Album Notes

Hard reggae / rock influenced by funk, electronica and pop!

"Get On Board", which was released in the summer of 2000 is hard rock, reggae w/ a dash of raw power!



Colorado original act Sucker delivers a powerful live performance showcasing a nearly indescribable mix of rock, reggae, pop and electronica. Fronted by the vibrant and charismatic vocalist Scotty Stoughton who, besides working with Sucker, has carved a niche doing guest sit-ins across the nation with acts such as Bela Fleck, Leftover Salmon, Sam Bush, Karl Denson, members of Little Feat, The String Cheese Incident and more.

Sucker's bittersweet story began when Stoughton moved from Colorado to Los Angeles in 1997, hoping to find success with his transplanted band, the popular group Short Term Memory. After little time, he found himself broke, burglarized, injured, living in an overcrowded apartment and working in a Compton warehouse. When his fellow band members finally disappeared in the middle of the night, never to be seen again, Stoughton thought, "I came here to make music, and here I am a SUCKER."

Stoughton picked up and moved back to the Colorado ski town paradise of Vail where he was, happily, soon again sitting in on great gigs. Scotty Stoughton, originally from Long Beach Island, NJ, is an entertainer who wraps his body, lyrics, and soul around the music. Fans who've seen his show know how he smilingly engages the crowd and elevates any performance to another level. He has been spreading his positive message for 10 years and is gaining recognition in the entertainment industry as one of the most versatile lead singers in the country. The band that would eventually be known as Sucker was born when Stoughton joined forces with guitarist Rodney Coquia - the two were playing a local benefit show and immediately hit it off. Coquia hails from the San Diego area and has been playing in bands since age 10, with a guitar style that draws from his roots in classic rock, reggae and ska. "Sucker's sound is driven by guitarist Rodney Coquia's compulsive, fat riffs that sound a bit like Lenny Kravitz channeling Zeppelin, Marley and Hendrix", wrote a reviewer in the Westword, (Denver, CO). Now based in the competitive, music-loving community of Boulder, CO, the Sucker members continually expand their sound and push the musical boundaries. Aaron "Junior Mint" Ficca brings a ferocious backbeat to the band and is notorious for being a hard-hitting drummer, often leaving a pile of sawdust under his snare. Drumming is in Ficca's blood; his father is the drummer for Firefall, the legendary Colorado band whose first album went gold in a short three months from release in 1976. On the other end of the rhythm section is Aaron Snyder. Snyder thumps a New Orleans-raised low-end groove, which locks in seamlessly with Jr Mint. Aaron also makes it a point to interpret the lyrics of every song into his playing style; this adds an underlying warmth and unique texture to the music. The band's latest addition, dating back two years, is keyboard and electronic wizard Steve Vidaic. Following a career with national touring act The Motet, Vidaic anchored himself in Boulder to focus on producing, engineering, and song writing. Vidaic adds a new dimension to the Sucker sound by infusing ambient electronic sounds on the Moog, dark organ tones, and authentic reggae bubble on the Hammond. Coquia, Snyder and Vidaic share lyrical presence and provide strong harmonies throughout the music of Sucker. This combination adds thickness & definition to the vocal sound.

Sucker's unique chemistry comes out in their thoughtful song writing and blistering live performances. The band has been featured in countless skiing, snowboarding, adventure, motorcross sports videos and movies. Sucker has made numerous appearances at ESPN's X-Games and Gravity Games. They have enjoyed success across the nation in large venues, amphitheatres, and festivals, performing with the likes of Primus, G-Love and the Special Sauce, Pennywise, Bunny Wailer, Ice-T, Spearhead, Andrew Tosh, Fishbone, The Pharcyde, Mix Master Mike, Yellowman, The Long Beach Dub All-Stars and many more. The exposure to these bands and time spent on the road has opened up Scotty's writing style to include a wide mix of themes and messages. The lyrics focus on an adrenaline lifestyle, the simple pleasures of sharing time with friends, the hard reality of being away from home on the road, and, more simply, the consequences of chasing your dreams. Stoughton delivers and exceeds expectations every time he jumps onto, dances across, or climbs above the stage. There is no mistaking Sucker's impact on a variety of music fans, from performing a one hour power set at the Extreme Games to laying down a three hour late night jam, the band continually takes it one step beyond!


MEDIA QUOTES


“Infusing high energy, electronic freestyle, bumpin' grooves and dub-hop for the millennium, Sucker's live show is positive energy and fresh air.”
Go-Go Magazine (Denver, Colorado)


“At The Fillmore show in Denver, the sticky floors began to shake and fans jumped with their arms in the air when (Sucker front man) Stoughton made his debut appearance of the night. Among Peter Rowan, Bela Fleck, and the members of the String Cheese Incident jamming on stage, Stoughton left a funky bluegrass show rising with energy.”
Kelly Silva, Steamboat Pilot (Steamboat Springs, Colorado)


“Making people nuts is what the Rocky Mountain band has been doing throughout.”
Rose O'Gara, Jackson Hole News (Jackson, Wyoming)


“Colorado's favorite rock and roll groove machine…SUCKER pounds out their trademark array of jungle beats, ultra powerful funk and straight ahead rock like it's nobody's business”
The Vail Daily (Vail, Colorado)


“The addition of keyboard/electronic wizard Steve Vidaic (The Motet) and bassist Aaron Snyder (Liza, O.A.E.) have modified the group's trademark high energy dub-funk-freestyle into something a bit more electronic.”
A. Stonehouse, Boulder Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado)


“It's random craziness. The vibe on stage is super positive and it flows out into the crowd!”
K. Miller, The Vail Daily (Vail, Colorado)


“Scotty is a phenomenal performer and he really helps us kick it into high gear.”
Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon


“Whether blasting through a California surf track like “CL Face”, or nudging the beat along on a slow reggae jam like “Anymore,” Sucker handles each of the styles effortlessly.”
J.C. Coyle, Seattle City Search (Seattle, Washington)


“Sucker is of the new school, but they are a band with a strong connection to their roots. The music is certainly hard, but they indulge in copious amounts of funk and reggae, blending their groove together to form a high energy, seriously danceable sound that is accessible to people with many varying tastes.”
Matthew Ziegler, Flagstaff Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona)

30th Street Management & Publicity 303.554.8883 suckermusic.com


30th Street Management & Publicity 303.554.8883 suckermusic.com