eric Krasno of Soulive and Lettuce.