New York, NY (Top40 Charts) With notorious ferocity and powerful hooks, Sabrina Ellis and Andrew Cashen's newest musical project, Sweet Spirit, has quickly garnered critical acclaim and captivated the Austin music scene. Known to long-time Austinites for their work in A Giant Dog and
Bobby Jealousy, Sweet
Spirit proudly strengthens a decade-plus collaboration between the writing partners. In support of their new self-titled EP, the band will hit the road for their first-ever headlining tour followed by a run of dates with Spoon.
You can stream the Sweet
Spirit EP via Bandcamp here:
https://ninemilerecords.bandcamp.com/album/sweet-spirit-ep
"Listening to the first track, a bouncy, garage rock single with mobile minor key guitar riffing and a chorus posing the question, 'If I ask real nice, will you let me be on top?,' the cigararette fell from my mouth and into my lap - my jaw literally dropping," said
Kevin Curtin of the Austin Chronicle. "The remainder, featuring fast rock & roll with dominant doo-wop, tropical, and country influences left me equally stunned."
Following a performance at the 2015 SXSW
Music Conference, Todd Martens of The Los Angeles Times called Sweet
Spirit "The musical embodiment of a pep rally, the promising band is all arms-in-the-air shout-alongs." Deborah Sengupta-Stith of the Austin American-Statesman said "Sabrina Ellis is a force of nature. Her voice soars, pierces through swells of sound even when she's barreling into a guitar riff or go-go dancing (which she does freqently and enthusiastically)."
Drafted alongside Ellis and Cashen are lifelong pianist Jake Knight (also of
Bobby Jealousy), drummer
Daniel Blanchard (Leatherbag, Wire Tree), Megabig bassist Jon Fichter, and Charmbomb guitarist Josh Merry. The Sweet
Spirit house band features vocalist/percussionist Cara Tillman (Burgess Meredith),
Leslie Matthews on alto sax, and trumpeter Samuel Rives.
Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Heartless Bastards) will produce their first record, due in summer 2015 on Nine Mile Records.
US Tour Dates:
Apr. 21 - Kansas, MO @ miniBar
Apr. 23 - Madison, WI @ Mickey's Tavern
Apr. 24 - Minneapolis, MN @ Shit Biscuit
Apr. 25 - Chicago, IL @ The Burlington
Apr. 26 - Hamtramck, MI @ New Dodge Lounge
Apr. 27 - Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
Apr. 28 - New Brunswick, NJ @ The Court Tavern
Apr. 29 - New York, NY @ Cake Shop
Apr. 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Don Pedro's
May 01 - Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave
May 02 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
May 04 - Athens, GA @ Flicker Theatre and Bar
May 06 - Lafayette, LA @ Artmosphere
May 07 - Houston, TX @ Continental Club
May 10 - Austin, TX @ Red 7
May 17 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom*
May 18 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland*
May 19 - Fargo, ND @ Fargo Theatre*
May 21 - Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater*
May 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl*
May 25 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory*
May 29 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater*
May 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern*
Jun. 01 - San Diego, CA @ North Park Theatre*
Jun. 02 - San Diego, CA @ North Park Theatre*
* - with Spoon
www.sweetspiritatx.com
www.twitter.com/sweetspiritband
www.facebook.com/sweetspirittheband