Deadwood Stone, a hard rock band from Grand Rapids, MI, formed in early 2009, when old high school band-mates Chris Phillips, Nate Bishop, and Dave Droski reunited to jam once again, with friend Thad Underhill playing bass. With five songs under their belt, they decided to record an E.P. with Dave’s friend, David James at Double D Productions. Deadwood Stone’s “Exit Strategy E.P.” has far exceeded expectations of the band; the sound quality is excellent and it has been well received by most who hear it.
In the winter of 2009, the band’s schedule filled up with more local shows, and Deadwood Stone brought in Fred Droski, Dave’s brother, to play bass. This was a true turning point in the band, from which momentum had snowballed with both writing new songs and playing gigs.
During the months of 2010, Deadwood Stone has played 2-3 shows a week around West Michigan. They’ve opened for Volbeat, Tantric, Fuel, Chevelle, Papa Roach, Pop Evil, and have enjoyed radio airplay on 101.3 WBFX as well. However, the boys love packing the small bars in their hometown of Grand Rapids just as much, and will continue to do so throughout the year.
Deadwood Stone has a no-nonsense approach to writing songs. They don’t do anything but play the kind of stuff that they like. Chris’s love and natural gift for songwriting is combined with Dave and Fred’s addiction to writing riffs rooted deep in the heavy metal classics. Weave that in with Nate’s monstrous percussive drive and you have Deadwood Stone. It’s honest, blue-collar grit-rock that is as aggressive as it is heart-felt. It’s a straight-forward rocking band of four guys making music brewed in the gut and shot from the hip.
The future of Deadwood Stone is not entirely certain but there are no plans of slowing down. In the year and a half since forming, the band has accomplished much more than expected, and will continue to thrive on its success. Deadwood Stone has begun recording their first full length album and will be released in 2011.