Tracer (band)

Tracer were an Australian rock trio formed in Adelaide in 2004 by Leigh Brown on bass guitar and backing vocals, his brother Michael Brown on guitar and lead vocals, and Andre Wise on drums. Leigh left in 2012 and Jett Heysen Hicks joined on bass guitar in the next year. Tracer toured Australia and Europe and had success with their second album, El Pistolero (2013), debuting in the top 10 on the BBC Rock album chart.[1]

Tracer
OriginAdelaide, South Australia, Australia
GenresAustralian rock
Years active2004 (2004)–2018 (2018)
LabelsMascot/Warner
Associated actsThe Brown Brothers
Websitetracer-band.com
Past members
  • Leigh Brown
  • Michael Brown
  • Andrew Wise
  • Pat Saracino
  • Jett Heysen Hicks

In November 2012 they were declared the Best New Band at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. In February 2018 the trio announced, via Facebook, that they were to disband.

History

Tracer were formed in Adelaide in 2004 as an Australian rock trio by Leigh Brown on bass guitar, keyboards and backing vocals, his brother Michael Brown on guitar and lead vocals, and Andre Wise on drums and percussion.[2] Leigh and Michael had been members of their own blues group, the Brown Brothers, when they joined with Wise to form Tracer.[3] In November 2006 they issued their debut three-track extended play, Into the Night. The title track was co-written by all three members.[4] Their second EP, L.A. ?, was released in 2008; its seven tracks were recorded in May at Billy Hyde Recording Studio, Adelaide, with James Bett producing.[5]

In 2011 Tracer supported Royal Republic on a European tour.[3] The trio's debut studio album, Spaces in Between (3 October 2011), appeared via Cool Green Recordings/Mascot Label Group.[6][7] It was recorded at Broadcast Studios and at Thunderwolf Studios, both in Adelaide, which was produced by the group, while Bett co-engineered with Evan James.[6][7] Sonic Abuse's reviewer felt, "[it's] music that is well honed but with a strongly defined identity that has come from the years of touring and recording together, and the twelve tracks on offer bristle with blues-infused energy and the hedonistic spirit of rock 'n' roll."[7] Hannah May Kilroy of Louder observed, "[they] bring together this blend of styles by specialising in big, hard rock riffs paired with powerful, catchy choruses and raw, gritty vocals, with a strong influence of blues throughout."[8]

Leigh left early in 2012 and was temporarily replaced on bass guitar by Pat Saracino. In April of that year they undertook their first headlining tour of the United Kingdom.[3] L.A. ? was remixed and reissued for the European market in August 2012. Saracino was replaced in turn by Jett Heysen Hicks on bass guitar and backing vocals late in the year. In November they were declared Best New Band in Classic Rock magazine's Roll of Honour Awards.[9][10]

El Pistolero, their second album, was released in mid-2013 via Mascot Records/Warner Music Australasia.[11] It was produced by Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Cold Chisel) at Revolver Studios, Oakland, California.[11][12] Ian D Hall of Liverpool Sound and Vision gave it a rating of four stars and described how they provided, "a piece of music that combines the feel of the great classic Western with the crunching riff of classic rock, the rattlesnake in high season angered by the punishing heat coupled with the a soft serenade, the depth of Gary Cooper with the legend of Ned Kelly, brilliantly and wonderfully rolled into one big swag bag of rock payback."[13] Loud magazine's Brian Griffin noticed their, "no frills heavy rock with healthy nods to sludge and grunge to keep things interesting... the world needs rock bands as good as this in it. If you were disappointed by Vista Chino and the latest Alice in Chains album and see Airbourne as little more than a cartoon, [this album] should put everything to rights."[14]

Tracer's third studio album, Water for Thirsty Dogs, was issued in July 2015 by Odyssey Music Network. Emma Younger of Mosh rated it at 8.0 and explained how, "have taken their love of Stateside grunge blues, and slammed the Aussie pop-punk norm into the ground with a style that has taken off... What lies at the core of this entire record though, is passion – and that speaks volumes…literally. Every inch of its creation has been fuelled by the dare to go one better than before."[15] Classic Rock's Emma Johnston gave them three-out-of-five stars, "[it] often leans uncomfortably close to tribute act territory, relying on cliché, and as such it lacks that spark of personality and ingenuity you find when bands are truly comfortable in their own skin. But as a love-letter to the 90s it's done its job solidly if unspectacularly."[16] In February 2018 the trio announced, via Facebook, that they were to disband.[17]

Discography

Albums

Extended plays
  • Into the Night (30 November 2006) – independent
  • L.A. ? (2008) – self-released[5]

Singles
  • "Too Much"
  • "Devil Ride"

Members
  • Leigh Brown – bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (2004–2012)
  • Michael Brown – guitar, lead vocals (2004–2018)
  • Andre Wise – drums, percussion (2004–2018)
  • Pat Saracino – bass guitar, backing vocals (2012–2012)
  • Jett Heysen Hicks – bass guitar, backing vocals (2012–2018)

Timeline

References
  1. "Grapevine". musicsa.com.au. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  2. "Full Throttle Rock, Rock, Hard Rock, Melodic Rock, Metal News, Interviews and Album Reviews". Full Throttle Rock. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. "Artist, Tracer". MusicSA. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  4. "'Into the Night' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 14 August 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  5. Tracer; Bett, James; Brown, Leigh; Wise, Andre; Brown, Michael; Billy Hyde Recording Studio (2008), LA?, The Band, retrieved 14 August 2018
  6. Tracer; Brown, Leigh; Wise, Andre; Brown, Michael; Broadcast Studios; Thunderwolf Studios (2011), Spaces in Between, Cool Green Recordings/Mascot Music, retrieved 14 August 2018
  7. "Tracer – Spaces in Between Album Review". SonicAbuse. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  8. Kilroy, Hannah May (12 October 2011). "Tracer: Spaces in Between". Louder. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  9. Leonard, Michael (14 November 2012). "Classic Rock Awards Honor ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rush". Gibson. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  10. "Classic Rock Roll of Honour 2012: Award Winners & Photos". Orange Amplification. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  11. Tracer; Shirley, Kevin; Brown, Michael; Brown, Leigh; Wise, Andre (2013), El Pistolero, Berkel, Netherlands; New York, NY Mascot Music Productions and Publishing BV, retrieved 14 August 2018
  12. Nugent, Patrick (1 November 2012). "Tracer Add Glasgow Concert to April 2013 UK Tour!". Broad Way World. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  13. Hall, Ian D (29 April 2013). "Tracer, El Pistolero. Album Review". Liverpool Sound and Vision. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  14. Griffin, Brian (2 December 2013). "Tracer: El Pistolero | Album Reviews". Loud. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  15. Younger, Emma (22 July 2015). "Tracer – Water for Thirsty Dogs | Album Review". Mosh. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  16. Johnston, Emma (12 August 2015). "Tracer: Water for Thirsty Dogs". Louder. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  17. Mike, Dre and Jett (15 February 2018). "Posts: 'We started in a garage with posters of our heroes...'". Tracer's Official Facebook Webpage. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
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