Artist description BIOGRAPHYWhat do you get when you combine, the Wallflowers, Lenny Kravitz, the Gin Blossoms, and then ask a three piece horn section to sit in? Fearless Freap. No, not the Bugs Bunny character, but the creative rock band out of Nashville.Built on the songwriting talents and sheer determination of the band's leader, Rob Robinson, Fearless Freap embarks on another musical journey debuting their new release, "Alchemy". The third C.D. release of the bandıs four-year career is a fresh uninhibited blend of funky soul and alternative rock complete with horns and steel guitar. With over 400 shows and 70,000 miles to the bandıs resume, Alchemy, promises to garner even greater attention. The title track ²Alchemy² and ³Love Electric² drip the Fearless brand of funky soul while ³Modern Day America² and ³Disconnect It² flow from the rock & roll heart of the band. With the Nashville Banner calling Fearless Freap, ³one of Nashvilleıs Best Rock bands² for their previous efforts, what will Rolling Stone say about this one?

Music Style Funky Power Pop

Musical Influences Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan,

Similar Artists Wallflowers, Dave Mathews, Lenny Kravitz

Artist History Fearless Freap has released 3 C.D.'s in four years. The band is constantly touring, and is becoming a favorite of the Southeastern circuit. They have established their own label RobSum records and have sold over 8,000 from the stage in the last three years. The brain child of Rob Robinson, Fearless Freap has evolved musically from the garage alternative of their first release,"Sucking the Existence", into the solid funky power pop sound of their latest C.D., "Alchemy". "Sucking the Existence", the bands first C.D. was produced from Robinson's basement studio and is a quirky gem complete with a 1963 electrolux vacuum cleaner solo on the records title track. The second C.D. "Beanbag" waxes to the jazzier side of things. This record recieved a lot of radio play on both college and commercial stations in the Southeast, including: WRLT l Lightning 100 in Nashville, WKDF 103.3 in Nashville, WSTZ 106 in Jackson, MS. and many college stations. The latest C.D. "Alchemy", has established the band solidly in the underground alternative scene, and has also landed them offers from other labels. The band is currently in the studio in Nashville recording their fourth C.D. to be released later this year.

Group Members Rob Robinson (vocals, guitar)Matt Logan (vocals, bass)Mark Williams (harmony, guitar)Chip Murdock (drums)

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Keys, Horns, Drums

Albums 1995 "Sucking The Existence" 1997 "Beanbag" 1998 "Alchemy"

Press Reviews FEARLESS FREAPAlchemy- 1. Chemistry of the middle ages, the chief aim of which was to change the baser metals into gold. 2. A method or power of transmutation. 3. The third RobSum Records C.D. release from Nashvilleıs own Fearless Freap. Funky power pop complete with horns and steel guitar. Fearless Freapıs Alchemy is all of these things. Rob Robinson, the bands founder and principal songwriter, describes the bands sound as ³a Wallflowers, Lenny Kravitz, and Gin Blossoms sandwich served with an ethereal Jazz sauce². Intrigued, you should be. This is a tight band worn smooth from constant touring, and their growing fan base is a reflection of the bands grassroots ethic. Fearless Freap, whose name is taken from a character in a Bugs Bunny cartoon, was born four years ago in a basement somewhere in the Nashville suburbs. Robinson, Ray Crabtree (formerly with the White Animals), Todd Tabor and Jeff Stokes began rehearsing in Robinsonıs basement studio, and the recordings that resulted became the first album, Sucking The Existence. Robinson started his own record label and RobSum Records released Sucking The Existence in early 1995. It is a rough gem, and Robinsonıs first experiment in garage pop. Over the next 18 months the band would sell three thousand copies from the back of the van. While touring in support of the C.D., the band shuffled through various line-up changes. Mark Williams, a Lafayette, LA. native was brought in as lead guitarist. He was fresh off tour with Sony artist Jamie Kyle and he brought a big arena rock sound to the band. Mark describes his sound as ³an atmospheric quest for tone². Eventually burnout from the road led the band to a virtual breakup in mid 1996. Robinson took this time to turn introspective and began writing the tunes that would become the second album Beanbag.Rob met Chip Murdock while engineering a recording session, and enticed him to play drums on Beanbag. Murdock, a native of Oxford, Ohio, is a road veteran with a masters in music composition, and an A.S.C.A.P. popular music award to his credit. While in production for Beanbag, Robinson also recruited Matt Logan, recently transplanted from Iowa, to join the band. ³We got together and sang old Hank Williams Sr. tunes for two hours, and I knew he was going to be the new bass player², said Robinson. Logan brought with him solid unpretentious bass savvy and years of road experience. Beanbag, released in January of 1997, got the band noticed. The track ³Do Right Love² received air play on college and commercial stations throughout the Southeast, including Nashvilleıs WRLT Lightning 100 and WKDF 103.3. One critic described it as ³Big Bang Basement Jazz Pop² while the band called it ³an obtuse, rhythm & blues, jazzy kinda, rock and roll love thing². No matter how it was labeled, Beanbag was an important step for Fearless Freap. It allowed them to book shows from Athens, Ga. to Memphis, Tn. to New Orleans, La.With Jerry Judd (Jack Johnson, Billy Falcon) on drums, Fearless Freap spent much of 1997 on the road. Still, they found time to record their third C.D. ,Alchemy, which was released in May of this year. Alchemy, is already garnering more attention for the band. This attention includes label offers and a new distribution deal for their own label Rob Sum Records. When asked about the new attention directed towards the band Robinson is cautious. ³Well, I guess I started this band to build a fan base as well as a sound, and I did not want to have to rely on a record label in order to put out music. We have played a lot of gigs in the last 3 years, and it is beginning to pay off in both the music and the number of people at the shows.²Alchemy, flows rather easily from the soul-funk of ³Love Electric² and ³Alchemy,² written by Robinson, to the power pop of ³Modern Day America² and ³The Other Side of Town,² written by bass player Matt Logan. Logan sings four of the eleven songs on Alchemy and shares lead vocal responsibilities with Robinson. ³Modern Day America² is perhaps the catchiest tune while ³Alchemy² is definitely the funkiest. Mark Williamsı and Rob Robinsonıs guitars layer raw power with slippery funk while Jerry Judd drives the groove on drums. ³Isabella Umbrella² and ³Too Beautiful² are a couple of other tracks that stand out on repeated listening.The band is joined by a bevy of Nashville musicians on ³Alchemy². Chip Murdock plays percussion. Kirk Hunt plays fretless bass. Chris Walters (Alabama, Barbara Mandrell) plays organ and electric piano. Tom Bukovac (Wynona) adds some tasty guitar and slide guitar. Kurtis McFarland (formerly of Jack Johnson) is loop master. Tom Lundberg plays trombone. Kevin Pearce (The 1969 Band) appears on Trumpet. Jim Dıarrigo lays down sax while Fats Kaplin (Manhattan Transfer) plays steel guitar.The production on Alchemy is stellar, especially considering it was recorded in Robıs Nashville home. Robinson says, ³We have recorded all three Fearless Freap C.D.ıs here. It has enabled me to work with terrific engineerıs like Scott Baggett (Webb Wilder) and Joe Costa (Flick, Ned Massey) in a more relaxed environment. Joe Costa and I mixed Alchemy on an 02R console at Whistler studio.² ³They were in a make shift room we called Greg Bradyıs attic², adds Logan, ³There were lava lamps and love beads and incense burning.² Robinson swears he has been haunted by the ghost of Farrah Faucetıs nipples ever since.The live show is primarily a four piece featuring Robinson, Logan, Williams, and Murdock. Chip Murdock has joined the band on drums full time since moving to town earlier this year. I asked Rob how they approach the live shows considering all the instrumentation used on the C.D.ıs. ³The presentation of the songs live is raw, but the harmonies are there. It is also more evolved considering we have played at least 150 shows since we recorded Alchemy.² Occasionally the band adds keyboards and/or a horn section just to spice things up.The band is often seen at Playoffıs in Nashville, and many other clubs throughout the Southeast. You can also check them out on their web site at www.pubwire.com/Freap. The records are available at Blockbuster and Tower as well as at shows.

Location Nashville, Tennessee - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).