Shurman Finds Inspiration in Independence
Now that we all know most record companies are the loss leaders for their conglomerate parent company we always believed they were, you kinda wish just once someone at the label would say "I don't know how to do my job" instead of "We don't have a way of marketing you."![]()
Chadwick Fowler
That was the speech Aaron Beavers of the Austin alt-rock, alt-country group Shurman got when his band begged off their deal with Vanguard Records and again when the band's independently released 2008 album Waiting for the Sunset was re-released by Universal Republic when major distribution failed to sell more copies in 2010. It couldn't have helped that the subsidiary, Vain Records, went belly up the week of release.
If Shurman's blend of classic rock sounds like Tom Petty and alt-country rock like The Jayhawks has fallen through the cracks much of their ten years, they've subsequently learned that there's a lot of life to be lived between those cracks, including accruing new fans overseas and off the arena circuit -- in short, when you do things your way that's where you're directing people.
Since opening up for Roger Cline and the Peacemakers back in the early aughts, Shurman has maintained Tempe as a second home away from home which is why they're having a CD release party here. They were here in November when Beavers was touring with John Popper and the Duskray Troubadours for six months, which gave him and the band time some breathing space and a clear head to plan the next move
We caught up with him between a dance card filled with phoner and early morning TV interviews to talk about how a band survives firing the Doc McGhee, manager of KISS, Bon Jovi, and Mötley Crüe and The William Morris Agency and still draw lots of healthy breaths in this business of show.
Shurman is scheduled to perform Friday, February 24, at 910 Live in Tempe.
More >>




























