The Shadowboxers

The Shadowboxers are an American pop band formed in Atlanta, Georgia. The founding members – Adam Hoffman (vocals, guitars), Matt Lipkins (vocals, keyboards) and Scott Schwartz (vocals, guitars) – met at Emory University and began making music together in 2008.[1]

History

Formation

The Shadowboxers’ musical journey began at Emory University where Scott Schwartz (from Nashville, Tennessee), Adam Hoffman (from Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Matt Lipkins (from Larchmont, New York) met during their freshmen year in 2008.[2] After a year of working together, the unnamed trio entered the first annual Emory Arts Competition in 2008, a performance competition between ten finalists chosen from hundreds of student applicants. Their song, “Not Again,” was not originally chosen as one of the top ten finalists, but the competition's committee accidentally sent them an email, explaining the details of the finals. Hoffman, Lipkins and Schwartz showed up at the competition and because the error was on the part of the committee, the three were allowed to perform. Ultimately, they won the grand prize of $3,000 and local collegiate success.[3]

Band name

Hoffman, Lipkins and Schwartz decided on the group name “The Shadowboxers” in 2009. The term “shadowboxer” can be defined as someone who makes the motions of attack or defense. For the members of The Shadowboxers, it represents rhythm and method. The group is rhythmically driven, describing their sound as anything “soul.” Their music is composed of substance, layers of tempos and harmonies.[4]

Indigo Girls

The Shadowboxers were writing extensively, booking shows around Atlanta, and honing their sound.[5] In 2010, Schwartz met Emily Saliers, one half of the Atlanta-based Indigo Girls at a Passover Seder. The two began talking about music and Saliers asked to hear him play. Schwartz picked up a guitar and played her some of his original material with The Shadowboxers. Saliers recalls saying when she heard Schwartz sing, “I just remember being stunned by it.” [6] The following week, Saliers attended a performance by The Shadowboxers and one year later, the band went on tour with the Indigo Girls, serving as their backing band and opening act for over two years.[7]

Self-titled EP

In 2011, The Shadowoxers released a self-titled EP produced by Shawn Grove (Sevendust, Collective Soul), Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra) and the band. [8] It includes six recorded songs and two live songs, recorded at Eddie’s Attic.

Red Room

From February 14 - March 30, 2012, The Shadowboxers ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund their first full-length album. [9] They raised over $32,000 (of a $18,000 goal), and recorded various cover songs on their YouTube channel to thank financial backers of the project.

The money went to studio time with producer Brady Blade (Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris), bassist Benjamin Ryan Williams, and engineer Chris Bell (U2, Erykah Badu) as well as the addition of a horn section to some of their new songs. [10] The 14 track album was released January 22, 2013, distributed by Vanguard Records / Welk Music Group. Two weeks later, Red Room was named as a top music pick from the New York Daily News. [11]

Musical style and influences

The Shadowboxers’ musical approach comes out of a shared reverence for the sacred texts of rock and soul, from the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel to Stevie Wonder and D’Angelo. “We pride ourselves on having a current and relevant sound, but there’s also a noticeable classic-roots groove element,” says Schwartz. In terms of contemporary music, the band members share an appreciation for Coldplay, John Mayer and early Maroon 5, cutting through the critical white noise and choosing to focus on these artists’ musicality, songcraft and ability to connect with a wide spectrum of listeners. At the other extreme, they admire their indie-rock peers Dawes, who, like them, “have spent so much time playing together and really pride themselves on being a band—not just a collection of songs and players,” as Hoffman puts it.[12]

Band members

Current lineup
Former members

Discography

Albums

Other contributions

External links

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Snow, Julian. "In the Ring With The Shadowboxers". The Emory Wheel. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
  4. ↑ Haller, Val. "‘Still Crazy After All These Years,’ Two Ways". New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Schwarz, Kurt. "Indie Artist Spotlight: The Shadowboxers". Six String Theories. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  6. ↑ Miller, Jared T. "Chosen Music: The Shadowboxers". Heeb Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Turk, Brian. "An Interview With The Indigo Girls". RVAMAG. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  8. ↑ Kaur, Harmeet. "The Shadowboxers return to the group's stomping ground". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "The Shadowboxers Make Their First Album!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  10. ↑ Miller, Jared T. "Atlanta’s The Shadowboxers tour the East Coast both as backing band and opening act for the Indigo Girls". New York Daily News. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  11. ↑ New York Daily News Music Critic. "The Top 10 Picks In Music For The Week of Feb. 3, 2013". New York Daily News. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Shadowboxers". Live Loud Festival At Sea. Retrieved 2013.
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