Drawing inspiration from the gloomy climate of the Pacific Northwest, The Sawyer Family are, at once, steeped in mythology and darkness, and eerily real. Originally formed in 2001 in Eugene, Oregon, the band has continuously evolved in the decade since, writing darker, heavier material, but still retaining the flairs of melody and harmony their fans came to expect from them. Their first release, the “Scary as Hell” EP, dropped them squarely into the roots rock scene of the Northwest.
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Drawing inspiration from the gloomy climate of the Pacific Northwest, The Sawyer Family are, at once, steeped in mythology and darkness, and eerily real. Originally formed in 2001 in Eugene, Oregon, the band has continuously evolved in the decade since, writing darker, heavier material, but still retaining the flairs of melody and harmony their fans came to expect from them. Their first release, the “Scary as Hell” EP, dropped them squarely into the roots rock scene of the Northwest. This batch of songs, along with their full length follow-up, “The Sawyer Family Album,” solidified their reputation as purveyors of swampy, creepy rock and roll and got them gigs with bands such as The Red Elvises, The KoffinKats, The Blasters, and Dick Dale. Still confined primarily to the West Coast, they continued writing, putting more and more distance between the rootsy sound of their beginnings and their new direction of melodic metal with a dark tinge of humor.
The release of their second full length album, “Why Did God Create The Sawyer Family,” brought them critical acclaim as well as a demand to venture further into the country. They began working relentlessly, setting up tours and writing the next album. Their energetic live show, along with constant new material, made almost every show different, and it wasn’t long before they were ready to record the next album, “The Burning Times.” With this release, they began to show their refined dark side.
Sometimes slow, sometimes blindingly fast, but always melodic and orchestrated, “The Burning Times” set The Sawyer Family apart from their past as a straightforward rock group. They soon sold about 2000 hard copies and countless digital downloads while independently traveling around the country, appealing to punk rock, metal, and roots rock fans alike. It was not long before they had visited nearly every state playing over 400 shows since 2009, from dive bars to festivals. As they have refined their ever evolving, sometimes unpredictable, songwriting, they’ve left a burgeoning fanbase wanting more all around the United States. The music is sometimes compared to Queens of the Stone Age, Mr. Bungle, early Metallica, and Corrosion of Conformity and, while these are all influences, there is still great variety in the songwriting with nods to fifties doo-wop, surf, and early punk rock. In many ways, their fearless songwriting and refusal to be pigeon-holed in one genre has become the Sawyer Family’s trademark and what their fans have come to expect from a show, whether they are sharing the stage with Mondo Generator or The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies one night, to The Goddamn Gallows and Joe Buck the next. The sure thing, however, is their vintage feel in today’s era of electronic music; drums, guitars, and bass.
Soon after the release of “The Burning Times,” The Sawyer Family signed on with Bucket City Booking Agency and inaugurated the new partnership on a tour with Joe Buck. After this, they signed with Wasted State Records in Scotland to release a European pressing of “The Burning Times” and expand their fan base throughout Europe
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…shrink me down again