"Got our first gig at the local bar/and it wasn't paying" 19 Wheels sing in

"So Cool", a track from their latest and musically infectious album

Sugareen.  Using this line as motivation East Lansing's latest musical

export has taken it upon themselves to right all that is wrong in music

today.  And we are the fortunate beneficiaries of this fine effort.

19 Wheels has a long storied history and are veterans of the Michigan music

scene.  Over the course of their rather lengthy career they have shared the

stage with "buzz bands" Stir, Dovetail Joint, Matthew Good Band as well as

Lansing cohorts The Verve Pipe.   Recently they opened for Spacehog in

Detroit, and to top things off they had Train open for them on the three

month long 1998 Aware Records Tour geared toward the college music crowd

taking in 26 states.

You read that right- the multi-platinum Train supported 19 Wheels.  And

that was no mistake.  Train wishes they wrote songs as catchy in nature as

"So Cool."  Not to knock the chart-toppers but "Meet Virginia" and "Drops

Of Jupiter" can't touch 19 Wheels vast arsenal of quality songs.

A note on the 19Wheels.com website warns listeners of the hazards present

in their latest album.  "19 Wheels contains Sapparine, which in laboratory

animals, causes diarrhea, vomiting, and many things worse.  Music so sweet

it will rot your teeth (and probably your mind, too).  Caution is advised."

These words should not be taken lightly as they were not kidding- the stuff

featured on "Sugareen" is highly addictive in nature, but unless you have

diabetes there is no need to worry. Even then, you'll enjoy an experience

that is guaranteed to satisfy your taste for inimitable melody and

fortified musicianship.

Chris Johnston of 19 Wheels...photo by Janet Reid

"Sugareen" took over almost two years to complete.  It began as a five song

EP recorded around handpicked producer (and Verve Pipe drummer) Donny

Brown's busy schedule.  This was not easy and at one point a few days were

spent secluded in a Chicago hotel room while Brown's band were there on

tour to record and arrange tracks.  In addition to his production credits

Brown adds keyboards, backing vocals and drums (one of five drummers to

contribute).  The disc features an additional Verve Pipe contribution as

ex-Mick Furlo Band member AJ Dunning adds his stellar guitar work to a

track.

It was surely worth the wait for the legion of 19 Wheels fans when unveiled

in October 2000.  Review Magazine named the masterful work their #2 album

of 2000 as did Jim Nelson of the Album Network which is a music trade

magazine geared toward all areas of the music business from radio

programmers to label executives.  Notice from these powers was soon to

arrive.

The 19 Wheels songwriting team of singer/guitarist Chris Johnston and

guitarist Scott Owens dates back to 1988 when both were members of

Lansing's the Hannibals.   They released several albums in the early 1990s

and opened the college town circuit for Water 4 The Pool and later The

Verve Pipe often hitting the "Sagidome" (as they referred to The Hamilton

Street Pub).  The current 19 Wheels lineup also features original member

Tim Marzarati on bass and drummer Rob Dickey providing the backbeat.

19 Wheels quickly evolved from the Hannibals self-admitted "country-tinged

folk" music.  Their debut work, 1995's "The Tempermill Recordings,"

continued in that vein featuring the self-explanatory early hit "Country

Girl."  Their first full-length album "Six Ways From Sunday" was rock and

roll, plain and simple.  "Sugareen" sees the band moving more in a

fun-loving "Pop" musical direction while never losing that pure rock aspect

that has always driven their riveting live performances.

19 Wheels scored a major coup and made a name for themselves on the

national music front in 1999 by claiming the Michigan regional crown in

Lucky Strike's "Band-To-Band Combat" competition making them one of the 15

most sought after unsigned bands in America.  This gained mention in a full

page Rolling Stone advertisement proclaiming "Today, this page.  Tomorrow,

the cover."  No small feat.

"Sugareen," with the mouth watering (and eye catching) gumdrops cover, was

released in October 2000.  Containing radio track "Broken," the bouncy

"Loveydoveytown," and sing-a-long favorites "So Cool," "TV Queen," "360,"

and  "Boomtown" listeners are guaranteed a pleasurable listening

experience.   Actually each of the 10 tracks is, in fact, a tasty treat.

"Sugareen" is available in Saginaw exclusively at Harmony House.

Earlier this year Windsor, Ontario Canada's renowned Alternative Radio

Station 89x was so taken by the band's cover of BTO's early 70's classic

"Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" that they were invited to be the house band for

the Detroit Tigers opening day extravaganza at the State Theatre across

from Comerica Park.

Further critical acclaim came in the big market of Detroit in the 2001

Music Awards as 19 Wheels was nominated for two honors: Best Pop/Rock

Recording and Best Group.  Though failing to win either category in "Rock

City" the seed had been sown.  Also this year, Spin Magazine covered a 19

Wheels show in Detroit and featured it along with a band photo in the

magazine.

Did the group realize they were onto something 'special' when they

approached the Sugareen project?  "Honestly, I'm not sure we did know,"

answers Scott. "A few of the songs we did in Chicago almost a year before

staring on the project and the initial idea was to release an EP. But as

things got drawn out working around Donny's schedule, we wrote more songs

and it looked like the project would turn into a full record. During that

time of pre-production a lot of changes were made to the songs, so that

'special' feeling didn't come together until we were well into the

recording process."

"I think the difference came in the fact that by default we could step back

from the project, listen to the rough mixes, and make the songs that much

better by really scrutinizing them."

"We wanted to record new material for a really long time," notes Chris.

"The fact we were chomping at the bit to record was the biggest thing that

made it special.  We couldn't wait for people to hear these songs, because

it's been almost five years since our last record and we were tired of

being judged by that. We were ready to have people hear new things."

Does the group have an 'internal philosophy' that they feel distinguishes

them from the mass of bands striving for the 'big time'?

"I wish I could say we had an internal philosophy or feeling about what we

need to do to set ourselves apart," reflects Scott, "but we really don't.

We are very aware of what environment is out there and what's working and

what isn't in general terms, but our underlying philosophy has always been

to work for the songs and make each song the very best it can be."

"I don't think Sugareen is groundbreaking in the sense that we're not out

to make music that doesn't sound like anything ever made before," answers

Chris. "The songs have a familiarity. Not that you copy, but you do follow

structures of melody and arrangement that make sense to people. There are

certain rules you have to follow for a great song. And I think one of the

things that set us apart is that we try to get the point across with as

little as possible, whether instruments or lyrics. That's one of the things

Donny helped us with. We feed it into the song structure more."

"I think vocally the tone of Chris' voice is immediately recognizable,"

states Tim. "That's important because otherwise people might start to

compare us. Musically it's hard to answer that question from the inside,

because we're so close to it. But I think we have such diverse backgrounds

that it adds to the sound. I can't pigeonhole us with another band."

While 19 Wheels have been compared to groups like The Foo Fighters and

Weezer, the group does not feel 'influenced' by these bands in any way.

"Unfortunately, art has to coexist with commerce," states Scott. "As much

as I hate to admit it, if you don't keep your finger on the pulse of

commerce, look out. Some groups are so attached to their 'art' they have

the attitude if you don't get it, screw you. We're not like that. We look

to what works from both song form and instrumentation.  But I would say

that if we are influenced by other groups, it's more from a point of what

we don't want to do."

In terms of the most 'challenging' thing facing their group today, the band

is reflective. "I would say it's sustaining interest in the band from an

audience standpoint and from the band itself," notes Chris. "By the time a

record is done you go through months of work, but when people hear it on

the radio it's fresh to them. So the songs are constantly evolving. That's

one of the things I'm proud of about Sugareen. I love playing the songs and

it doesn't get tiring. We're always developing the songs live and try to

squeak that much more out of the song in performance."

Tim agrees that the biggest challenge is "staying focused as a band. You

can't worry about getting signed by a major label but have to keep moving

forward. Look at M.C. Hammer - he sold 80,000 CD's out of the trunk of his

car before he got signed!"

"The major label thing is encouraging and discouraging," concludes Tim.

"We've had lots of interest, yet the industry itself is in a point of great

unrest. Labels are getting new Presidents and shake-ups happen all the

time. What is encouraging is that every label we've talked to have an

opinion on what the single should be, which tells me they love everything

right down to the packaging. It's been a slow process, but we're focusing

on doing what we need to do."

The band recently performed a major label showcase at the Viper Room in Los

Angeles.  The suits are on to Michigan Music's hottest commodity, so catch

them while you can.  They won't be at this level for much longer.

After gaining a rather fanatical and devoted following among the college

towns in the western and southern parts of the state of Michigan, 19 Wheels

continue their Summer 2001 Tour by supporting Collective Soul at the

Lansing Common Ground Festival on July 20.

And now, the good news...

Discover what all the fuss is about when 19 Wheels returns to Saginaw

following a two-year absence on July 28.  Saginaw is in for a special day

since this is the lone town that they will play a pair of  shows this

summer.  At 3:00 pm they perform a free in store live set at  Saginaw

Harmony House, 4757 Bay Road.  Later that same evening they will rock out

with hot Bay City up and comers The Haskels at the Hamilton Street Pub.

Get ready for a sugar rush Saginaw - you are in for a pair of tasty treats.