Stovepipe Stover: One Beard Band

Stovepipe Stover (also known as Justin Stover) has been writing and performing his original songs since 2003. That year he released his first album, the way-too-melodramatic-but-at-times-decent Throwing Caution to the Wind. The album focused mostly on the breakup of a 3 month relationship with a girl who is now happily married to a deeply good man. Justin's relationship with her was not nearly as great as the songs made them out to be, nor was the break up really that big a deal. But, let's be honest, in college you probably shouldn't write about much else. Pretentious papers on existentialism make for horrid tunes and uninformed political views tend to age poorly when put in lyrical form. Regardless, Throwing Caution... did help him build up a loyal fanbase, hone his songwriting chops, and get familiar in the studio. He'd also spend the next several years performing throughout the midwest and other parts of the country. All this led him in 2008 to release the entertaining but thoroughly inconsistent techo-folk-punk-countryish-jazzy-poorly home-recorded-and-ridiculously-titled follow up An Utterance Of Frugality. At the very least, the lyrics on this album showed a vast improvement in his songwriting abilities.

2009 saw the release of the folk-rock album Shining From Shook Foil. Working with producer and recording engineer Dustin Anderson, the two put together a solid record that helped expand Justin's following, received strong critical-acclaim, and was nominated for Jammy Award's Best Album of the Year in 2009. Just one year later, he released the 5-song EP Flesh Wounds. Working with producer/engineer/multi-instrumentalist Justin VanHaven and a host of other great musicians, Flesh Wounds proved to be his best-received album. Music critic John Sinkevics of The Grand Rapids Press praised lyrics that "deftly and insightfully delve into nostalgia, lost love and what might have been." Critic Scott Warren of Mutant Analog said of it, "The five songs on Flesh Wounds are solid and simply, honest and intelligent, sincere and receptive in nature." The album's warm reception led to an increase in shows, fans, and overall attention.

Now in 2013, "Stovepipe" Stover has strapped a drumset to his back, changed his moniker, and is filled with all kinds of passion for this next chapter of his musical journey. He's also excited to be a part of the historically rich "One Man Band" tradition. His new instrument, named "The BackBeat," was made by Farmer Musical Instruments, as is all other percussion instruments used in his repertoire. While his love for folk music will continue to be a part of this new project, expect to hear more of his punk-rock and country influences in his already-unfolding new songs. He is currently working in the studio on the first of a three-EP project titled Songs for... More info on this to come! In the meantime, keeping checking his site for upcoming concerts in your town. Feel free to book him for your own shows, whether they be in a bar or barn, a house or hospital. He'll even play for hire (hey,he once hired an accordionist to help him win back an old girlfriend. It didn't work, but at least the music was beautiful). You might even see him playing on the street corners of your own town. When you're your own band, you can play wherever the hell you want.