New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Brooklyn-based Sherman Ewing has crafted a fascinating New York success story. He's an Ivy Leaguer who ended up following his two dreams of making music and walking dogs (not so typical for his Columbia classmates!)
NY1 TV's Lifestyle/Arts correspondent
Stephanie Simon visited Sherman's home in Red Hook for a recent interview segment:
NY1-TV Interview Segment:
This Red Hook Singer Can Thank Dogs for Supporting His
Music Career By
Stephanie Simon 5/14/17
An indie singer and songwriter who lives in Red Hook has built his career from his love of dogs. NY1 Arts and Culture reporter
Stephanie Simon has his story. Watch the clip, here:
https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/arts/2017/05/14/singer-dog-walker-red-hook-music-career-business-sherman-ewing.html
As an independent singer/songwriter, Ewing has been compared to
Bob Dylan and Keith Richards, and covered in USA Today multiple times, with respected critic Elysa Gardner noting Ewing's songs "have a wry lyricism that suggests a hard-won emotional integrity." Ewing is currently wrapping up a new album, which will be released this fall.
Sherman talked about his dual careers in a lengthy new interview with VENTS Magazine:
https://ventsmagazine.com/2017/06/05/interview-indie-rocker-dog-walker-sherman-ewing/
Another expansive interview ran via Eponymous Review - By Laurie Fanelli, 4/17
Sherman Ewing talks Missing Cats, walking dogs & recording new music
https://www.eponymousreview.com/1507/interview-sherman-ewing-missing-cats/
Singer-songwriter Sherman Ewing is working on his highly-anticipated follow-up to his 2015 album, Cross My Broken Heart. His upcoming release combines elements of folk, rock and big band with personal storytelling and philosophical ideas. Eponymous Review got a chance to ask Ewing all about his new music and his successful dog walking business, Club Pet NYC.
More of Sherman Ewing's Story:
While Ewing's elite college colleagues were heading off to graduate school, getting married and buying homes, he was reeling from the tragic death of his mother -- a devout, religious woman who did not believe in standard medicine, even in the face of cancer. Ewing struggled to find his footing following her passing, but he does recall her telling him to follow his dreams…and he found them in his love of music and dogs.
Parallel to his music career, Ewing has made a name for himself as a hometown entrepreneur, building his New York-based Club Pet NYC dog walking business from a rag-tag one-man operation to a respected local firm, with dozens of employees and a client list that includes some of the most prominent families in the Big Apple. Club Pet NYC was picked by New York Magazine as the city's #1 Dog Walking service, and has also been covered by NPR.
Ewing's New York roots are intertwined with his dual careers. A resident of Red Hook, Ewing found unlikely inspiration in the devastation he experienced in Hurricane Sandy's wake. His most recent album "Cross My Broken Heart' mined the harrowing experience (sadly shared by many at the time,) as his home was virtually destroyed, and he began the process of putting things back together. No Depression described the title track as an "emotive blend of pop, rock and country," "channeling a similar sound to early folk period Bob Dylan."
https://nodepression.com/article/single-review-folk-rock-artist-sherman-ewings-cross-my-broken-heart
Ewing's New York story also includes attending Columbia University, working with underprivileged kids at Covenant House, walking dogs while working overnights at Fountain House (a residence for people with mental illness,) and embracing a spiritual path within his community and among his friends, that continues to guide him forward to this day.
More about Sherman Ewing - Musician:
Sherman Ewing's music conveys a hard-earned maturity and a gritty style that can be traced back to his native Minnesota, a virtual rock and roll holy land of the Midwest. His sound has also been seasoned by two decades of experience as a street-wise singer/songwriter in New York City.
Early on, Ewing was influenced by the unrefined, raw style of fellow Minnesotans The Replacements and Husker Du, as well as by England's punk music scene, which he experienced while attending an all boys boarding school in the UK. After prep school, Ewing attended Columbia University in New York City where he first met John "Jojo" Hermann, known now for
Widespread Panic (and Missing Cats).
Sherman's solo career began in 2002 when he teamed up with producer Godfrey Diamond (Lou Reed, Aerosmith, Billy Squier). Ewing and Diamond's collaborative chemistry was immediate, resulting in the writing and recording of Ewing's debut CD "Bluemoon."
In 2006, after playing together on and off for 25 years, Sherman Ewing and Jojo Hermann officially united as the Alt/Blues/Rock duo Missing Cats. The duo has toured steadily in the years since, building up a loyal following and making notable appearances, including being invited to play Warren Haynes' Christmas Jam in 2010 with such legendary musicians as Steve Miller and Greg Allman.
In 2011, Sherman Ewing released his solo rock album, "Single Room Saloon" to widespread acclaim, including multiple placements in USA Today and elsewhere. The collection included collaborations with Hermann, Tom Marshall (Phish, Amphibian), and Anthony Krizan (Spin Doctors,) with very special appearances by Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan) and
George Recile (Keith Richards, Bob Dylan).
In 2012, Missing Cats was joined in the studio by Mike Mills (REM), the North Mississippi
All Stars and other special guests, resulting in the release of 'Larry Brown Amen'. The duo supported the album with an 18-city tour, backed by The North Mississippi All Stars.
Ewing's wrenching album 'Cross My Broken
Heart was released in 2015, and as mentioned above, was inspired in part by his experiences during Hurricane Sandy. Since the 2015 release, Ewing has continued to play dates both solo and with Jojo Hermann both in the New York area and in select U.S. cities. Sherman is currently in the studio finishing up tracking for a fall release.
More about Club Pet NYC:
Started by happenstance in the early 1990s, Club Pet NYC grew quickly. Sherman worked for himself until the late 1990s -- but necessity is the mother of all inventions, and Sherman needed a day off and was compelled to hire his first employee - another dog-loving artist/friend. It was at that point that Sherman went from dog walker to small business owner. By
September 11th 2001, Club Pet NYC had grown to 8 employees. Ewing recalls: "Tribeca and Soho were our most profitable areas. When the towers fell we were walking dogs. Communication was impossible, and we were stuck trying to help where we could ... making sure that my staff was ok, that our dogs were not stranded, that our clients were ok. Post
September 11th, some clients left the city for good. Many were re-located - there were times when we thought we might have to close routes. But things seemed to slowly return to normal. By
September 2002 we were continuing to grow and passed our pre 9/11 levels. By 2007, we had grown to 12 employees and expanded into Chelsea and the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I had hired a manager, and had decided to offer Health Benefits to my staff members. I was always impressed that Covenant House had offered Tuition Reimbursement and Health Insurance, and wanted to start offering some benefits to my staff - it was important to me that my employees felt good about their workplace. I was set to announce our Health Benefits at your Holiday Party in 2007 - and then the financial crisis hit. I was not sure what to do. However, I really felt like offering Health Insurance was the right thing to do - I decided to go ahead with the plan. I have never regretted the decision. Indeed, prospective clients always seem very impressed by our "take care of our own" approach.
Club Pet NYC offers services throughout most of Manhattan and recently crossed the river into Brooklyn Heights. The company has three managers with 45 years of combined experience working for Club Pet NYC, and a full staff of professional dog handlers. One requirement: Must Love Dogs! Club Pet NYC provides dog walking, house sitting, plus limited daycare, boarding and pet transportation. This fall, Club Pet NYC has plans to launch a new service, The Perfect Puppy. The Perfect Puppy will provide new puppy owners with everything under the sun, from services to starter kits, to healthy supplies and accessories. Sherman also has dreams of one day opening an exclusive retreat/spa center for people and pets - a place where pet lovers can take their pets for the ultimate getaway: spa, hiking, swimming, high end cuisine ... imagine that!
Our clients include a number of High Profile types, but most of our clients are simply hard working New Yorkers who want the very best for their pets and don't want to worry when they leave their home for the day that their beloved dog is getting the very best care.
Visit www.shermanewing.com
Visit https://clubpetnyc.com/index.html
