The Thorns (album)
Encyclopedia
The Thorns is the self-titled debut album by rock
supergroup
The Thorns
. Released by Aware Records
in 2003, it was produced by Brendan O'Brien
following songwriting sessions by the three members before they officially became a band.
Aware reissued the album in late 2003 with a bonus disc of the band performing the entirety of the album acoustically.
The Thorns was a group that consisted of Matthew Sweet
, Pete Droge
, and Shawn Mullins
. Both Matthew and Shawn became big names in Georgia, playing clubs in Athens and Atlanta. Sweet and Mullins even shared the same manager. It was through their manager that Sweet became involved in the Thorns. Recording took place at L.A.’s Sound Factory studio.
The band thought about calling themselves, "Horn of Plenty" before settling on the name, "The Thorns" after hearing Sweet play a composition of the same name. The band continued to record the album in Atlanta, with producer, Brendan O'Brien
, who had previously worked with Sweet and Droge.
The band wrote the album on a ranch in Santa Ynez, California. Sweet wrote five songs for the album, Mullins wrote two, and Droge had four. They also recorded a cover version of the Jayhawks song, "Blue." During their premiere performance they dedicated the song to Jayhawk Gary Louris as he recovered from a recent life-threatening infection of the heart.
Legendary drummer Jim Keltner
played drums on the album. The group decided to stick with the name, "The Thorns" after Keltner introduced the group to the Rolling Stones as The Thorns.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
The Thorns
The Thorns
The Thorns are an American acoustic rock band formed in 2002 as a project of Matthew Sweet, Pete Droge, and Shawn Mullins.The band toured the United States and Europe throughout 2003, in support of their eponymous debut album.-Discography:...
. Released by Aware Records
Aware Records
Aware Records is an American record label, existent to seek unsigned musical artists and expose them to the mainstream media. The label has had success with a range of artists, including John Mayer, Train, Five For Fighting, Mat Kearney and Guster....
in 2003, it was produced by Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
following songwriting sessions by the three members before they officially became a band.
Aware reissued the album in late 2003 with a bonus disc of the band performing the entirety of the album acoustically.
The Thorns was a group that consisted of Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
, Pete Droge
Pete Droge
Pete Droge is an American alternative/folk rock musician from Vashon Island in Washington State's Puget Sound. His debut album Necktie Second, released by American records in 1994, featured the tongue-in-cheek "If You Don't Love Me ", , as well as the songs "Sunspot Stopwatch" and "So I am Over...
, and Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. He is best known for the 1998 single, "Lullaby", which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.-Career:Mullins was born in...
. Both Matthew and Shawn became big names in Georgia, playing clubs in Athens and Atlanta. Sweet and Mullins even shared the same manager. It was through their manager that Sweet became involved in the Thorns. Recording took place at L.A.’s Sound Factory studio.
The band thought about calling themselves, "Horn of Plenty" before settling on the name, "The Thorns" after hearing Sweet play a composition of the same name. The band continued to record the album in Atlanta, with producer, Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
, who had previously worked with Sweet and Droge.
The band wrote the album on a ranch in Santa Ynez, California. Sweet wrote five songs for the album, Mullins wrote two, and Droge had four. They also recorded a cover version of the Jayhawks song, "Blue." During their premiere performance they dedicated the song to Jayhawk Gary Louris as he recovered from a recent life-threatening infection of the heart.
Legendary drummer Jim Keltner
Jim Keltner
James Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
played drums on the album. The group decided to stick with the name, "The Thorns" after Keltner introduced the group to the Rolling Stones as The Thorns.
Track listing
- Runaway Feeling
- I Can't Remember
- Blue (Jayhawks Cover)
- Think It Over
- The Thorns
- No Blue Sky
- Now I Know
- Dragonfly
- Long, Sweet Summer Night
- I Told You
- Such A Shame
- I Set The World On Fire
- Among The Living