In the ever-growing population of Milwaukee bands being signed these days (i.e. Field Report, Jaill) is one of the city’s longest standing. Since the mid-2000’s (and their teenage years), Trapper Schoepp and the Shades‘ core and namesake of the group, Trapper Schoepp (along with his brother Tanner) have been hard at work and are now looking at an official release date on their album Run, Engine, Run September 25th from SideOneDummy Records [Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly].
In late 2011, the band released the album, a collection that showed a ton of growth in songwriting, their heartland folk and power pop alight with new energy and steeped in strength from the growing sonic bond of the two brothers on vocals and guitar and bass, a new full-time drummer Jon Phillip (Tommy Stinson, Limbeck) and lead guitarist Graham Hunt. Given care and attention from producer Daniel McMahon (Cory Chisel, Cameron McGill) and Geog Sanoff (Nada Surf, Fountains of Wayne) who did the mixing, Run, Engine, Run is a pop record in all the right respects and heartfelt Americana in the rest. In a press release announcing the signing, Schoepp says, “I’m young, so I look at this as an opportunity to press on and share songs. Right now I have no expectations other than to keep on keepin’ on.”
Tune into WMSE today at 2 p.m. CST to hear Shades drummer Jon Phillip talk about the album and its new home live on Melissa’s show. Listen at 91.7 FM on your radio dial or stream at WMSE.org live/or in the archives.
Sonic Diet 