Spoonshine Bio and Press

About the Band

Spoonshine has been at it for the last 8+ years, touring the west coast, up north to Alaska, down south to Joshua Tree California. Members have traveled back and forth to Europe for studio session work. David Amram said you can only sound like a practiced musician by being a practiced musician, and this work ethic has been taken to heart by the songwriting partnership formed by William and Jacob. Recently they connected with producer Adam Kasper (Cat Power, Pearl Jam, REM, Tragically Hip, Into The Wild soundtrack, Soundgarden….), and ventured into the studio to explore ideas, along with George Schwindt from Flogging Molly acclaim on drums. This album is recently completed, and preproduction for the follow up has already begun. Matt Hermstad (drums) has joined the roster, along with James Moffit (guitar), and the sound continues to evolve. Of a recent performance the editor of Jambase wrote this about the band: “With a thick, steady low end like Railroad Earth and a leader on mandolin/acoustic guitar that strongly recalls The Bad Livers, Spoonshine rumbled with all the growl and scrapple you’d ever want from a string band with rock leanings. With fierce picking that recalls Tim O’Brien in his youth and a voice that just might unleash hellfire one day, Jacob Navarro made one feel, by turns, that the grave loomed near or one had just gotten the best kiss they could remember in recent history….” Dennis Cook, Jambase. Stay tuned, Spoonshine is just getting started.

Our thanks, gratitude and love to James Harper and Matt Ambrose, who were along for the ride through many formative years of hard work. Countless rehearsals, rooms jam packed full of dancing crowds, long drives to empty dive bars. Spoonshine arose out of several other projects that William and Jacob were in. Thanks to Brian Tottenham, Karl Blau, and Nick Myer and anyone who still remembers dancing at The Rexville Grange to Captain Fathom. We have been lucky enough to cross paths with so many talented people over the years and play music together. They are all part of the colorful mosaic that brings us to this moment. Cheers!

Discography-

Dance All Night- Their first studio album, showing off the multiple influences that make Spoonshine shine.

Live @ Joshua Tree- Recorded at the festival, and for sale 20 minutes after the set was over!

Live @ The Woodchopper’s Ball- Recorded live on Guemes Island, Spoonshines adopted home. Their most recent album, a great night on Guemes.

Though you won’t hear a song played in a purely traditional manner, it still holds on to tradition. It is a tradition of the new, and hopes to bring people together with singing, dancing, and feeling good about life.

Spoonshine members are:
William Cook – guitar, stand up bass, vocals
Jacob Navarro – mandolin, guitar, vocals
Matt Hermstad – drums
James Moffit – guitar