Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Pickett.
In the summer of 2006, Alex Thoele and Jon Pickett met while playing guitars around a campfire, high on a mountaintop in Estes Park, CO. The two have been entertaining and writing music since. In 2010, they were joined by mandolin player and fellow midwesterner Jarett Mason. The newest addition to the band as of December 2018 is Chris “C-Bob” Elliot on banjo and vocals.
Chain Station is a 4-piece, high-energy, get them out on the dance floor string band from Denver, Colorado. Their music is well-steeped in Americana roots, with vocal harmonies that are high, lonesome, and tight. Their picking ranges from lightning-fast to mountain mellow. They are a bluegrass band that would satisfy a picky old-timer and delight fans of newgrass, a delicate balance indeed.
They’ve become known for winning over crowds with creative, fun original songs that flow from the mountains, through them and right back to you. Pure Mountain Music! It’s obvious these guys love what they do, engaging their growing fan base with energy and stage antics that guarantee one hell of a night out.
The band’s highly anticipated new album “Backroads” went public on May 11, 2019. The album “Where I want To Be” was released October 2016. In 2015 a live album “Chain Up Volume 1” had a limited release and their debut studio album “Dancin’ With the Law” hit the scene in 2013. Chain Station has directly supported bands such as The Del McCoury Band, The Travelin’ McCourys. The Devil Makes Three, Todd Snider, Sierra Hull, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Fruition, Trout Steak Revival, The Railsplitters, Lil’ Smokies, Hot Buttered Rum, Deadphish Orchestra and many more.
This band has been living life through music and adventures together for eight years. Relentless gigging in and around their home state of Colorado, and the midwest and Canada has made this band of brothers one of the tightest, most professional ragtag pack of muppets on the scene today.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Just getting gigs and getting our music out there to reach the people who connect with our sound. It takes time, a whole lot of paying your dues playing gig after gig after wedding after party!
Turns out that if you want to build a genuine fan base of good humans who love the music and come to be a part of live shows, you have to grow organically. We’re proud we chose that route and the upward trajectory of the band says to us that was the right path.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
We play music! We play bluegrass music. Specifically, a brand we call “mountain music”. And we play it live over the US and Canada. It’s an acoustic string band that gets people moving and smiling. We are dedicated, trained musicians and songwriters who take our craft seriously, but at the same time, we have a whole lot of fun. We like to think that shines through at our live performances. Not a lot of bands can count hippies, families, hipsters, grandmas, galloping kiddos and die-hard old school bluegrass fans as regular concert goers.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Commitment. Big picture thinking. A very cohesive and tight team who can handle criticism, respect one another and thrive off each other’s ideas and creativity. A band is really a family, but this one is definitely a team.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chainstation.com
Listen at https://chainstation.bandcamp.com/
Merchandise at http://chainstationmountainmusic.com/merch - Phone: (970)214-2953
- Email: chainstatation@gmail.com
- Instagram: @chainstation
- Facebook: @chainstation
- Other: Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/chainstation

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