It is not every day that a band has airplay on one of the nation's most influential AAA radio stations before they have even played a live show [San Francisco’s KFOG]. Equally rare is being asked to open for a Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band at a legendary venue before even releasing a full-length debut [Train at The Fillmore on 3/16/06]. Having a former member of another multi-platinum band [Counting Crows] jump on board after hearing some demos is pretty much unheard of.
The band? Try the acclaimed five-piece outfit from San Francisco called The Bittersweets, who are now poised to release their stunning full-length debut, The Life You Always Wanted. The album was mixed by David Henry (REM, Josh Rouse, Guster, Vienna Teng) and arrives in stores everywhere in summer '06.
The Bittersweets lineup consists of Hannah Prater on vocals and guitar; Chris Meyers on vocals, guitar, and piano; Steve Bowman (Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind) on drums; Daniel Schacht (Jolie Holland) on bass; and Jerry Becker on piano and guitar. All eleven songs were written by Meyers and the album was produced by Meyers, Schacht, & Becker.
Meyers, the band’s songwriter, stumbled upon country music, of all places, in his sociological studies at college in rural Ohio. "Some people go to college and discover Marx or Chaucer. I found Jimmie Rogers," he says. Meyers spent his senior year writing his thesis on the Carter family, booking a national tour out of his dorm room, and opening up for several national artists. After graduating and moving to San Francisco, he eventually met Prater and the two hit it off immediately. Prater was a seasoned musician herself, having already toured Europe as a jazz vocalist. Within weeks of starting jam sessions in a barn behind her house, neighbors were pulling lawn chairs into their backyards and rehearsals became impromptu concerts.
Dubbing themselves The Bittersweets, Meyers commented, “I'd hope that our music points towards some truth or reality about life, and I think that for many people, life is a mix of sadness and hope.â€
In 2005, Meyers & Prater issued a self-released EP, which garnered critical acclaim and strong audience response throughout the Bay Area, as evidenced by regular airplay on KFOG, the 1 rated station in the 25-54 demographic in the market; the band being showcased as KFOG’s Local Artist of the Month for 3 consecutive months; a string of sold-out performances at premier venues (most recently, Café du Nord in San Francisco); and numerous accolades from local press. The band soon expanded from a duo to its current 5 member configuration.
In early 2006, The Bittersweets returned to the studio with completely re-recorded versions of the EP tracks, along with 6 entirely new songs, resulting in the band's full-length debut, The Life You Always Wanted. The Bittersweets are now poised to build even further on their success in the Bay Area and replicate it throughout the country, supported by an extensive national touring plan.
