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Eisley

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Eisley

Eisley is an indie pop band from Tyler, Texas, consisting of four siblings (Chauntelle, Sherri, Stacy, and Weston DuPree) and their cousin (Garron DuPree).

Background

The band was formed in 1997 as Chauntelle and Sherri began working in their bedrooms on music together after being inspired by bands like the Beatles, Jeremy Enigk and Radiohead. Younger sister Stacy (who was then 8 years old) became frustrated over their insistance that she was too young to be a part and wrote her own song without their help. She was immediately inducted. Their brother Weston (who was 10 years old) soon joined the band as the drummer, completing the sibling act's solidarity. The band has had a difficult time keeping bass players over the years; after friend, Amy Whittaker, left in '98, Taylor Muse, filled in as a non-member, contributing to the band's first name, MossEisley but soon left to continue working with his other bands including (Quiet Company). Good friend Jonathan Wilson stepped in to become their bassist in late 2001 but decided to step down in July 2005 during their tour with Hot Hot Heat. Jon remains a good friend of the band and lives in Eisley's hometown, Tyler, Texas. He was replaced as bassist by Garron DuPree, the DuPrees' then fifteen year old cousin in 2005, who has seemingly sealed the "band of DuPree's" persona in family fate.

The band's name changed several times in their early years. They began as The Towheads, before changing their name to Moss Eisley, named after Mos Eisley, a spaceport town in the Star Wars films, but when the band signed to Warner Bros. Records, there were worries of legal troubles with the name. After considering "Neverland" and "Sinclair", they eventually decided just to drop the "Moss" portion of their name, and became simply "Eisley".

After burgeoning on the Dallas scene in 2001, playing hundreds of shows throughout Texas and garnering a fan base as an indie band, Eisley was signed to Warner Bros. Records (Reprise) in 2003, and soon after that they opened for Coldplay throughout their US tour of "Rush of Blood to the Head" and at the V Festival in England. Eisley has also toured with Brand New, Snow Patrol, New Found Glory, Hot Hot Heat, Switchfoot and with label-mates Taking Back Sunday in Australia and the UK. The band has also toured 3 times as a headlining act, completing their "Final Noise" tour in late Spring 06.

The band had some early, radio success with the song "Telescope Eyes" from the Laughing City E.P. was ranked top 25th most played song on The Edge in Dallas, TX in 2003. Eisley has recorded videos for "Marvelous Things," "I Wasn't Prepared," "Telescope Eyes" (the version from Room Noises), and "Memories", which can be viewed on the official web site but largely, the band's strong, steady, organic growth comes from touring and an aggressive on-line marketing approach.

Influences

Current status

The band unveiled their video for the song "Memories", from their album Room Noises on their website on July 22, 2006. The video was filmed in Cleveland, and unlike other Eisley videos it does not include the band performing to the song.

They have just finished recording their second album, which will include some of the new songs played during their last headlining tour as well as unheard material, although nothing written by Chauntelle ended up on the album this time around. This album was produced by Richard Gibbs and will be released sometime in '07 (tentative release date: May 1st). Some of this new material can be found in the background of a YouTube video that the band released for New Year's Eve '06.

Discography

Samples

Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end

Early songs

Eisley's early independent recordings have been confusing for new fans. The track listings are:

  • EP1 - Pretender, Dream For Me, Blackened Crown
  • EP2 version 1 - Telescope Eyes, Over the Mountains We Go, Head Against the Sky
  • EP2 version 2 - EP2 version 1 plus Dream for Me and Blackened Crown
  • EP2 version 3 - EP2 version 2 plus Mister Pine and Laughing City

Eisley simply added the best of each EP and carried them forward. None of these recordings were released officially but sold at hundreds of shows between 1999 and 2003. EP2 version 3 contains all of the songs from the previous versions, including EP1, except for "Pretender." All songs on the independent recordings are owned by Eisley and they have generously allowed their fans to offer them for download from various places on the web.

Trivia

  • Eisley just completed their sophomore record for Warner Reprise.
  • Rumors of a SXSW showcase followed by a headlining tour were found on the band's website.
  • New snippets of songs off the new record can be heard on the band's home spun video clip on the front page of YouTube.com New Years Day 07.
  • It was upon hearing OK Computer by Radiohead that the band immersed themselves in writing, creating and developing their own brand of music.
  • The band has worked with many producers, including Grammy winning Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Alanis Morissette, My Chemical Romance), Mike Mogis (Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes, Cursive) , Aaron Sprinkle (MXPX, Mae, Pedro the Lion), Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, The Vines), John Shanks (Sheryl Crowe, Jewel, Liz Phair) and Dan Green - Coldplay's Sound Engineer (Marvelous Things ep).
  • The band first performed in May 1998 and have been playing shows since; most recent was a show at the Buzz Oven in Plano, TX on December 17th, 2006.
  • Stacy wrote their first song at age 8, inspiring the older siblings to induct her immediately as a member, replacing a family friend.
  • Chris Martin of Coldplay is said to have sung Eisley song "Tree Tops" in a haunting, minor chord during soundcheck on their 2003 arena tour; the band is a favorite of Coldplay. His wife, Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow, is similarly a fan and has been known to sport Eisley t-shirts in England and mentioned them on national TV in support of them.
  • Previously managed by Coldplay's managers, Eisley is now managed by Rick DeVoe, who also managed Blink 182, and now currently manages Angels and Airwaves, New Found Glory and Eisley.
  • Weston DuPree is currently dating Jessica Munns of the band Luvbeat.
  • All members were born in the Greater Houston (TX) area.
  • Sherri DuPree thanked author Ray Bradbury in the acknowledgements for Room Noises and is an avid sci-fi reader.
  • Stacy DuPree shares her birthday with Thom Yorke of Radiohead, one of her favorite artists.
  • The band's tour manager, Boyd DuPree is a graphic designer - creating all things visual for the band: identity, cd graphics, tour posters, web, merch, forums, myspace, tour journals, indie videos, etc. Boyd is father to the 4 siblings.
  • Stacy DuPree is a vegetarian, but not a vegan. She rarely cheats to eat grilled chicken.
  • The band members are avid fans of the Harry Potter series, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Gilmore Girls and LOST.
  • They are friends with band - Brighten, whom they toured with in the spring of 2006.
  • Stacy and Sherri sang back-up for Head Automatica debut album Decadence on the track "Dance Party Plus." They also sang back-up on the Fair track, "Unglued," off of Fair's album The Best Worst-Case Scenario
  • Stacy and Sherri contributed backing vocals on several tracks of New Found Glory's album Coming Home and most recently tracked background vocals for Bright Eyes new record while recording their own.
  • American Film Maker Cameron McCasland was at the first ever show for the Towheads, when they opened for City on a Hill. He is a vocal supporter of the group, and has been bestowed home made Mos Eisley T-shirts made by the Dupree Family.
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