Motto (every band should
have one):
The Song Is King.
Who:
Darren Schiappich- songs,
vocals, left-handed acoustic & electric guitars
John Kilgore- electric &
acoustic guitars, lap-steel guitar, vocals, songs
Josh Sceurman- bass Toby
Martin- drums
Ted Fenstermacher- fiddle,
mandolin, vocals
honorary frogs:
Mike Lavdanski - banjo,
lap-steel
Will Dennis- mandolin, bass
Todd Bartolo- lap-steel
Joe Gombeda- fiddle
Where:
Frog Holler was formed and
remains in Northern Berks County, Pennsylvania. Darren was born and raised
there. All the others met in and around Kutztown University. The band's
maliftig address is Virginville, but calls Shoemakersville home. Both places
are lovely.
When:
Formed in the summer of
1996 as a Bluegrass trio, before evolving into its current five-piece form.
What:
Songs. That's what we're
all about. Don't belleve you have to be the best picker or singer , but
you better damn well mean it!
We Like:
Bill Monroe, The Stanley
Brothers, ice cream,The Replacements,
Muddy Waters, sleep, Yuengling
beer(all flavors),The Beatles,
Lucinda Williams, Ween,
wiffle ball, Norman Blake, Brian Wilson,
Uncle Tupelo, Northern
Exposure,Del McCoury Band, Bob Dylan,
The Freight Hoppers, Willie
Nelson, The Sea and Cake,
The Simpsons
See, just a little over two
years ago this whole "thing" started. Seems like a lot longer than that,
but there's so much crammed into it. From me and Will playing at
the Camp Strauss Fire Co.
Bluegrass night in the middle of
nowhere, to playing for the first time as a flill band at a Christmas dance
for a naval shipbuilding college in Long Island, New York to where
we're at now, which is just releasing an independent record that we're
darn proud of.
Berks County is a
beautiflil place, especially in the northern part where we all live. The
thing is, its culture is a little(lot) lacking. Too many people stuck in
too few ways. See that's what makes this whole thing so amazing. That "thing"
I keep talking about is Frog Holler and the community of friends,
musical or not that I found, at 29 , when I had resigned to work, T.V.,
and sleep.
See I'd spent my twenties
not knowing what I wanted to do with myself. I'd always loved music, but
was just a record junkie who knew a couple of R.E.M. and Led Zeppelin
riffs. Oh Yeah, I knew the G-C& D chords which would be crucial
in the events that followed.
So while I'm wasting my time
away, some friends introduce me to this music I'd never really heard before.
Thanks Joe and Chris.!
Absolutley floored by the songs of Bill
Monroe, the voice of
Carter Stanley, and the guitar of Norman
Blake! Bluegrass music, after all this time Bluegrass.
As it turns out there's a
whole loffa Bluegrass songs that use those three chords I knew, G-C &
D. So I got my old guitar out and that's when it all started happening.
I started writing these little songs that people seemed to get a kick out
of I met Will who played the mandolin and Mike who picked
the banjo. And then Mike brings
John over to play lap steel. Turns
out in addition to that the guy's a nppin electric guitar player and he
writes songs, Songs! All we need know is a drummer. Enter Toby. After
all we were all into rockin too, so why not do both. Add Josh, a heart
flill of music to pump the bass, and Ted, the "real deal" on the
fiddle, and your where we're at today... still writing and playing songs,
Songs! Try to play 'em as best we can. Never perfect, but always like we
mean it. Let us know what you think:
Frog Holler P.O. Box 0006 Virginville, PA 19564
or e-mail at zobird@enter.net. Darren
What they're saying
"Their CD, "coudn't get
along", captures the spirit of the alt-country movement in a, striking
way and brings to mind the much-loved Son Volt Frog Holler is the coolest
band without a, record contract"
-Jesse Lundy
New Park Entertainment
"very impressive and promising
debut"
-David Goodman
Modern Twang
Frog Holler's CD, "coudn
't get along",remains one of the best local releases in years."
-Jim Speese
Reading Eagle/Times
"Mostly acoustic, banjo-driven
Appalachian-influenced country rock. The layered instrumentation recalls
The Band on occasion, but the lap-steel and periodic feedback drenched
guitars announce this as a child of the '90's Alt- Country"
-Miles of Music
"It's fun and it's catchy.
It's country and it's punk. It's bluegrass and it's pop. And the songs
themselves kind of describe the bizarre world they're coming from."
