NEW YORK, NY (Top40 Charts/ Atlantic Records) Atlantic Records and Rolling Stone have announced The
Sheepdogs as the winners of the first-ever "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" competition, presented by Garnier Fructis. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based rock band were selected by consumer votes to be the first-ever band or artist not signed to a major label to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone.
The Sheepdogs will celebrate with a performance on tonight's installment of NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In addition to the prestigious Rolling Stone cover - set for the magazine's August 18th issue, on sale August 5th - the band also received a recording deal with Atlantic, which this week released digital EPs by both The Sheepdogs as well as by "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" first runner-up, New York-based songstress Lelia Broussard. The Sheepdogs' "FIVE EASY PIECES" EP and Broussard's "WOLVES ARE AT MY DOOR" EP are available now via all digital retailers (see below tracklistings).
"It's been a fantastic experience watching all these gifted artists vie for the iconic honor of being on the cover of Rolling Stone," said Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records Chairman and CEO. "Now the people have spoken, and we congratulate The Sheepdogs on coming out on top in this unprecedented competition. For these guys to have crossed every hurdle and emerge victorious is a real testament to the enduring power of honest, heartfelt music to touch a deep nerve in music fans. Rooted in the timeless blues and rock and roll tradition, The Sheepdogs play organic, unadulterated music marked by inspired musicianship, vocal harmonies, and songwriting. All of us are thrilled to welcome The Sheepdogs into the Atlantic family, as they become the latest addition to a lineage of great rock bands at the core of our company's heritage."
Since coming together in 2006, The Sheepdogs have earned widespread acclaim for their bold and beautiful take on classic guitar rock, evinced on countless tours and three independently released albums. The band will celebrate their triumph with an upcoming U.S. tour, as well as a series of dates supporting Kings of Leon in their native Canada. For full details, please visit www.thesheepdogs.com.
Launched in February, the "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" competition began with 16 acts selected by Rolling Stone, AOL Music editors, and Atlantic A&R executives. Over the course of the contest, finalists were brought to New York City to record and perform three songs for Rolling Stone editors, Atlantic A&R executives and other industry professionals, including Shinedown's Brent Smith. In June, The Sheepdogs and Broussard were named as the competition's two finalists, resulting in a performance face-off before tens of thousands of fans at the annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
Consumers were able follow the "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" competition via RollingStone.com, as well as through the magazine's Facebook page and Twitter feed. A variety of supplementary sweepstakes allowed fans to win free tickets to Bonnaroo, downloads, t-shirts and other prizes. In addition, AOL Music supplemented the online coverage with its own exclusive content.
For more news and information, please visit www.atlanticrecords.com, www.rollingstone.com/choosethecover, www.thesheepdogs.com, and https://leliabroussard.com.
(TRACKLISTINGS BELOW)
THE SHEEPDOGS - "FIVE EASY PIECES" EP (Atlantic)
1. Who?
2. I Don't Know
3. The Middle Road
4. Learn My Lesson
5. How Late, How Long
LELIA BROUSSARD - "WOLVES ARE AT MY DOOR" EP (Atlantic)
1. Satellite
2. Wolves Are At My Door
3. My Heart's A Cannonball
4. Something True
5. Turn Me On
Both EPs Available Now Via All Digital Retailers.
