Alabaster | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 2003–Present |
| Members | Shaina Rae Kate Orlowski Joe Bosslet Marlon Deppen Dwayne Scott Stacey Meyer |
| Past members | Shaina Rae Chris Barbee Jen Miller KII Kay Thane Mitchell Jason Lightfoot |
| Website | ilovealabaster.com |
Alabaster is a band that started in Chicago and moved out west to Seattle to fulfill their dreams. They book their own tours, design their own merch, and promote their own shows. At the core of Alabaster you have 3 individuals who left their family, friends, jobs, and loved ones to move out of the dingy suburbs of Chicago and make Seattle their new home to focus solely on their music. The band as whole though, has sacrificed it all for one dream and one purpose, to get the music and art to as many people as possible. After a few tumultuous years they finally got the right line up in place to go big or go home. With Marlon Deppen on Bass guitar, Dwayne Scott on Drums, Laura Samsel on Keys, Shaina still owning it on lead Vocals, Joe still on Rhythm guitar, and Kate still writing lyrics & lead guitar. Alabaster is ready to take on not only Seattle but the world.
So for those who love the perfectly executed mix of lyrical melodies loaded with harmonies, will find Alabaster an epic win. Their style is reminiscent of The Dangerous Summer, Rise Against, Paramore, and Flyleaf getting it on with Anberlin. Basically, it’s straight up ear candy.
Alabaster loves playing on the road and has graced the stages of CMJ in NYC, Warped Tour 2X's, and they have played in countless cities all across the great US of A. And everyday a new opportunity rages across the horizon as they move in only direction they know how: Forward. Their live show and current line up will take them on the road for the rest of their lives and they couldn't be more stoked!
History edit
Early history edit
Alabaster was founded in Chicago, Illinois by lyricist, and lead guitarist Kate Orlowski aka Kate Alabaster and original drummer Chris Barbee under the name Christine's Theory. Joe Bosslet joined the band on rhythm guitar, then Shane Winklemann on backing vocals and bass. The band moved to Seattle in the winter of 2005. Shane stepped up and became the lead singer, dropped the bass and picked up keyboard.
Seeking out a bass player once in Seattle, Jen Miller started with the band. 4 months later, Chris Barbee decided to move home to go back to school. In January of 2006, KII Kay joined Alabaster on drums, taking the band in a new, harder direction.
Touring edit
Alabaster has booked all of their own tours, done all of their own promotion and have driven all the way across the country to get their music heard.
West Coast Tour 2006
- May 4, 2006, Peacock Bar & Grill - Corvallis, OR
- May 7, 2006, The Longshot Saloon - San Marcos, CA
- May 9, 2006, The Zombie Lounge - San Diego, CA
- May 10, 2006, The Paper Heart - Phoenix, AZ
- May 11, 2006, Double Down Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
US Tour 2006
- October 19, 2006, Captain Comics acoustic in-store - Boise, ID
- October 19, 2006, The Bouquet - Boise, ID
- October 20, 2006, The Green T Bar & Grill - Pocatello, ID
- October 21, 2006, Muse Music - Provo, UT
- October 22, 2006, Union Station - Colorado Springs, CO
- October 24, 2006, The Boobie Trap - Topeka, KS
- October 25, 2006, Emerald City - Cedar Rapids, IA
- October 26, 2006, Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
- October 27, 2006, Java Joe's acoustic in-store - Chicago, IL
- October 27, 2006, Memories - Chicago, IL
- October 29, 2006, Ye Olde Town Inn - Mt. Prospect, IL
- October 30, 2006, Cafe Apropos acoustic in-store - Columbus, OH
- October 30, 2006, Monkey's Retreat acoustic in-store - Columbus, OH
- October 30, 2006, Bernie's Distillery - Columbus, OH
- October 31, 2006, Katerbean acoustic in-store - Swissvale, PA
- October 31, 2006, The Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA
- November 1, 2006, The Grog & Tankard - Washington, DC
- November 2, 2006, Lucky Dog Music Hall - Worcester, MA
- November 4, 2006, Seacliff Coffee Company - Seacliff, NY
- November 4, 2006, Ultrasound Lounge/MetaSin - Levittown, NY
- November 6, 2006, The Way Out Club - St. Louis, MO
- November 7, 2006, Ground Zero Comics acoustic in-store - Omaha, NE
- November 9, 2006, The Blvd - Spokane, WA
Mini West-Coast Tour 2007
- January 12, 2007, The Samurai Duck - Eugene, OR
- January 13, 2007, Thee Parkside - San Francisco, CA
- January 14, 2007, The Stork Club - Oakland, CA
West Coast Tour 2007
- March 7, 2007, The Tonic Lounge - Portland, OR
- March 8, 2007, El Rio - San Francisco, CA
- March 9, 2007, Zephyr Lounge - Reno, NV
- March 10, 2007, Double Down Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
- March 11, 2007, Blue Cafe - Long Beach, CA
- March 12, 2007, On The Y - Sacramento, CA
- March 13, 2007, Fat Cat - Modesto, CA
- March 14, 2007, VooDoo Lounge - San Jose, CA
July Tour 2007
- July 18, 2007, The Grapedrink - Portland, OR
- July 19, 2007, Ground Zero - Medford, OR
- July 20, 2007, The Branding Iron, Marysville, CA
- July 21, 2007, The Brainwash Cafe, San Francisco, CA
- July 22, 2007, Redding Underground - Redding, CA
Notable Shows edit
- Warped Tour 2006, July 15, 2006, The Gorge Amphitheatre - George, WA
- Bumbershoot 2007, September 2, 2007, Seattle Center - Seattle, WA
Official Releases edit
Keep Me Close... Keep Me Damaged edit
With new member KII Kay on drums, the band went into the studio with Bill Blackstone (Sick of It All Tribute Album, The Number Twelve Looks Like You) to record their first EP, Keep Me Close... Keep Me Damaged was released on KII's indie label, Double Dos Recordings.
Keep Me Close... Keep Me Damaged contains four tracks, "Surface Damage", "Hypochondriac", "Trust Me" and "Branded". All material was written by the band, recorded by Bill Blackstone, and engineered by Ricky Vaughan.
Chapter I: The Meeting edit
With new singer Moira Salewski, the band has changed their direction again, into writing hard-hitting, catchy songs. The band went into Triskelia Studios in Bellevue, WA with Jason Lightfoot (Queen Jane/The Sightseers, Gracie Law and the Porkchop Express, StayC) to record their latest demo. The demo was released as an EP titled Chapter I: The Meeting in Spring 2008. The demo contains six tracks, "151", "Don't Fight Me On This", "Love Drunk", "Addiction", "Typhoon", and "Burn Victim". All material was written by the band, and recorded and mixed by Jason Lightfoot, except for "Burn Victim", which was self-recorded and mixed by Alabaster.
The Diary I Should Have Burned edit
The band's first full-length album, The Diary I Should Have Burned took the band in a new direction, following in the footsteps of Paramore and The Material. With the new lineup making Alabaster as solid as ever, the album was quick to be written and recorded. With the help of Hideout Studios in Seattle, WA behind the recording and mixing process (aside from "Hit the Ground Running", which was recorded at Triskelia Studios in Bellevue, WA and then mixed by Hideout Studios). This full-length contains seven tracks, "Moving Forward", "Failed Attempts", "In the Land of Wolves", "Hit the Ground Running", "Hollow", "This Is It", and "Two Years Before Today".
Unraveled edit
This album is to be released in the fall/winter of 2011.
Band members edit
Current edit
- Shaina Rae - lead vocals (2002-2007, 2009-present)
- Kate Orlowski – lead guitar, screams (2001–present)
- Joe Bosslet – rhythm guitar (2001–present)
- Marlon Deppen – bass guitar (2010–present)
- Laura Samsel – keyboards, backing vocals (2012–present)
- Dwayne Scott – drums (2009–present)
Former edit
- Chris Barbee – drums (2001-2005)
- Moira Salewski – lead vocals (2007–2008)
- Jen Miller - bass guitar (2005-2008)
- KII Kay - drums (2006-2008)
- Thane Mitchell - drums (2009)
- Jason Lightfoot – bass guitar (2009–2010)
Lineup changes edit
In December of 2005, Chris Barbee left the band to go back to school in Chicago. In February of 2006, KII Kay joined the band as the new drummer. In September of 2007, Shaina Rae left the band to go back to school. In December of 2007, Moira Salewski joined the band as the new lead singer. In November of 2008, Moira Salewski, Jen Miller and KII Kay left the band. In January of 2009, Shaina Rae returned as lead singer, Jason Lightfoot joined as the new bass player, Stacey Meyer joined as the new keyboardist/backing vocal singer, and Thane Mitchell joined as the new drummer. In April of 2009, Thane Mitchell left the band and was replaced by Dwayne Scott on drums. In October of 2010, Jason Lightfoot left the band and was replaced by Marlon Deppen on bass guitar.
Discography edit
| Title | Date of release (U.S.) | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Keep Me Close... Keep Me Damaged | May 16, 2006 | Double Dōs Recordings |
| Spring Demo 2008 | 2008 | Double Dos Recordings |
| The Diary I Should Have Burned | January 9, 2010 | Spanking My Brain Productions |
| Unraveled | November 11, 2011 | Spanking My Brain Productions / ToneDeaf Productions ASCAP |
References edit
- ilovealabaster.com – Official U.S. site
- sonicbids.com/alabaster - Official EPK
- myspace.com/alabaster - Official MySpace page
- facebook.com/alabastermusic - Official Facebook page
External links edit
- facebook.com/alabastermusic - Official Facebook page
- alabaster band – Official U.S. site
- youtube.com/alabasterseattle - Official Youtube page
- sonicbids.com/alabaster - Official EPK
- myspace.com/alabaster - Official MySpace page
- purevolume.com/alabaster - Official Purevolume page