The "Ballad of The Tailgunners" as told by Robert Swanson

The Tailgunners story begins in 2005 when I responded to and ad in the Seattle Arts & Entertainment paper from a band looking for a bass player to fill the shoes of the one they were losing. As usual, I show up with several CDs of past bands and projects to allow the people I'm meeting with, the opportunity to screen my skills before committing the time to an audition.

Upon arriving at the meeting place I'm surprised to find that I know both of these guys, and our histories in the Seattle music scene have many parallels and intersections. I end up getting the gig, and after a couple of rehearsals our drummer, Michael Alex, asks me what's up with the material on the CDs that I gave him in our first meeting.

My reply was that in addition to playing guitar and bass on these discs, I also wrote all the material with my friend and singer of 10 years, Joe Carolus.

But since our drummer (who was integral to the writing process) had moved on, the bands represented on those discs and the material we had produced was pretty much dormant.

Michael expressed an interest in playing in a "Heavier" project. So he and I got together with a friend on bass and myself playing guitar only to discover a very cool musical chemistry. This led to me to giving Joe a call, as he seemed the likely choice, if only we could convince him to pencil us into his perpetually overbooked schedule.

A couple of emails later and no response – whatever, I leave him the date and time of our next rehearsal and pretty much write it off.

Our next rehearsal rolls around and as we're riffin' away Michael looks up from his kit at someone who's come in the door behind me.

Joey steps up to the stand, plugs his mic in and starts howlin', over the "riff of the moment".

I'm here to tell ya kids, it's "The Stuff of Legend".

A couple more rehearsals, five new songs written and a general agreement that this is a pretty cool project; but of course our bass player decides to move on for personal reasons. I then remembered an email I gotten a while back from a guy interested in the bass spot for another band that I was in. I sent him a note asking if he would be interested, and directed him to a music link, which had the same tunes that had attracted Michael's interest.

Darren Ross, (db as I call him) responded with interest and shows up for the audition. Cool, Smooth and down in the Groove.

We had found our guy. Ladies and Gentlemen - we have achieved liftoff - The Tailgunners were born.

Feeding off the lineage of RIFFAGE and GROOVE that are the common thread throughout the best in the ROCK of the last 40 years, The Tailgunners are dedicated to lifting the SPIRIT, spreading the LOVE, and KICKING YOUR ASS with the soulful, inspired ROCK that we live and breathe. And, yes, you will hear some serious ANGST as well!

That's our story as I see it.
Robert Swanson, Guitar/ TheTailgunners