Tim Easton

Easton was raised in Akron, Ohio, forming the band Kosher Spears while at college. He traveled abroad for a time, busking in London, Paris, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Ireland.

The Haynes Boys

On his return to the US in the mid-1990s, Easton joined the Haynes Boys with Freddy Free (guitar), Jovan Karcic (drums), and Aaron Rice (bass).

In 1996, they released their only album The Haynes Boys (often referred to as Guardian Angel because of the cover illustration).

On June 23, 2015 Re-Vinyl Records reissued the album on vinyl with the originally intended cover art and updated liner notes.

The band kicked off a series of shows on June 25, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio, culminating with a June 28 show at the ComFest community festival in Columbus.

Solo Career

When the members of the Hanes Boys split to pursue individual projects, Easton recorded his 1998 debut album Special 20 on Heathen Records, a label launched by Easton and his manager Blake Squires.

He subsequently relocated to California, and signed a deal with EMI Publishing and a record deal with New West Records. In 2001, he released The Truth About Us on which he was supported by Ken Coomer, John Sirratt, and Jay Bennett, all of Wilco.

Released in 2003, Break Your Mother's Heart featured Mike Campbell (guitar), Jim Keltner (drums), Jai Winding (piano), Greg Leisz (dobro), and Jilann O’Neill (backing vocals).

Ammunition was released in 2006. Lucinda Williams and Tift Merritt contribited harmony vocals, and Gary Louris (the Jayhawks) produced three tracks.

2009 saw the release of Porcupine which featured Sam Brown (drums), Matt Surgeson (bass), and Kenny Vaughan (guitar).

Since 1966 was a primarily solo acoustic album released in 2011 and featuring 11 previously unreleased songs.

Also released in 2011, Beat the Band included Aaron Lee Tasjan (guitar and piano), Mark Stepro (drums), and Alex Livingstone (bass).

In 2013, Easton released Not Cool which he began recording after he moved back to Nashville and was inspired by a show at Robert’s Western World. He described the album as “kind of a 50′s, Sun Studio thing, kind of a rock and roll thing.”

For American Fork, released in 2016, Easton used a larger group of musicians, including Jon Radford (drums), Michael Rinne (bass), Robbie Crowell (keyboards and horns), Russ Pahl (pedal steel), and Larissa Maestro (cello). Maestro, Megan Palmer, Ariel Bui, and Emma Berkey provided vocal harmonies.

Easton Stagger Phillips

In 2007, Easton joined Leeroy Stagger and Evan Phillips, performing as Easton, Stagger, Phillips. Easton and Stagger initially performed in 2008 as support acts for Phillips' band The Whipsaws.

The group released One For The Ditch, on Rebeltone Records, in 2008. Their second album Resolution Road was released in 2014.

Awards

Easton was nominated for the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards Vox Pop award for 'Best Americana Song' with "Burgundy Red".

His album Porcupine won the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards Vox Pop vote for best Album Packaging.

Other Projects

Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins, released in late 2015 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Easton's recording of Hawkins' song "One Hundred Miles."

Easton has one daughter, and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Summary

• 1998: Special 20 (Heathen Records)
• 2001: The Truth About Us (New West)
• 2003: Break Your Mother's Heart (New West)
• 2006: Ammunition (New West)
• 2009: Porcupine (New West)
• 2011: Since 1966, Volume 1 (Campfire Properganda)
• 2013: Not Cool (Campfire Properganda)
• 2016: American Fork (Last Chance)

• 2008: Live at Water Canyon (Sonic Rendezvous)

• 2013: Before the Revolution: The Best of Tim Easton 1998-2011 (New West)

• 2011: Beat the Band (Campfire Properganda)

• 1996: Guardian Angel (Slab Recordings)

• 2008: One for the Ditch (Blue Rose)
• 2014: Resolution Road (Blue Rose)

Expanded

Solo

• Special 20 (1998)

1. Just Like Home
2. Special 20
3. Torture Comes to Mind
4. Troublesome Kind
5. All the Pretty Girls Leave Town
6. Everywhere is Somewhere
7. Help Me Find My Space Girl
8. Sweet Violet
9. Hey Rosine
10. Rewind

• The Truth About Us (2001)

1. Half a Day
2. Carry Me
3. Downtown Lights
4. Get Some Lonesome
5. Happy Now
6. Bad Florida
7. Soup Can Telephone Game Conversation
8. Out of Your Life
9. I Would Have Married you
10. When the Lights Out
11. Don't Walk Alone

• Break Your Mother's Heart (2003)

1. Poor, Poor LA
2. Black Hearted Ways
3. John Gilmartin
4. Hanging Tree
5. Lexington Jail
6. Hummingbird
7. Amor Azul
8. Watching the Lightning
9. Man That You Need
10. True Ways

• Ammunition (2006)

1. Black Dog
2. Oh People
3. Next to You
4. Not Today
5. Back to the Pain
6. I Wish You Well
7. Before the Revolution
8. News Blackout
9. Dear ol' Song and Dance
10. J.P.M.F.Y.F.
11. C-Dub
12. I Don't Wanna Come Home
13. Sittin' On Top of the World

• Porcupine (2009)

1. Burgundy Red
2. Broke My Heart
3. Porcupine
4. The Young Girls
5. Stormy
6. Stone's Throw
7. 7th Wheel
8. Get What I Got
9. Baltimore
10. Northbound
11. Long Cold Night In Bed
12. Goodbye Amsterdam

• Beat the Band (2011) - Tim Easton and the Freelan Barons

Side 1:

1. Maid of the Mist
2. Daily Life
3. What Do You Live For?
4. Beat The Band
5. Did Your Mother Teach You That?

Side 2:

1. Nobody Plays Piano in Athens, GA
2. Open Letter
3. Until It Kills You
4. She Takes Her Time
5. Broke Just Like Any Problem

• Tim Easton: Since 1966 | Volume 1 (2011) - Tim Easton

1. Looking Out (For Joe Strummer)
2. Summertime Heart
3. To Katie
4. The Weight of Changing Everything
5. Two of Us
6. California Bars
7. Highway 62 Love Song
8. Festival Song
9. Idolene
10. Baby Come Home
11. Why Oh Why

• Not Cool (2013)

1. Don’t Lie
2. Troubled Times
3. Lickety Split
4. Tired and Hungry
5. Little Doggie (1962)
6. Four Queens
7. Crazy Motherfucker from Shelby, Ohio
8. They Will Bury You
9. Gallatin Pike Blues
10. Not Cool
11. Knock Out Roses (for Levon)

• American Fork (2016)

1. Right Before Your Own Eyes
2. Killing Time
3. Elmore James
4. Gatekeeper
5. Burning Star
6. Alaskan Bars Pt 1
7. Now vs. Now
8. On My Way

Live

• Live at Water Canyon (2008)

1. Special 20
2. All the Pretty Girls Leave Town
3. Baltimore
4. Reliable
5. They Will Bury You
6. Lexington Jail
7. Man That You Need
8. Tired and Hungry
9. Next to You
10. Lose Your Money

As guest musician

• 2008: Lucinda Williams - Little Honey (Lost Highway)
• 2008: Otis Gibbs - Grandpa Walked a Picketline (Wanamaker / Thirty Tigers)
• 2008: The Whipsaws - 60 Watt Avenue (Blue Rose / Shut Eye)
• 2009: Leeroy Stagger - Everything is Real (Blue Rose / Rebel Tone)
• 2014: Cory Branan - The No-Hit Wonder (Bloodshot)
• 2015: Amy Speace - That Kind Of Girl (Continental Song City)
• 2015: Salto - Salto (self-released)
• 2016: Levi Parham - These American Blues (Music Road)

As music contributor

• 2009: Various Artists - A Bob Dylan Tribute: So Happy Just To See You Smile (Hanky Panky) - track 9, "Spanish Harlem Incident"
• 2015: Various Artists: Cold And Bitter Tears: The Songs Of Ted Hawkins (Eight 30) - track 3, "One Hundred Miles"