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Press Kit Bio - Russell
McLaughlin - Microsoft Word (doc)
An excerpt from an interview . . .
SC: "So, how did you come about? What influences your music?"
RM: "It all started with - surprise, surprise - Dave Matthews. I got a
drum set in 1994, from my aunt who thought it would be a good way for me to express my "artistic creativity," and to keep me occupied and out of trouble. That same year, I received 'Under the Table and Dreaming,' Dave Matthews' first mainstream success. I was immediately hooked on the band's truly dynamic sound, and began to dream about performance music.
In 1996, I began classical percussion instruction, that I would partake in for six years.
Along the way, I 'borrowed' a guitar from a neighbor and began picking away. I couldn't play anything. I felt musically inept. I became determined to make MUSIC flow from the instrument. Driven by a love for intricate rhythm patterns, I began - slowly, but surely - making music.
When I could hold my own rhythmically, I decided to go to a friend's house who had expressed interest in possible collaboration. He did his best not to laugh in my face at my lacking ability, but was astounded with what he referred to as an 'unorthodox playing style.' He began to show me a lot of what he had learned taking Jazz Theory classes since early
adolescence. With so much information crammed into a few 'lessons,' I took from them what I could, and developed my own understanding of the fret board.
Phil Pickens and I played as a duo for a few months, but differing academic interests took us down different paths. Before we parted, we toyed with an effects pedal Phil had purchased after seeing an awe-inspiring Tim Reynolds show.
I decided to invest in my own stomp box, and dabble in the world of guitar effects. One pedal quickly turned into over a dozen.
My interest in bands like 311, Radiohead, the Beatles, and David Gray began to sway my writing and playing style."
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