Mudhouse Gang
Mudhouse Gang is a blues/roots/rock duo from Wadsworth, Ohio. This guitar & drums combo draws heavily from finger-picked hill country blues as a foundation and effortlessly blends in other genres to create a unique sound. Rick Phillips and Doug Ackerman formed the band along with second drummer Scott Aspinall (Morgantown, WV) in 2017 while searching for a new inspired musical direction. The trio released a self-titled debut album in September of 2018.
Rick and Doug are now a duo. A gang of two. The smallest gang possible,
but with a big bluesy original sound. Mudhouse Gang will be releasing their second record
“Get Yer Demons Out!” in the fall of 2021.
Listening closely, one will hear elements of Muddy Waters, Son House, Howlin’ Wolf,
Mississippi John Hurt, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix
and even the Beatles.
Rick spent 6 years (2011 – 2017) living in Germany as guitarist for the
psychedelic rock band Simeon Soul Charger who became a massive cult success across Europe. Throughout his career, Rick has opened the stage for Daryl Davis (pianist for Chuck Berry), The Pretty Things, Parliament Funkadelic, Richie Havens, Hot Tuna, Kansas, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, D.A.D. (Disneyland After Dark), Stefan Dettl (of La Brassbanda) Guru Guru and Fernando Saunders (bassist for Lou Reed).
The Tenants
"Every now and again, a band is formed, seemingly spontaneously, through a process
akin to random abiogenesis, sprouting skyward from the sprawling post-industrial
rustbelt ooze that is Akron, Ohio, its members half-comprehending the extent to which
serendipity and whiskey-soaked chance was responsible for this thing, whatever it is.
Two friends, one, recently-turned landlord (Mike Good, vocals, rhythm guitar) and
the other, recently-turned tenant of the house next door (Nathan Sterley, bass)
decided one ethanol-tinged day that a Velvet Underground cover band might be
something to unleash upon the townsfolk.
Anyway, the Velvet Underground cover thing didn't last long. Some Stooges got thrown
into the mix. Then some Townes Van Zandt. Kinks. Stones. Howlin' Wolf. Frank Black.
Then Mike started ad-libbing songs about vegetarian drummers and a pawn shop
chicken foot of dubious powers. Calamine Lotion was dead, and The Tenants kept
rollin' on from that point.
Donald Alan (also another literal tenant of the singer's for a time and the lead
guitarist) got conscripted into the band at a local jam night after what may have
been a few too many oat sodas.
On drums, Joe Kidd of Simeon Soul Charger and Gruff at the Buzzer fame is the most
recent addition to the band, following the departure of founding member, the original
high hat-less badass, Hanger.
The sound might be described as "twangy-folky-bluesy-rock that occasionally gets a
little fuzzy."
The members of The Tenants currently all reside in or right next to Akron, Ohio.