Stick Figure

This article is about the band. For the graphical image, see Stick figure.
Stick Figure

Frontman Scott Woodruff and Cocoa the tour dog in 2016
Background information
Origin Duxbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
San Diego, California, U.S.
Genres Roots reggae, dub
Years active 2006 (2006)–present
Website stickfiguremusic.com
Members
  • Scott Woodruff
  • Kevin Bong
  • Kevin Offitzer
  • Tommy Suliman
  • johnny cosmic
Past members
  • Brendan "Alific" Dane
  • Todd Smith

Stick Figure is an American reggae and dub band based in Southern California.[1] The group has released six full-length albums, all of which were written and produced by frontman Scott Woodruff, a singer-songwriter who until 2009 was based in Massachusetts.[2] In 2012 Woodruff released the fifth Stick Figure album, Burial Ground, to critical acclaim.[3] The album reached no. 1 on the iTunes and Billboard Reggae charts.[2] The band began touring with a new line up after the release of Burial Ground,[4] and has since toured throughout the United States with reggae groups such as Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid, The Green, Passafire, Tribal Seeds and The Expendables.[2] Cocoa,[5] an Australian Shepherd, typically joins the band on stage.[6] The group's sixth album, Set in Stone, was released in November 2015 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart,[7] also reaching No. 101 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Heatseekers Albums chart.[8]

History

Founding and early releases (2005–2010)

The band Stick Figure was originally founded as a one-man band by multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Scott Woodruff. Woodruff, who hails from Duxbury, Massachusetts, had first started playing instruments in his youth. According to Woodruff, his early fixation was reggae, as well as producers such as Keller Williams. His interest in playing instruments eventually turned into writing, performing, and producing his own albums.[4] Woodruff began blending upbeat roots reggae with the reggae subgenre of dub.[2] The name Stick Figure is a take on Woodruff's high school nickname. He first officially adopted the moniker while a freshman in college when submitting instrumental tracks to the Sublime Archive website.[4] From 2006 to 2012 Woodruff wrote, produced, recorded, and released four full-length albums.[9] The first in 2006 was The Sound of My Addiction, which like his later albums was created by "recording instruments individually, layering tracks on top of one another in unison."[2]

His sophomore album Burnin’ Ocean was awarded “Top 10 Best Reggae Albums in 2008" by Apple iTunes.[10] Woodruff's third LP as Stick Figure was titled Smoke Stack. According to Branch Out Music, Smoke Stack "captures a pure ambiance of expression with hard drum and bass intertwined with diverse echoes of dub laced, with all sorts of interesting knickknacks that keep you locked into the sound. Topped with strong, conscience lyrics that hit hard and spread like wild fire into your heart."[10] Like his previous albums, Woodruff tracked and recorded all the lines himself.[1] Smoke Stack peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.[8] In the summer of 2009, Woodruff moved[2] to the San Diego area.[3] He then recorded the album Reprise Session with a full band,[2] which was released in 2010.[3]

Burial Ground (2011-2012)

On June 12, 2012 Woodruff released the fifth Stick Figure album, Burial Ground. It contains 14 tracks written and produced by Woodruff, one of which features vocal by reggae singer Half Pint.[3] Woodruff cowrote five of the tracks with his close friend T.J. O'Neill;[11] the two had spent time traveling abroad together in Indonesia, Australia, Fiji, Thailand, and New Zealand starting in 2010, finding mutual inspiration for songwriting.[3] The album reached no. 1 on the iTunes and Billboard Reggae charts,[2][9] and accumulated album sales for all Stick Figure releases reached 60,000+ worldwide.[2][7] It also reached No. 17 on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States.[8]

Burial Ground met with a positive critical response, with a number of critics noting the mixing of upbeat reggae and dub. According to The Reggae Review, "Original, bass-heavy, one drop beats are consistent throughout the album, as are the subtle nuances...and sometimes not so subtle nuances....of dub. Stick Figure's digits remain firmly on the pulse of roots reggae/dub music."[11] The Pier stated "the album represents a new milestone in Stick Figure's musical growth and innovative abilities, with more layering, instrumental transcendence, and lyrical complexity [than their previous albums]."[3]

Live band and touring (2012-2014)

Stick Figure's original live lineup.

After the release of Burial Ground in 2012, Woodruff began to put together a live band.[2] According to Woodruff, the band started as a local group playing at different venues in the San Diego area, before deciding to tour[4] for the first time in the fall of 2012, playing gigs with The Green on the east coast.[2] They afterwards had two national tours with the reggae bands Passafire, John Brown’s Body, and Tribal Seeds, then headlined their own national tour in the spring of 2013.[2] In summer of 2013 Stick Figure again toured nationally with Passafire, hitting states such as Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida.[4] Stick Figure performed at the Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival in June 2013.[12]

In December 2013, the band was nominated for Best Live Artist of the Year at The Pier Awards.[13] Subsequently, the band was a part of the Winter Blackout Tour with The Expendables and Seedless in January 2014.[2] Beyond Woodruff, the band as of 2014 included Kevin Bong on keyboards, Kevin Offitzer on drums, and Tommy Suliman on bass.[2] In the summer of 2014, Stick Figure was a supporting act on the Count Me In tour featuring Rebelution, The Green, and Iration.[14] They also headlined their own fall tour with HIRIE and Pacific Dub.[15] Stick Figure toured with Slightly Stoopid and The Dirty Heads during the summer and fall 2015, playing amphitheaters across the United States such as Red Rocks. Other stops included the ARISE Festival in Loveland, Colorado.[16]

Set in Stone (2015-2016)

The group's sixth album, Set in Stone, was released in November 2015, and included collaborations with Eric Rachmany of Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid, KBong, and Collie Buddz. Like their previous album, it again topped the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart, reaching No. 1.[7] It appeared on six Billboard charts overall[8] after its release,[17] including No. 101 on the Billboard 200, No. 24 on Digital Albums, No. 1 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 7 on Independent Albums, and No. 65 on the Top Album Sales chart.[8] "Set in Stone" reached No. 6 on the CMJ World Charts, and was the No. 1 most added on CMJ World.[18]

External video
"Fire on the Horizon" - Stick Figure (Official Music Video) - Nov 10, 2015

The group released their first music video, for "Fire on the Horizon," on November 10, 2015 through Billboard. The video was shot in the Santa Cruz Mountains and beaches near Woodruff's home studio.[19] A second video, for "Sound of the Sea," was released two days later on November 12, 2015.[20] In December 2015, the online publication The Island Sound named Stick Figure No. 2 on their list of the Top 5 Artists of 2015.[21]

Touring and music videos (2015-2016)

After headlining their own shows in 2015 and also touring with bands such as Slightly Stoopid, in January 2016 the band embarked on a headlining US tour with the band Fortunate Youth.[21] As of January, the band was also touring with an additional multi-instrumentalist by the name of Johnny Cosmic, as well as Cocoa,[5] an Australian Shepherd who often joins them on stage.[6] Rescued by Woodruff in 2012, she had first started touring with the band in 2013[6] while supporting Tribal Seeds.[22] On March 23, 2016, the band released their music video for "Shadow," featuring Cocoa and a farm in Northern California. The band revealed that they were planning on shooting videos for most of the other tracks on Set in Stone as well.[23] In early 2016, the band was added to The Joint on Sirius XM, with various songs put on the air.[24] In April 2016, Stick Figure performed a live session at the Sirius XM studios in New York City.[24]

Their album Set in Stone: Instrumental was released on April 1, 2016.[17] In 2016, band will be playing festivals including Hang Out Festival, Pemberton Music Festival, Electric Forest, Cali Roots, North Coast Music Festival, and Levitate Music and Arts Festival.[25] They will also be playing at the Red Rocks Amphitheater twice in 2016, the second time as part of their support slot on Rebelution's upcoming summer amphitheatre tour, which also plays venues like the Greek Theatre in LA.[26]

Lineup

Current as of 2015

Discography

Studio albums

Incomplete list of albums by Stick Figure
Year Title Chart peaks Release details
200[8] Digi[8] Heat[8] Indie[8] Reggae[8] Sales[8]
2006 The Sound of My Addiction — — —— — — Ruffwood Records (Apr 6, 2006)[17]
2008 Burnin' Ocean — — —— — — I in I Records (Jan 16, 2008)[17]
2009 Smoke Stack — — — — 8 — Stick Figure (Nov 3, 2009)[17]
2010 The Reprise Sessions — — —— — — Stick Figure (Aug 3, 2010)[17]
2012 Burial Ground — — 17 1 — — Ruffwood Records (Jun 15, 2012)[17]
2015 Set in Stone 101 24 1 7 1 65 Ruffwood Records (Nov 13, 2015)[17]
2016 Set in Stone: Instrumental — — —— 7 — Ruffwood Records (Apr 1, 2016)[17]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Incomplete list of songs by Stick Figure
Year Title Album Release details
2010 "So Good" Single Ruffwood Records (May 25, 2010)[17]
2013 "Heartland (Acoustic)" Ruffwood Records (Oct 18, 2013)[17]
2014 "Smokin' Love" (feat. Collie Buddz) Ruffwood Records (Jun 3, 2014)[17]
"Livin' It" Ruffwood Records (Aug 5, 2014)[17]
2015 "Smokin' Love (Remix)"
(ft. Collie Buddz, Dizzy Wright, Iration, J Boog)		 Ruffwood Records Jun 02, 2015[17]
"Choice Is Yours"
(feat. Slightly Stoopid)		 Ruffwood Records Aug 07, 2015[17]

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 Jeffries, David. "Stick Figure Artist Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "About". Stick Figure Music. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Emodi, Matt (June 11, 2012). "Review: Stick Figure – Burial Ground". The Pier. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Krangel, Dana (July 26, 2013). "Stick Figure's Scott Woodruff on Making "Feel-Good Music": Interview". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  5. 1 2 "Grateful Web Interview with Stick Figure". GratefulWeb. January 27, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  6. 1 2 3 Mlynar, Phillip (May 9, 2016). "Cocoa the Rescue Dog Loves Her Life With Reggae Band Stick Figure". Dogster.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  7. 1 2 3 Jackson, Kevin (2015) "Stick Figure tops Billboard", Jamaica Observer, 25 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Stick Figure chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  9. 1 2 Barragan, Juan (August 16, 2013). "Passafire and Stick Figure at the Belly Up Tavern". USD Radio. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  10. 1 2 McKeldin, Ryan. "Stick Figure - "Smoke Stack" Album Review". Branch Out Music. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  11. 1 2 Matty, Daddy (July 25, 2012). "Stick Figure 'Burial Ground' Review (Stick Figure Music)". The Reggae Review. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  12. ↑ "2nd Annual Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival". TheWhatitDo.com. June 29, 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Stick Figure Nominated for Best Live Artist of the Year on The Pier Awards". stickfiguremusic.com. December 18, 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  14. ↑ "Count Me In Summer Tour with Rebelution, Iration, The Green, Stick Figure, & DJ Mackle". stickfiguremusic.com. March 27, 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  15. ↑ "Stick Figure with Pacific Dub and Hirie". LiveNation. October 4, 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  16. ↑ Turk, Brian (June 8, 2015). "An Intimate Conversation With Reggae Artist Stick Figure". liveforlivemusic.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Stick Figure Discography". iTunes. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  18. ↑ "LiveMusicDaily Exclusive Interview". livemusicdaily.com. February 10, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  19. ↑ Sullivan, Lindsey (November 10, 2015). "West Coast Reggae Group Stick Figure Debuts First-Ever Music Video for 'Fire on the Horizon' Track: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  20. ↑ Johnson Jr., Billy (November 12, 2015). "Video Premiere: Stick Figure Releases 'Sound of the Sea' Visual". Yahoo. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  21. 1 2 "Top 5 Artists: Best of 2015". The Island Sound. December 31, 2015. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  22. ↑ "Stick Figure's Cocoa The Tour Dog". The Pier. March 24, 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  23. ↑ "Video: Stick Figure – "Shadow"". thepier.org. March 23, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  24. 1 2 "Stick Figure makes debut on The Joint, performs 'Mind Block' off new album 'Set In Stone'". Sirius XM. April 19, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  25. ↑ "Tour Dates". stickfiguremusic.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  26. ↑ "Rebelution Tour 2016". songkick.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stick Figure (band).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/20/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.