Jupiter Coyote
Jupiter Coyote | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Macon, Georgia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Autonomous Records RoadRunner Records MBM Records Redeye Distribution |
| Associated acts | The Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic |
| Website | www.jupitercoyote.com |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
Jupiter Coyote is an American rock band from Macon, Georgia formed in 1990. The original members were Matthew Mayes (guitar/"guijo"/lead vocals), John Felty (guitar/vocals), Ned Grubb (bass guitar), and Matt Trevitt (drums).
Since 1990, Jupiter Coyote has played over 4,400 shows. Their sound has been labeled "mountain rock"[1], which is the combination of southern boogie and bluegrass-infused funk-rock.[2]
Members of Jupiter Coyote founded the independent record label Autonomous Records[3] early in their career. In doing so, they were able to successfully and independently distribute their own material and assist in the development of other acts such as Strangefolk and Sister Hazel.[4]
The band has shared the stage with The Allman Brothers Band, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, String Cheese Incident, The Radiators and Kansas, among others. They have played large festivals from coast to coast, including High Sierra Music Festival in California, Charlotte's Center City Fest, Atlanta's Music Midtown, Birmingham's City Stages, Asheville's Bele Chere and The Magnolia Fest in Live Oak, Fla.[5]
The band's current lineup consists of Matthew Mayes (guitar/"guijo"/lead vocals), John Meyer (guitar/backing vocals), Gene Bass (drums), Sanders Brightwell (bass guitar), Noel Felty (drums/backing vocals), Steve Trismen (fiddle/backing vocals), and Kevin "Ponchito" Scheyer (percussion).[6]
History[edit]
Invention of the Guijo...[edit]
Matthew Mayes began playing banjo in the second grade. He spent the following several years honing his bluegrass skills, but he ran into an issue when faced with the challenge of getting an acoustic banjo to cut through and be heard with a full band. His first idea was to simply tune a Fender Stratocaster to open G tuning. After playing the alternately tuned Strat and experimenting with it for a while, he had another idea. He took his G-tuned Strat to master luthier Tom Dodson and asked him if he could attach a banjo neck to his Stratocaster's body. After a few attempts, Dodson perfected Mayes' vision and the "guijo" was born. Dodson's configuration was not only able to break through the amplified sound of a full band, but it also allowed Mayes to experiment with and incorporate various tones and effects that were previously unattainable when using an acoustic banjo. It was this instrumental breakthrough that would allow Jupiter Coyote to fully develop their unique sound and approach to music throughout the years that followed. [7]
1990–1995: Early Years... Cemeteries & Junkyards, Wade, Lucky Day, Aware: The Compilation[edit]
Matthew Mayes and John Felty grew up playing music with one another in Brevard, North Carolina.[8] Together, they formed a band and called themselves "The Rockafellas". The Rockafellas was essentially a cover band that developed a strong following early on through playing small bars and fraternity parties. When they discovered there was another band that shared the same name, they knew their name would have to be changed. The band wanted to choose a new name with no meaning, allowing their original compositions to define the band's name. John Meyer, one of their sound engineers at the time, had written a song called "Jupiter Coyote", so the choice was made.[9]
Between 1990 and 1995, the band recorded three studio albums under the guidance of producer Johnny Sandlin. Cemeteries and Junkyards, Lucky Day, and Wade[10] provided the band with plenty of original material to tour with as they continued to hone their original sound.[11]
During this time, the band also welcomed new members Gene Bass (drums), Sanders Brightwell (bass), and David Stevens Jr. (percussion).
In 1993, Aware Records set out to find the most notable unsigned acts in the country and increase their national exposure through a compilation album. Two tracks ("Rose Hill" and "Ship in the Bottle") by Jupiter Coyote were included on the compilation album. [12]
1996–2000: Ghost Dance, Here Be Dragons, JC Live[edit]
Among their extensive touring schedule, the band found the time to record and release two more studio albums in 1997 and 1998. Ghost Dance and Here Be Dragons was recorded in Macon, Georgia at Phoenix Sound, which was the old Capricorn Records Studios.
In 2000, Coyote released JC Live, a compilation of live recordings from The Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia, The Music Farm in Charleston, South Carolina, and Wofford College's homecoming concert in Spartanburg, South Carolina.[13]
It was around this time that the band welcomed the addition of Steve Trismen (fiddle/backing vocals) and Noel Felty (drums/backing vocals).
2001–2010: Waxing Moon, The Hillary Step[edit]
In the early 2000s, the band released two more studio albums, Waxing Moon in 2001 and The Hillary Step in 2004.[14] A European tour was also scheduled for 2002, but the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks made traveling overseas to tour impossible, and the tour was cancelled.
2011–present: Sage With Toad, The Raptor Trail, Life Got in the Way[edit]
The band released the studio album Sage With Toad in 2011.
When John Felty left the band to pursue other interests, Matthew Mayes and John Meyer began a side project called The Raptor Trail. It had been decided that when Jupiter Coyote returned to the stage, John Meyer would be the new lead guitar player and assist on vocals. In 2018, Jupiter Coyote recorded and released Life Got in the Way. In 2020 the band released a greatest hits vinyl record called The Interplanetary Yard Dog. The band was poised to play a large number of shows in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of those shows. To adapt and survive, the band has moved to online live streaming. The band has streamed three times from empty theaters with Hometown Hodges Productions[15] and over 30 “quarantine session" streams from their home studios.
Jupiter Coyote's entire catalogue of music is distributed by Redeye Distribution.
Selective discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Cemeteries & Junkyards | Produced by Johnny Sandlin, Features Chalmers Davis on Hammond |
| 1993 | Wade | Produced by Johnny Sandlin |
| 1995 | Lucky Day | Produced by Johnny Sandlin |
| 1997 | Ghost Dance | Produced by Jupiter Coyote, Features Count M'Butu on percussion |
| 1998 | Here Be Dragons | Produced by Jupiter Coyote, Features Edwin McCain on "Rose Hill" and David Ragsdale of Kansas on fiddle on "150 Years Ago" |
| 2000 | JC Live | Produced by Jupiter Coyote |
| 2001 | Waxing Moon | Produced by Jupiter Coyote |
| 2004 | The Hillary Step | Produced by Jupiter Coyote |
| 2011 | Sage With Toad | Produced by Jupiter Coyote |
| 2018 | Life Got in the Way | Produced by Jupiter Coyote |
| 2020 | The Interplanetary Yard Dog | (Vinyl release only) |
Digitally Released Singles[edit]
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2021 | '"Driving the Wedge" |
| 2021 | "Confusionville" |
| 2021 | "Soldier On" |
| 2021 | "Hungry Ghost" |
| 2021 | "Joker 1.5" |
| 2021 | "Hotbox the Car" |
| 2021 | "What if I Were a Star?" |
| 2021 | "Pack Mule" |
| 2021 | "Pry" |
| 2021 | "Seasons" |
References[edit]
- ↑ "Jupiter Coyote brings mountain rock to Songbirds Guitar Museum". timesfreepress.com.
- ↑ Budnick, Dean (1998). "Jam Bands": North America's Hottest Live Groups, Plus How to Tape and Trade Their Shows. Search this book on
- ↑ "Autonomous Records". Discogs.
- ↑ Reece, D. (1998). "Popular Uprisings: Billboard's Weekly Coverage of Hot Prospects for the Heatseekers Chart". Billboard. p. 18.
- ↑ "Jupiter Coyote - Life Got in the Way CD". Leeway's Home Grown Music Network.
- ↑ Cowles, Chris (interviewer) (December 26, 2018). Greasy Tracks [Greasy Tracks] (Radio Interview). Hartford, Connecticut: WTRC-FM.
- ↑ "Guijo | I Had to Ask". ihadtoask.com.
- ↑ Budnick, Dean (2003). Jambands: The Complete Guide to the Players, Music, & Scene. Search this book on
- ↑ "Swampland:Jupiter Coyote". swampland.com.
- ↑ "Jupiter Coyote - Wade - January 1994 -". www.louisvillemusicnews.net.
- ↑ "Jupiter Coyote Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
- ↑ "Aware Compilation, Vol. 1 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ↑ "Live - Jupiter Coyote | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ↑ "Jupiter Coyote - The Hillary Step". Leeway's Home Grown Music Network.
- ↑ sdonaghy@indexjournal.com, ST CLAIRE DONAGHY. "Hometown Hodges livestream concerts charting nationally in viewership rankings". Index-Journal.
Submission has been edited to include band's works with RoadRunner Records and Aware Records. There has also been an addition noting Mayes' invention of an instrument. I believe that this article can become more complete and notable if it is allowed to be published and edited by other editors with access to other sources. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. Thanks for your time and consideration.[edit]
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