Stormcellar (band)

Biography

Stormcellar began as a studio project with Paul Read (slide guitar), Michael Barry (vocals/harmonica), Paul Sarany (guitar), Michael Lynch (bass and mandolin), Jim Finn (drums) and guest player Mike Gubb (ex-Dynamic Hepnotics/Mondo Rock/Mental As Anything) laying down tracks to what would be released as Stormcellar's 2008 debut album Whisky Talkin'. With Sarany, Lynch and Finn having commitments to their own working blues outfit FINN; Read and Barry immediately recruited Mal Forester (bass), Michael Rosenthal (electric guitar, acoustic guitar) and Mark Graeber (drums) and did their first live performance as Stormcellar at the 2007 Sydney Blues Society Challenge in August of that year.

After spending 2008 supporting the much-praised Whisky Talkin' album, Stormcellar set about releasing Space Junk - a live EP recorded at Mangrove Mountain using analogue equipment. This was quickly followed by the second album Nuevo Retro (2010), which again featured Jim Finn on drums and Peter Solenski on bass. The band's third album Carl's Chair saw entry of Theo Wanders (ex Mal Eastick Band and ex Dave Tice's Headhunters) as the band's permanent drummer.

The group's next album Hired Guns And Borrowed Glory (2012) topped the Australian Blues & Roots Charts and in 2013, the band did their first tour of the US. In 2014 the band toured the US for the second time to promote Hired Guns And Borrowed Glory and added bassist Bill Williams (ex- Eilean Mor) as a permanent member. The band's fifth album The Curious Assembly (2014) reached # 2 on the Australian Blues & Roots Charts and # 17 on Collectif Des Radios Blues in France. In 2015, the group toured the US for the third time playing festivals in the Midwest, recording an album with some Kansas City blues legends, and now have three albums schedule for release in 2016.

Michael "MJEB" Barry (vocals/harmonica)

Michael Barry is the lead singer and harmonica player of Stormcellar. Prior to pursuing music, Michael studied at the School Of Visual Arts in Gore Hill, Sydney and film editing and script writing at TAFE. Around this time, Michael Barry began taking harmonica lessons from the legendary Jim Conway (The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band/ Backsliders), which led to him to doing gigs with acoustic trio Motherboard Blues. Whilst jamming at The Empire Hotel in Leichhardt, Sydney, Barry met Paul Read and joined with him to make the first Stormcellar album in 2007.

Paul Read (slide guitar/mandolin)

After filling bass guitar duties in his first band The Sunday Drivers (also known as The Iced Vovo's), Paul Read joined The Reporters - a Sydney Mod band, that opened for Cold Chisel and The Cure (opening act for first national Australian tour in 1980). In 1983, Read replaced Steve Balbi on bass in Sydney Funk band Rupert B (best remembered for their JJJ Live album and 1983 single on RCA Records, "No Way To Be In Love") before settling into the fledgling Sydney rock band The Chosen Few in 1985. In '87 they were signed to Mushroom Records and Mushroom Publishing under the management of Stuart Coupe (Paul Kelly/Hoodoo Gurus), The Chosen Few released four singles and the album Friends, Foes & Firewood (1990). One of these singles was the Paul Read penned song "Rise", which enjoyed chart success when recorded by the very popular Australian singer Daryl Braithwaite in 1990. "Rise" was also the first single and title track of Braithwaite's 1990 album and remains a well-known Australian rock standard and a radio staple. By 1995, Paul Read was playing and recording in Germany with his new band The Dreamseed, who were signed to Arcade Records. After moderate success with The Dreamseed, Paul Read returned to Australia to do management and studio work with a variety of artists including indie act Hey da Vinci, Submarine and Gel, before forming Stormcellar.

Michael "Rosie" Rosenthal (electric & acoustic guitar)

Between 2002 and 2006, Rosenthal and musician Craig Schuftan worked as an experimental duo called Pioneer Disposal - a self-described 'tape loop rock' act that set about making music for late-night listening with the aid of appliances including walkmans, radios, drones, scissors. The duo issued a single titled 'Upside Down'. Michael Rosenthal then joined the Sydney Atmospheric Rock band The Duchesses, who would release a self-titled album and two EP's; 'Rabbit' and 'By Morning'. Rosenthal joined Stormcellar in 2007.

Theo Wanders (drums & percussion)

Dutch-born Theo Wanders first emerged in the early 1970s as a member of Sidetrack - a Dutch band that released a single titled 'Let Me'. In 1973, he joined and toured with American group Larry Rose Band and with them, recorded the 1978 album The Jupiter Effect. In 1980, Wanders co-founded the new wave Euro-pop band Auto Da Fé with ex-Steeleye Span vocalist Gay Woods and keyboardist Trevor Knight. After a three-year stint as a member of Auto Da Fé; Wanders moved to Australia and spent the rest of the eighties working as a musician which included touring with Mal Eastick (Stars), Dave Tice (Buffalo/The Count Bishops) and recording with Australian acts like John Swan and gigging with Charlie Cole (Moving Pictures/1927). During the nineties and two thousands Wanders worked as a musician for tribute shows, big bands and variety events. Wanders joined Stormcellar in 2010.

Bill Williams (electric bass, acoustic double bass and mandolin)

Bill Williams played and toured with blues and rockabilly acts More Teeth Than Barry and Soul Chain during his teens. At 18, he enrolled at the Australian National University in Canberra, and studied Jazz bass under the guidance of renowned bassist Eric Ajaye. In 2006, Williams joined Celtic folk band Eilean Mor who released albums; 35 Degrees South (2006) and Left of the Sun (2009), as well as, touring Europe, England, Wales and Hong Kong . After graduating from the Australian National University in 2009, Williams moved to Sydney and joined Casey Golden Trio - a Modern Jazz trio that have played many of Australia's leading jazz festivals and released two CD's - Outliers and Live at Bennetts Lane (both 2015). Williams joined Stormcellar in 2014 as the band's permanent bassist during their first tour of the US.

Albums

Music videos