Richmond Fontaine
Richmond Fontaine
Richmond Fontaine is a state of mind more than anything else. It takes root in the fertile imagination of songwriter Willy Vlautin. With the help of his band mates the vision finds the way into song. And over nine years and six albums, Willy and the Richmond Fontaine boy shave laid down a healthy dose of top-notch songs. Formed in 1994 at the Portland Meadows horse race track by Vlautin and bassist Dave Harding, the two took their mutual love of the music of Husker Du, Willie Nelson, X, The Blasters, and The Replacements and began playing music together. They named the band after a down and out American expatriate Harding had met while hitchhiking through Mexico. With the addition of Paul Brainard on pedal steel guitar and Sean Oldham on drums, Richmond Fontaine recorded three records for Cavity Search Records. Safety, Miles From, and Lost Son established the band as a top-notch recording unit with critical praise enough to fill a Buick. Writers and fans raved about the bands powerful blend of rock, country, punk and folk music. Equally admired were the strong story-based songs of singer Willy Vlautin, which were often compared to the stark short stories of writers such as Raymond Carver and Larry Brown. During these years the band formed a serious following throughout the country based upon their high-energy, fiery live shows. 2001 saw the release of Whiskey, Painkillers and Speed, a limited edition live album. In 2002 the band formed their own record label, El Cortez Records, and released Winnemucca, a subtler, more acoustic-based record than the band’s previous releases. Winnemucca broadened the band’s audience, garnering> glowing reviews in the U.S. and European press. In 2003 the band teamed up with producer JD Foster at Jackpot! Studios in Portland to record two new albums. The first of these, Post To Wire, will be released on El Cortez Records in the fall of 2003. Post To Wire finds the band firing on all cylinders, creating a rich tapestry of rock delight. The band will once again hit the road in support of the record, aided by the addition of new guitarist Dan Eccles. News - anuary 2006 Keep an eye out for the guys when they hit Australian shores in February for an east coast tour with Bluebottle Kiss