Album Notes

Describing the road to his own music, Mcgowan notes, "I grew up with traditional folk and classical music played on NPR. I was about 5 or 6 when I heard the Beatles and the Stones and my little world caved in to rock and roll. A little later there was a long period of listening to reggae - lots of Marley - he was a major force, musically and spiritually." This led Mcgowan to play in teenage rock band, Christopher's Pocket, which brought him from rural New Hampshire to Philadelphia - his home prior to New York. After the Pocket scruffed out of existence in early 1999, Mcgowan began playing guitar-for-hire at studio sessions and for several east coast bands to pay the bills, but also realized he could and should step out and start singing his own songs. He began to slowly build a following by playing coffeehouses and clubs from Boston to Baltimore, all the while working on forming the perfect band to back up his songs.

A break from his own music came in 2002 when he joined Ben Lee's band. It was during his two year world-wide excursion with Ben that Mcgowan took a detour to Philadelphia-based drummer/engineer/producer Jesse Honig's temporary home in St. Louis - which resulted in the recordings that have become the album Mcgowan (Manic Pop Thrill MPT006, 2005). The two Philadelphians-in-exile produced nearly 30 tracks over the course of two long weekends, capturing a restless spirit with intimate and inspired recordings that bring you into the makeshift living room studio where Mcgowan and Jesse recorded. Working feverishly the duo tracked guitars, drums, bass, keys, vox, loops - mixing a veritable kitchen sink into shape - working quickly, nearly instinctively - and creating the most perfect pop of their young careers.

Mcgowan on the recording process, "This record just fell in our laps. No budget, no songs in the can, no preparation at alI. I was on tour and itchin' with ideas that I couldn't seem to express in a little van. Jesse had just moved to St. Louis and set up a rag-tag ensemble of instruments and recording gear in his house. We felt like we were in a foreign land, and that led to an adventurous attitude."

McGowan explains his sound - "There's a lot of punk and soul in my head. I like spacey music and psychedelic sounds. Most of the time, though, I'm trying to front with an acoustic guitar, which means I rely heavily on the craft of pop songs to fill the sonic void. I'm excited for my new album 'cause I think it is going to reflect a lot of elements that fans don't always get to hear from me." To date, most McGowan material has been available through his Web site only. But with the release of Mcgowan on Manic Pop Thrill, that will change. Capable of touring with a band or as a solo artist, Mcgowan is preparing to spend the remainder of 2005 doing both - first on a solo tour with Zack Hexum and Robert Gomez that will take him across America in July, and then with his current band, which includes Jesse Honig on drums (Thelma), Tom Scheponik on keys (Gringo Motel), and Rob Hann on bass (Shovel, Ben Lee).