Biography All Music GuideWikipedia
Group Members: John Alexander Ericson
All Music Guide:
Alberta Cross are a blues and country-influenced roots rock act drawing their sound from the foundation built by the Band and Neil Young. The London group's main members and songwriters are bassist Terry Wolfers and vocalist/guitarist Petter Eriksson Stakee, who as a child traveled with his singer/songwriter father. The full band includes John Alexander Ericson (organ) and Seb Sternberg (drums). The self-produced EP The Thief & the Heartbreaker was delivered through the prestigious U.K. label Fiction in May 2007. Wolfers and Eriksson Stakee moved to N.Y.C. after that, leading to some personnel changes. Ericson and Sternberg were out, replaced by Alec Higgins (keys), Austin Beede (drums), and Samuel Kearney (guitar). This lineup released Broken Side of Time in 2009. In 2011, in anticipation of a forthcoming full-length release, the band released The Rolling Thunder EP, featuring the title track and the song "Wait." Songs of Patience, the group's sophomore studio release, arrived the following year.
Wikipedia:
Alberta Cross are an English formed, now New York-based band consisting of singer-songer and guitarist Petter Ericson Stakee & bassist Terry Wolfers. The band is now based out of Brooklyn, New York.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).
Career[edit]
Alberta Cross has toured extensively in the US, UK and the rest of Europe, performing with bands such as Them Crooked Vultures, Oasis, Neil Young, Dave Matthews Band, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Mumford & Sons, The Shins, Bat for Lashes, Simian Mobile Disco, and Findlay Brown on the Latitude tour in 2007. They have sold out venues in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and many other cites through the US and Europe. During October 2008, Alberta Cross supported Oasis on their UK arena tour, playing at both Bournemouth and Cardiff. During 2009, the band appeared at the Coachella Valley Music Festival in April, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in June, and the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago, Illinois and much more.
The band embarked on their first headlining tour in the United States in early 2010, selling out shows in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco. When the Santa Barbara venue oversold the show, the band offered to play two sets to account for those who were asked to leave the venue. During the spring and early summer of 2010, Alberta Cross also toured with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7, and American Bang. They also opened for Them Crooked Vultures in Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Windsor Indianapolis, Indiana and Chicago.
The band played several international festivals in the summer of 2010, including the Malmöfestivalen in Malmö, Sweden, the Parkenfestivalen in Norway, the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, and the Splendour in the Grass festival in Australia. Alberta Cross also played several shows in Australia, including two with Mumford & Sons. On September 3, 2010, the band played at The Gorge Amphitheatre, Washington to re-unite with the Dave Mathews Band and open for them. Throughout the rest of September, the band toured the US with Dead Confederate for 21 dates.
The band's first full-length album, recorded in Austin, Texas, Broken Side of Time was released on 22 September 2009. Their new album 'Songs Of Patience' is out on the 17th of July in the US and 3rd of September in the UK and Europe and the rest of the world.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).
Press[edit]
“…a British take on Southern rock…the seismic guitars and high vocals look to My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon and Crazy Horse…but Alberta Cross sets aside those American bands’ redemptive undercurrents of blues and gospel; instead it plunges into the very English despair of bands like Pink Floyd.” – The New York Times
“…familiar and refreshing...Alberta Cross has taken incredible strides to earn global recognition.” – NPR
“combining wind tunnels of bent guitar riffs and distorted power chords with the haunting melodies of rural American music. It’s all topped by Ericson Stakee’s sweet, high-lonesome voice, which recalls both Jim James and Neil Young.” – Rolling Stone
“…fog-clearing pipes nod to MMJ's Jim James, and whose South-of-the-Mason-Dixon guitar chops recall the Followill Bros.” – Spin
“…an intoxicating mix of apocalyptic riffs, sob – worthy singalongs and brooding blues.” (8 out of 10) – NME
“…as electrically dark as it is electrifyingly determined… these ten songs have a kind of will of their own to reach our eardrums and come out the other side as goose bumps.” – Esquire
“…a hard-hitting, rock-driven affair, Lwith folk and soul undertones.” – BlackBook
Band name[edit]
According to Stakee, the name "Alberta Cross" is an anagram .Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).
Popular culture[edit]
The song "Low Man" is heard at the end of episode 8 of Season 2 of Californication, when Karen tells Hank she has to see a man about a horse. This song is also used in episode 2 of Season 2 of the FX show Sons of Anarchy.
The song "Lucy Rider" is heard in the series premiere of the BBC One series Survivors, as well as episode 3 of Season 1 of Dirty Sexy Money.
The band performed "ATX" and "Rise from the Shadows" on Last Call with Carson Daly. "ATX" was also used as the rejoiner bumper during the telecast of the 2009 BCS Championship Game
The band appeared on the Cinemax Tour Stories program, which featured an interview and live performance.
Their song "Money for the Weekend" is featured on the soundtrack to Madden NFL 12.
"Money for the Weekend" is also featured on Ketel One commercials that began to air in May 2011. Stakee is featured prominently in the commercials, wearing his trademark hat, and sipping on Ketel One on the rocks.
"Bonfires," a song from their upcoming album, is heard in episode 5 of season 1 of "Off the Map."
