Biography

Casually weaving in and out of rock & roll lanes; Eagles harmonies, Rolling Stones guitar swagger, ZZ Top west Texas stomp, Pink Floyd mood, Tom Petty/Poco-esque melodies and relatable lyrics, sung by a guy who sounds a bit like Neil Diamond in the right light. The entertainment halt of 2020 forced the band to reflect & refocus musical efforts. With the core foundation of prolific singer/songwriter Erik Kjelland, Nick Fry on bass, and Paul Metz on drums, The Mascot Theory used this time off to slightly shift their sound to a more classic rock inspired Rock & Roll groove, especially thanks to the addition of lead guitarist Cory who brings a strong musical swagger and reverence to the guitar gods of the past. In 2021 the band made a major leap towards a more national focus when they were discovered and signed by manager Chuck Toler of TolerVision LLC, who helped steer the careers of artists like Cheap Trick and Mudvayne. Toler circulated the band’s music around to trusted colleagues in the business leading to producer Terry Manning (Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Lenny Kravitz, Stax Record) taking interest & agreeing to produce their first nationally-focused album “Every Sign Of Life”. In April 2022 Manning and the band assembled at Sonic Ranch Studios near El Paso, TX and recorded 13 new songs as well as 2 updated versions of classic live show staple songs.