About
Russell Halverson – upright bass, vocals
Aaron Jernigan – guitars, vocals
Stina Nelson – guitar, vocals
Steve Taylor – banjo, cigar-box guitar, vocals
Jonas Troxill – drums, ukulele
In 2014, 3,000 feet up the side of a dormant volcano in the most remote island chain on Earth, a group of musicians gathered on a Tuesday night around a few stringed instruments and more than a few distilled beverages. Over the course of the evening two things became clear: 1) more beverages would be needed and 2) something magical was taking place.
On that Tuesday night in Maui, Hawaii, Flat Jackson was born. The band took their name from the plethora of dead Jackson Chameleons that litter the streets of their Kula, Maui home. It seems that the micro triceratops love the heat of the pavement, but their molasses-like locomotion is no match for the knobby-tired four wheel drive vehicles that rule the local asphalt.
Though it started out as a bluegrass band, Flat Jackson morphed into…something else. No doubt that rootsy quality comes through, kinda like someone dropped an anvil on Bill Monroe’s foot, but essentially the range of influences have rendered the band genre-less. Elements of reggae, folk, rock (both southern and northern), blues, punk, funk and just about everything else coagulate into a sound as unique as the island they call home.
In 2015, after a year of poking, prodding, and procrastination, Flat Jackson finally completed their first self-titled EP (insert champagne cork-pop here). The EP was a local success garnering airplay on Mana’o Radio, KMNO 91.7 FM, as well as tens of thousands of streams on various Internet outlets including Spotify, YouTube and iTunes. Their live appearances soon became “can’t miss events,” resulting in sold-out crowds across the state.
In 2017 Flat Jackson embarked on their first North American tour, riding the success of their self-titled EP. While in Los Angeles they recorded their first full-length album, Pretty Up the Truth, released in January, 2018 on American Invasion Records. Recorded mostly live in the studio over a 4 day period, the extraordinary album captures energy and diversity of their live performances while showcasing their meticulously crafted songwriting.
Look for Flat Jackson on their Summer 2018 tour of the Western US. For more information checkout these links:
http://www.flatjackson.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FlatJackson/
https://www.instagram.com/flatjacksonmaui/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2NyFh7jr8QX8K-TGZnvC_A