EVA TROUT

In 1993 bass guitarist, Grant Shanahan (ex-Slaybells, the Honeys, Catherine Wheel), was developing a new group in Sydney. He placed an ad for a lead guitarist, and it was answered by Bek-Jean Stewart, who played acoustic guitar and sang. She performed on a live radio broadcast, which he agreed to listen to and consequently hired her to form Eva Trout, ahead of another guitarist and vocalist. The band released a five-track, EP titled 'Beautiful South' in 1994.

In 1995 Steph Miller (ex-Roaring Jack) joined on keyboards ahead of their first studio album,' Along Woodland Rides, Through Tunnels of Evergreen', for Phantom Records. During recording sessions Shanahan, Stewart and Miller added session musicians, Matt Galvin on lead guitar (ex-Happy Hate Me Nots), and former band mate, Bert Thomson (ex-the Honeys, Catherine Wheel) on drums. Galvin and Thomson joined the line-up of Eva Trout.

The group were signed to United States label, Trauma Records/Interscope Records (home to No Doubt and Bush), in 1996 after Atlanta radio station, WNNX, had added their track, "Beautiful South", to heavy rotation. The group undertook a US promotional tour including radio appearances. In January 1997 their debut album was re-recorded for US release in the following month as a self-titled album. The album was also released in Canada and Japan. While the band's exposure in the US seemed to poise it for success, label difficulties (Trauma/Interscope and No Doubt were involved in contractual and legal battles) prevented the band attaining a wider recognition.

The band released their second studio album, 'Oberon' in 1999 via Origin Records/Shock Records. They recorded it over ten days in June on a farm, "Fernlee", near Oberon, New South Wales with Michael Carpenter as producer. The line-up was Galvin on guitars (acoustic, electric), keyboards and vocals; Miller on keyboards, mandolin, banjo, vocals and acoustic guitar; Shanahan on bass guitar and vocals; Stewart on lead vocals, acoustic guitar, harp and percussion; Thomson on drums was replaced by Carpenter for a track, "Light Sleeper". Thomson left the group and Carpenter joined.

Jasper Lee of Oz Music Project reflected on the album, "they return with a well-crafted release full of tight pop/rock sounds interspersed with the occasional country tinge rubbed off from the album's title...Stewart's vocals have a dry sweetness to them, add in new backup vocals, the odd pedal steel twang and the album is made." They issued a four-track EP, 'Ruby's Gone', in the following year – its title track was the lead track on their second album. Lee had mused, "From the storytelling opener ''Ruby's Gone'' to the marvellous light rock of ''Bright Eyed Century'', the group prove that they were worth all the hype they once got – it's just a shame it never materialised into anything great." In 2001 the group's third studio album, 'The Birds Album', appeared. They disbanded late in 2002.

Members

Grant Shanahan (bass, vocals), Bek-Jean Stewart (vocals, guitar), Steph Miller (keyboards, guitar, mandolin), Bert Thomson (drums), Matt Galvin (guitar, vocals), Michael Carpenter (drums)

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Trout_%28band%29