Artist description Male/Female Vocal Duet, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Mandolin, Harmonica, Bass and Drums

Music Style Roots/Rock and Country

Musical Influences George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Rockpile, Kinks,

Similar Artists Kinks, Dolly and Porter, Rockpile, Dave Edmunds, Steve Earle, Nancy Sinatra, Jackson Browne, Wilco, Georgia Sattelites, Insiders, Cathy Richardson Band, Dick Holliday and the Bamboo Gang, Country Melv

Artist History The Juleps represent a collaboration among members of various Chicago bands that has grown onto a project of far greater depth than the original ?side project? label might have indicated. Working within a rather loose freewheeling concept of roots-rock/country and Americana-meets various strains of British Invasion, the Juleps have created an impressive lexicon of songs in their spare time between other band commitments hangovers and personal days. Music from ?Kickbutt City USA?, their first CD released in 1997 in the Chicago area only, enjoyed heavy air play on the venerable WXRT Radio and rave reviews from the Chicago daylies.In the summer of ?99, the band posted a page on MP3.com that include some tracks from Kickbutt City and some unreleased material. With little or no self promotion (and no live dates), any of a number of their songs have occupied top 10 and top 20 download positions in the New Country charts most of the time since. Having recently bid a fond farewell to vocalist Cathy Richardson and, after an exhaustive search that included many of Chicago's top singers, the band serendipitously found Melissa Rose Ziemer. Inspired and re-energized by Melissa?s presence and awesome talents and by the prospect of kick-starting a great band into high gear, they are currently working on recording and writing new material for a release by year?s end.The Juleps are:Gary Yerkins: Principle singer/songwriter for the Insiders, a consistently top draw Chicago area band who have in the last 12 years recorded two CDs for Epic/Sony as well as four releases on Chicago indy Monsterdisc. Insiders songs have also been heard in the films, Queen?s Logic, A Normal Life and Henry, Portrait Of A Serial Killer2.Jay O?rourke: Producer/engineer and lead guitar player for the Insiders. O?rourke has produced projects for Material Issue, Pat Denunzio, Nash Kato/Urge Overkill and many other solo artists and bands. He also plays in the Fuzzbusters, a Chicago area retro instrumental band.Ed Breckenfeld: Drummer for the Insiders and the Cathy Richardson Band.Melissa Rose: Lead singer/songwriter for Chicago based Soul Intention and Gertrude. Gertrude received an award in 1998 for best female fronted band in Chicago. Guess who the female was?Grant Tye: Grant has been lead guitar player for many notable bands, including , Robbie Fulks, the Cathy Richardson Band, Michael MacDermott,Sonia Dada and Dick Holiday and the Bamboo Gang.Fran Kondorf: Fran has played bass in various Chicago punk, rock, blues and country bands including the Blue Watusis and The Country Melvins. Frequent guest fiddle player Anne Harris is a favorite with Juleps fans at our live shows. Anne will hopefully appear with us on future studio recordings when she can squeeze us in between her busy solo career activities.

Group Members Melissa Rose, Ed Breckenfeld, Fran Kondorf, Jay O'rourke, Grant Tye, Gary Yerkins, Fast Frank Raven, Anne Harris

Instruments Drums/Guitars/Bass/Mando/Harmonica, Fiddle

Albums Kickbutt City USA, Just Enough Rope

Press Reviews Chicago Sun Times: Members of two of Chicago's most popular rock bands have morphed to create the Juleps, a maverick country band that sings about Marie's Riptide Lounge, faded love and casinos in Reno...With a roll of the dice.An apparent lack of agenda is what makes this band so appealing, while their mutual respect and laid-back attitude yields a cool, smooth product...The MP3 Files: "It's pretty hard to find a band who can play a Billy Joe Shaver song better than 'ol Billy Joe himself, but their live version of "Hottest Thing In Town" might be the track that changes that theory forever. It's from a CD called Live At Thurston's that's only available via the MP3 site. If you're wondering where you've heard that voice before, vocalist Gary Yerkins (as well as a couple of Juleps) is also a member of The Insiders, who released a couple of albums for Columbia and had an FM hit with "Ghost On The Beach". While The Insiders focus more on solid pop and rock and roll, The Juleps are more strum and twang territory. When Yerkins and vocalist Cathy Richardson harmonize, it's like Steve Earle and Emmylou ripping it up - "Wild Beautiful Thing" and "Can't Back It Up" are nothing short of fabulous! Many of the live tracks are available on the studio CD Kickbutt City, USA, which is also available from the band. Yerkins says that the band was formed as an "anti-agenda, anti-biz, anti-career band" where he could write music along the lines of his favorite artists and feature duets with a female voice. It turned out to be much cooler than anyone anticipated. Chicago Local Bands: "Marvelous harmonies ? both voices and lead guitars. Super musicianship, extraordinary lyrics and delicious song writing. Healthy turn out in a warm room too. Honky Tonk with balls. A little of the Waco Brother?s back beat grit, a little Robbie Fulks sardonism, a tadge of Bonnie Rait. Even Steve Earle. A whole Mohito of Juleps. A remarkably tight, minty, refreshing, solid sounding, solid sending, musical feast. A band to refresh any jaded musical palette, a band that will resonate in diverse ways with everyone and anyone. A band to see whenever you get the chance. "

Location Chicago, Il - USA

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