The Bittersweets are an
alternative country
Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...
duo from
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
, Tennessee, founded by singer-songwriter
Chris Meyers (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and
Hannah Prater (vocals, guitar) in 2005. They frequently tour venues and festivals in the Southern United States.
History
Meyers and Prater met in San Francisco, California after Meyers had moved there after attending
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is se ...
in
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. Before they met, Hannah Prater had toured as a
jazz vocalist
Vocal jazz or jazz singing is an approach to jazz using the voice.
Vocal jazz emerged in the early twentieth century, with its roots in Blues. Popular blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey had a great deal of influence of jazz vocalis ...
in Europe.
["The Bittersweets"](_blank)
Virt Records
2001 Prater, a California native, is the child of two music teachers.
The Bittersweets
2009 Meyers, born in
, began playing guitar in his teens and toured locally while still in college.
Before releasing their first full length album, The Bittersweets opened for
Train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
at the
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was a historic rock and roll music venue in San Francisco, California, US which became famous under the direction of concert promoter Bill Graham from 1968 to 1971. Named after The Fillmore at the intersection of Fillmore Stre ...
in San Francisco.
According to their official biography, "The manager of a teenaged musician Meyers was tutoring got the Bittersweets’ demo into the hands of taste-making San Francisco station
KFOG" which helped broaden their success. After their third public appearance they signed with
Virt Records
Virt Records is an independent record label based in Seattle, USA.
Virt artists are primarily singer/songwriters.
Artists signed to Virt Records
;Current
* Ellery
* The Bittersweets
* Shane Nicholson
* Brenda Weiler
* Beth Boucher
* Rachel Gaud ...
.
After moving to
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
the band signed with
Compass Records.
Discography
Studio albums
''The Life You Always Wanted''
* Released June 27, 2006, on the
Virt Records
Virt Records is an independent record label based in Seattle, USA.
Virt artists are primarily singer/songwriters.
Artists signed to Virt Records
;Current
* Ellery
* The Bittersweets
* Shane Nicholson
* Brenda Weiler
* Beth Boucher
* Rachel Gaud ...
label
* Additional musicians drums:
Steve Bowman
Steve Bowman (born January 14, 1967) is an American rock music, rock Drum kit, drummer and songwriter. He was a founding member and drummer for Counting Crows during the recording and period of time following their debut album, ''August and Ever ...
(
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
,
Third Eye Blind); bass:
Daniel Schacht (
Jolie Holland
Jolie Holland is an American singer and performer who combines elements of folk, traditional, country, rock, jazz, and blues.
Career
Growing up in Houston, Texas, Jolie left in 1994, moving to Austin, New Orleans, and San Francisco before en ...
); piano and guitar:
Jerry Becker
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco which was formed in 1993. As of 2022 the band consists of Pat Monahan (lead vocals), Taylor Locke (guitar, vocals), Hector Maldonado (bass, vocals), Jerry Becker (keyboards, guitar), Matt M ...
* All songs written by Meyers
* Produced by Meyers, Schacht and Becker
* Tracks
*# When the World Ends
*# Adam
*# Bag of Bones
*# Long Day
*# Houston
*# Mostly Happy People
*# Burn out My Eyes
*# Shooting out the Sky
*# Rapture
*# Prison
*# And Death Shall Have No Dominion
''Goodnight, San Francisco''
* Released September 9, 2008, on the
Compass Records label
* Produced by
Lex Price (
Mindy Smith
Melinda Leigh Smith (born June 1, 1972, Long Island, New York) is an American singer-songwriter. Her first record deal came after she sang a cover version of the song "Jolene (song), Jolene" by Dolly Parton.
Music career
Smith was adopted at bi ...
)
* Additional Musicians steel guitar:
Russ Pahl (
Don Williams); bass:
Dave Jacques (
John Prine); drums:
Steve Bowman
Steve Bowman (born January 14, 1967) is an American rock music, rock Drum kit, drummer and songwriter. He was a founding member and drummer for Counting Crows during the recording and period of time following their debut album, ''August and Ever ...
(
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
); guitar:
Doug Lancio
Doug Lancio is a guitarist and record producer, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has worked with a wide range of artists including John Hiatt, Nanci Griffith, Patty Griffin and Bob Dylan.
Biography Questionnaires
Lancio was a member of the 1980 ...
(
Patty Griffin
Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patrici She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs ha ...
); cello:
David Henry (
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...
); organ:
John Deaderick (
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...
)
* Mixed by
Jason Lehning
Jason Lehning (born April 14, 1972) is an American producer, composer, musician and mixer/engineer living in Nashville, Tennessee.
Biography
Early life
Jason Lehning was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee in a musical family. The son of pr ...
(
Guster)
* Tracks
*# Wreck 4:20
*# Blue 3:55
*# Is Anyone Safe 4:48
*# Birmingham 3:49
*# 45 3:59
*# My Sweet Love 3:39
*# Bordertown 4:19
*# Tidal Waves 4:30
*# Lies 4:30
*# Goodnight, San Francisco 3:52
*# When the War is Over 4:21
*# Fortunate Wind 3:24
Extended play release
''EP''
* Released January 1, 2005, on the
Poor Valley Recording Co. label
* Tracks
*# Long Day 4:06
*# Mostly Happy People 3:39
*# Shooting Out the Sky 4:39
*# Bag of Bones 4:41
*# Houston 5:12
Live albums
''Long Way From Home''
* Released in 2009 on the Compass Records label
* Tracks
*# Mostly Happy People 3:36
*# Adam 4:30
*# When the World Ends 3:53
*# Houston
*# Shooting Out the Sky 4:30
*#
Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie 2:24 (
Lead Belly
Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, Virtuoso, virtuosity on the twelve-string guita ...
)
*# Rapture 3:48
*# Bag of Bones 5:07
*#
Unchained Melody 5:05 (
Alex North and
Hy Zaret)
*# Long Day 3:52
*# Prison 3:51
''Live in Atlanta 2.4.09''
* Released February 10, 2009, o
NoiseTrade.com* Tracks
*# Wreck 4:41
*# Blue 4:17
*# Fortunate Wind 2:34
*# Prison 3:49
*# Birmingham 4:07
*# Goodnight, San Francisco 4:19
*# Is Anyone Safe 4:09
*# My Sweet Love 4:10
*# Long Day 3:57
Other notes
* "Long Day" from The Life You Always Wanted appears on the KFOG Local Scene: Volume 3 compilation.
* The band has opened for
Train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
,
Rosanne Cash, and the
Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1985 by Alan Anton (bassist), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins (vocalist). The three Timminses ...
.
* The band's music has been used in prime-time series "
Men In Trees" and "
Saving Grace".
* The Life You Always Wanted was listed amongst the top 200 sellers in the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
during the first week of its release.
References
External links
http://www.thebittersweets.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bittersweets, The
American alternative country groups
Musical groups from San Francisco
Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee
American folk musical groups
American pop music groups
Rock music groups from Tennessee