Eisley

Band History

In 1997, siblings Weston, Sherri, Chauntelle and Stacy DuPree, an 8-year-old at the time, simply were bored. It was time to take the records off the family turntable and start spinning songs of their own. Instead of the normal competitiveness that spurs many a familial collaboration, the DuPree home, with a shortage of television, fostered creativity and an allegiance to one another. It became less like sibling rivalry and more like sibling revelry. Having artsy, musically adept parents didn't stunt the growth process either. Aside from gleaning their disciplines in vocals, guitars, drums, as well as a constant visual dialogue of graphic design, books and old movies, the band also received a regimen of classic pop and rock like Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Bread and the like.

In 1998, the quartet began playing shows at a coffee house/venue run by their parents in Tyler, Texas called Brewtones. This enabled the young group to hone their sound and skills on a regular basis as the de facto house band. Those performances eventually led to bigger crowds and exposure in the nearby Dallas area, but not before the band slogged through its share of shows in East Texas, logging miles of travel through copse-lined, two-lane highways.

Once they had built a fan-base, garnering rank and file scenesters in Dallas' Deep Ellum strip, the labels came calling and Eisley eventually settled on Reprise from a copious collection of major-label suitors, due in part to parent company Warner Bros. long-term commitment to artier bands like the Flaming Lips.

Soon, Eisley drew an invitation to open for Coldplay on a U.S. tour, were given slots at England's V Festival and played the 2003 and 2005 Coachella Festivals. In fall 2005, Eisley headed out as the main support for rock-radio stalwarts Switchfoot, which was the first major outing for Garron DuPree on bass. Garron, a cousin of the band, replaced longtime bassist Jonathon Wilson.

Constant touring during 2005 had the band playing in front of ever-larger crowds and crossing genre barriers like few acts before them. Opening for a wide-range of bands like Brand New, Snow Patrol, Hot Hot Heat and New Found Glory, Eisley has found new fans regardless of the crowd.

After the release of several EPs, Eisley released their first full length album in 2005, Room Noises, on Reprise Records.

Information from the band's site

Members

• Sherri DuPree guitar, vocals
• Stacy DuPree keyboards, vocals
• Weston DuPree drums
• Garron DuPree bass
• Chauntelle Dupree guitar

Former Members

• Jonathan Wilson bass

Sound Description

Ambient pop

Influences

Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bjork, Radiohead, Kashmir, Billy Holiday, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Deathcab, The Decemberists, Midlake, Neutral Milk Hotel, Neil Young, Mew, Kent, Modest Mouse, Sparklehorse, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Aaron Sprinkle, Kings of Convenience, Glen Miller, Iron and Wine, Ben Folds, The Elected, Etta James, Danny Elfman, James Taylor, Pilotdrift, Joni Mitchell, Love Drug, James Brown, Steely Dan, Brighten, The Judds, Gino Vanelli, Herbie Hancock, Coldplay, The Flaming Lips, The Arcade Fire

Albums by this artist

Laughing City Released 2003

Marvelous Things Released 2003

Room Noises Released 2005