简介： Sleepy Eyed Fox was officially started in July 2009 with a determination to make their own style of music that is fresh for tired main 更多>
Sleepy Eyed Fox was officially started in July 2009 with a determination to make their own style of music that is fresh for tired mainstream ears and speaks from their hearts. They have a modern spin on an old-time sound that marries the enthusiasm of Mumford & Sons with the rawness of Nickel Creek, and the sincere harmonies of Fleet Foxes, all the while the truth in their songs speaks to all who will listen.
Though they are a newly formed band, they actually started creating their unique sound in 2003 when a 14-year-old Chad, a 12-year-old Sarah, and 10-year-old Nick Huddleston received a dulcimer, a guitar, and a mandolin from their ambitious parents, which then formed “The Huddleston Family.” While they spent the next six years playing bluegrass in churches, John Essary was playing screamo/metal music in “The Acrobat Age,” and Stephen Earnest was delving in to the sounds of indie pop heading up “Dreams of Foxes” in Kentucky.
As the years passed, The Huddleston kids grew up to venture into folk and rock while listening to the music of Nickel Creek, Switchfoot and Amos Lee, leading them to start playing a new type of music together. Around that time, John Essary crossed their path and as he and the Huddleston’s began to spend time together, John was introduced to the world of Old Time and Bluegrass music while adding his own style of guitar playing and loud vocals reminiscent of his rock days, complementing Sarah’s smooth voice and the boys’ playing.
As a young, strictly acoustic group, they played shows around home in Nashville at local venues. As they continued to play and grow together, John learned to play the banjo, Chad learned the double bass, and Nick began to sing, but there was still something missing in the music. The answer came in 2010 when Stephen Earnest showed up and brought his drumming with him. Adding percussion to the mix defined the direction the album was to go and put the band and the recording process in high gear.
The album opens up with The Mountain, which speaks of climbing the highest mountain never to reach the top, referring to the ancient story of Sisyphus.. It infuses an electric guitar and shows the bands’ playful side. Also, you will find vocal, harmonic driven songs like the title track, Weary Hearts. These songs are followed by anything and everything in between until you get to the final track, Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained, which is a simple, nearly country duet, which shows the spiritual side of the lives of Sleepy Eyed Fox. All of the songs reflect the different backgrounds and lives of each member.
During the recording, the two songs I Am Gone and Wake were written as contrasts to one another. Wake has a deep and dark message with a wonderful and uplifting tag line, “come and trade your darkness for the light,” while I Am Gone speaks of the strengthening qualities of love and hope in the hardest times of human struggle.
The desire that Sleepy Eyed Fox has for its listeners is simple. They hope you will truly listen. Listen to the instruments, listen to the vocals, and listen to the words. But, most importantly, listen to your own memories and experiences that these songs evoke. “When all is said and done with the paths that you have run, are you where you want to be?”
Sleepy Eyed Fox are: Sarah Huddleston, Nick Huddleston, Chad Huddleston, John Essary, and Stephen Earnest.
