Album Notes

STRANGER THAN STRANGE-Album title or perfect description of the events that led to this band's inception? That's for someone else to decide; this band's job is to play. Soapbox Prophets are a four-piece outfit from the heartland (Des Moines, Iowa to be specific.) The music? Straight-up rock and roll-no frills, no apologies. The band’s story starts with another band, actually-Des Moines’ Accidental Sisters and their fearless leader, Leon “Skip” Harrison. The Accidental Sisters played around the Midwest for a number of years, garnering media attention and getting a reputation for their sweat-soaked live shows while releasing a handful of albums. But when Skip unexpectedly passed away, the band found itself without direction or a leader. The story could end there, but thankfully it doesn’t. Enter Karen Harrison, Skip’s wife and a skilled singer/songwriter in her own right. After some gentle nudging from Deb Daniels, the Sisters’ bassist, she started to work with Deb and put together a repertoire of material, using her songs as well as Skip’s. Drummer Ian Shepard eventually joined the fold, as did lead guitarist James Biehn, formerly of Des Moines bands the McKenzies and Hyde Park. Borrowing from every great era of rock and roll, this band combines barroom swagger with a lyrical style that relies heavily on imagination and vision. This results in a style of music that is timeless and organic; not a "here today/gone tomorrow" excuse to market to the masses before their 15 minutes are up. This approach has allowed them the opportunities to share the stage with bands such as Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Mason Proffit. So sit back and hold on; it’s going to be a hell of a ride.