Mystery Ship sets sail with Knick Knack Records
Mystery Ship sets sail with Knick Knack Records
Four-song vinyl EP release to be followed by West Coast Tour this autumn
SEATTLE – Knick Knack Records is pleased to announce the signing of Seattle rock band Mystery Ship and the Aug. 14 release of the band’s four-song debut EP.
With a live sound described as the “aftermath of Led Zeppelin, Widespread Panic and Velvet Revolver staging a sloppy three-way on a beer-soaked dive-bar floor,” by the Seattle Weekly, Mystery Ship sought to capture the essence of that sound by turning to legendary Pacific Northwest producer and engineer Dave Hillis (Pearl Jam, Afghan Whigs, Mark Lanegan, Alice in Chains) who produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the EP at his own Starlodge Studios in Seattle.
“Mystery Ship is a good fit for Knick Knack Records because they are a band that is dedicated to live sound,” Knick Knack Records owner Joe Johnson said. “They are a band that can deliver a high level of intensity in their live performances and bring that same energy into the studio. They make records that can compete not just in Seattle but anywhere in the world. Mystery Ship’s songwriting, musicianship, technical skills and performances are the complete package.”
The four-song EP is available on 45 RPM, 150 gram, 12-inch vinyl, accompanied by a digital download card. The vinyl EP, featuring the songs “Lady From Alexandria,” “Medusa,” “Wide Eyed Girl” and “King Frog Blues,” was cut by Jeff Powell (Big Star, Stevie Ray Vaughn) at Ardent Studios Memphis and boasts artwork from legendary artist and former Playboy art director Kerig Pope who’s art has been featured on albums from legendary artists Art Blakey, Chet Baker, and Dizzy Gillespie.
Mystery Ship will embark on a West Coast tour on Oct. 12, with stops scheduled in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.
Currently the band – lead guitarist/vocalist Michael Wohl, drummer Travis Curry, rhythm guitarist Josh Kupferschmid and bassist/vocalist Alex Hagenah – are in the studio at Seattle’s Soundhouse Studio, recording their full-length debut with legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, The Sonics, Blue Cheer). The album will be mixed by Hillis.
The EP is available online at www.knickknackrecords.com/store/Mystery-Ship.html.
For more information on Mystery Ship visit their Web site at www.mystery-ship.com.
EP INFORMATION:
Release date – August 14, 2012
Label – Knick Knack Records
Distribution – Cobraside Distribution, Inc.
Catalog No. – KKR 005
BAND BIO:
Mystery Ship is a rock and roll band. While that may sound simplistic, the band draws primarily on influences from the 1960s and 1970s, when rock and roll was an open book, still figuring out exactly what it was to become. With a firm grounding in their inspirations and influences, and minds open to putting together sometimes seemingly-unrelated elements, they have developed a sound that is fresh yet familiar, and always energetic. There are elements of the passionate, belting and at times rough-hewn vocal harmonies of Neil Young and Crazy Horse or Yardbirds, the big blues rock rhythms and riffs of Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and wild whirls of lead guitars reminiscent of Jeff Beck Group or Band of Gypsys.
The band’s origins lay in four musicians who ended up in Seattle from completely separate parts of the US. Lead guitarist and vocalist Michael Wohl, from Chicago, found himself in Seattle at the end of a summer of tour vans and road trips and decided simply not to return. Drummer Travis Curry’s desire was to leave his Hawaii home for the mainland where bands could hit the road at all, rather than air or sea. Rhythm guitar player Josh Kupferschmid, tired of the desert of Phoenix, caught a one-way ride up to the Northwest and never looked back. Bass player and vocalist Alex Hagenah left Chicago to come to Seattle for college, but in a musically vibrant city, quickly found himself playing. Finding each other, they turned up the guitars and have been getting loud since.
The band caught the ear of veteran producer and engineer Dave Hillis (Pearl Jam, Afghan Whigs, Mark Lanegan, Alice in Chains) and together they began planning and recording. Mystery Ship’s debut EP is the first record that was recorded by Hillis at his new Starlodge Studios in Seattle. The vinyl was cut by Jeff Powell (Big Star, Stevie Ray Vaughn) at Ardent Studios Memphis. The 12″ vinyl package includes a digital download card and features artwork by Chicago artist Kerig Pope circa 1965 whose artwork and design of that period was used by jazz artists such as Art Blakey, Chet Baker, and Dizzy Gillespie in addition to his work for many years for Playboy as art director.