In a city like Austin, teeming with musicians, the typical band history goes like this: several musicians meet, form a band, and start writing and performing music between shifts at part-time jobs. However, Jumpstart Racer, (formerly known as Sweet Lee Morrow), is definitely not your typical band. In fact, the act and it's music has slowly materialized over the past 11 years, shaped immensely by Jesse Podunk's coast to coast and international romps as a five year member of The Polyphonic Spree.
Jumpstart Racer was started by Jesse Podunk Hester in Dallas in 1997. Podunk wrote consistently throughout that year and in 1998 he began performing locally as a solo act as well as with a full band. It was during this period that Jumpstart Racer's melodic brand of psychedelic pop rock, influenced by Pink Floyd, Tripping Daisy (a band that just happened to live around the corner), David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, and The Beatles, began to take shape. However, this creative period was cut short by the beginning of an experience that would shape both art and artist in a way Podunk could never imagine.
In 1999 Podunk joined The Polyphonic Spree, led by former Tripping Daisy frontman, Tim DeLaughter, when the new band boasted a membership of only 13, about half of its eventual 25. Clueless as to the adventure that lay ahead, Podunk was excited to be opening for Granddaddy at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas for one of his first shows with the band. Over the next four and a half years, Podunk would traipse endlessly around the US, Canada, and Europe with The Spree.
Full of inspiration and approaching fatherhood, Podunk left The Spree in 2004 to focus on family as well as writing for and performing in Jumpstart Racer. After experiencing a discouragingly high turnover rate, Sweet Lee Morrow was re-located to Austin, Texas in August of 2006. Within the span of 6 Months, Podunk had found the psych-rock, multi-instrumentalist core which had eluded him in Dallas. Colin Peden (Bass) had performed with local acts such as Poor People and Knife in the Water and Jared Jackson (Drums/Vocals/Arrangement) had played in Dallas based bands The Danes and The Golden Falcons. Recently added was Josh King, also of the Lemurs, (Keys, Samples) Having been recently signed to Good Records, the band now splits it's time between performing in Austin and recording their debut record, set to be released in mid 2009.
".........an old soul with a childlike heart..a spirited songwriter with a
lyrical relevance of now..i adore this record."
-Tim Delaughter/The Polyphonic Spree
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