|
 John
Whitaker writes songs. He likes it. Good times. And
he wants to share them with you.
In early 2001, John founded Debauchery Records with his
first release, So Foul and Fair a Day. It
was an appropriate title for an English major, and it represented
his take on the songwriting process. While he thought
he was penning purely non-confessional, non-whiney folk
songs, albums of influences would reveal themselves in
a clever chord change or a heavy hook chorus. John
was noticed on the regional music radar.
Wanting to expand the sound of his quirky little tunes,
John fronted The Middle Men, a rock and roll quartet featuring
Matt Hendricks on guitar, Brew Brewington on bass, and
Jason Bemis Lawrence playing the drum kit. The album Three
Short Acts was released in August 2003, and it quickly
became a regional favorite, receiving good reviews in a
number of national publications. The tracks “What
It Was” and “Down In It” garnered some
regular radio play, and the latter is featured prominently
in the upcoming film Keep Your Distance.
The boys toured regularly around the Midwest, but alas,
it was not meant to be. The four split amicably to
pursue other projects, and they played their last show
in January 2005 at the first annual Debauchery Holiday
Throwdown. Hundreds came out to pay their respects,
and it was indeed a fitting send-off.
So now what? John’s still writing songs. Lots
of them. And they’re pretty good. A new
album is planned for late spring 2006. The album
will be built around his vision, with numerous musical
friends and fellow Debauchery cohorts adding their talents. Whether
the album will be released under his name, The Middle Men
moniker, or something entirely new is yet to be decided. We’ll
keep you posted. And if you’re interested in
playing drums, let
him know.
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