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Lava
Records Inks The John Butler Trio Critically Acclaimed Australian Import To Release 'What You Want' EP Mid September Three Piece Kicks Off U.S. Tour Beginning August 28th At San Diego Street Scene New York, NY-July 13, 2004 - Lava Records is pleased to announce the signing of Australia's critically acclaimed, multi-platinum seller, independent artist The John Butler Trio. The band is gearing up to release the What You Want EP, scheduled for release on Lava Records on September 14th. Powered by gifted vocalist/guitarist/songwriter John Butler, the trio achieved astonishing success in their native Australia, and is gearing up to recreate that success here in America. The John Butler Trio effortlessly combines gritty soulful vocals, Appalachian folk and elements of hip-hop with subtle hints of everything from Reggae to Zeppelin. Often drawing comparisons to Ben Harper, John play s a variety of instruments including numerous 12-strings and pedal steel guitars and banjos, with dexterity on par with some of the all-time greats. Alongside Butler, joining the trio are powerhouse drummer Michael Barker and upright bassist Shannon Birchall. JBT's upcoming What You Want EP will be the band's initial introduction to the U.S. The EP will be followed by a full-length album scheduled for the Spring of 2005. In the meantime, fans can whet their appetite with What You Want which contains a total of six songs, three of which are previously unreleased. The unreleased material includes the funk-a-fied, up-tempo track "Something's Gotta Give," an acoustic version of "Treat Yo Mama," and an introspective, heartfelt version of the Lennon/McCartney classic "Across the Universe." In their native country, The John Butler Trio has established themselves as one of the most successful independent artists in recent history. JBT are commercial superstars as well as critic favorites in addition to being the country's #2 top touring act. The band's most recent Australian album release Sunrise Over Sea debuted at #1, marking the highest position ever achieved by an independently released artist. The disc was certified platinum after two weeks and went double platinum in ten weeks. It remains at the #2 spot on the Aria Charts after sixteen weeks. In addition, JBT received the highest honor at this year's APRA awards (Australia's version of the Ascap/BMI awards) winning the highly coveted "Song of the Year" award for their song "Zebra," beating out Jet's "Are You Going To Be My Girl." This is the first time in history that the award was given to a self-published, independent singer/songwriter. The John Butler Trio will be kicking off a national tour beginning August 28th in San Diego, California. The band will be on tour through mid-October, stopping along the way to appear at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival and the Austin City Limits Festival. For more information, go to johnbutlertrio.com. |
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