McLovins are an American rock band formed in 2009. The band's lineup consists of lyricist and drummer Jake Huffman, bass guitarist Jason Ott, guitarist Justin Berger and keyboardist Atticus Kelly. Inspired by an eclectic mix of influences like The Meters, The Band and The Flaming Lips, McLovins combine their songwriting skills with extended improvisations and instrumental ingenuity. Taking a page from their jam band forefathers, McLovins always try to keep their audiences guessing at what's to come. Their eclectic setlists and individual musical personas define the band's live shows. Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, McLovins have appeared at Gathering of The Vibes, Mountain Jam, The Peach Festival and the legendary Nateva Music Festival, as well as many acclaimed venues across the country. They have also performed with some of the most influential artists on the scene, including Buddy Guy, George Porter, Jr. and Oteil Burbridge.
Personnel
Jake Huffman - Vocals, Percussion
Jason Ott - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Justin Berger - Guitar, Vocals
Atticus Kelly - Keyboards, Vocals
History
The band was founded in the summer of 2008 after a series of chance meetings between the trio at local music camps. The band toured locally in Southern New England playing a mixture of covers and their own original compositions, though it was a video cover of Phish's "You Enjoy Myself" that gained them attention on YouTube. In the spring of 2009 they released their first studio album Conundrum, which featured original songs inspired by the Norton Juster novel The Phantom Tollbooth. Conundrum featured graphics by Ink Design Studios, which is also responsible for the band's psychedelic skull logo. The band was featured in Rolling Stone magazine.
In the summer of 2009 the band performed on the Green Vibes tent at the Gathering of the Vibes where they played to a crowd of over 1,000 people. McLovins commissioned a pair of posters from poster artist AJ Masthay to commemorate McLovins Phish Pre-Shows in Hartford and Satatoga Springs as part of the celebration for Phish's 2009 reunion tour. During the fall of 2009 and Winter of 2010 they continued to tour regionally throughout New England, including their first appearance at Moe.'s spring festival Snoe.down as well as playing Nectar's in Burlington, Vermont. They have managed to cultivate a loyal following due to multiple appearances at Keene State College. McLovins have done several shows at Troy, New York's Revolution Hall including a double bill with 7 Walkers on the venue's closing night. In the spring of 2010 the band released their second studio album, Good Catch, featuring original songs written by the band.
In the summer of 2010 the band scheduled numerous festival appearances including StrangeCreek, Mountain Jam, the inaugural Nateva Music Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, Bella Terra Festival and WormTown. The band continued to play locally and regionally with favorite venues including Black Eyed Sally's, The Main Pub and they have made several appearances at Brooklyn Bowl as well as Sullivan Hall in NYC. In the fall of 2010, McLovins collaborated with Phish lyricist Tom Marshall and his partner Anthony Krizan (of Spin Doctors fame) to co-write "Cohesive", which they recorded with Marshall and Krizan at Krizan's Sonic Boom studios. They debuted the song during a performance at Brooklyn Bowl where they were joined onstage by both Marshall and Krizan. The band also released a commemorative poster of this show, produced by AJ Masthay. They set an aggressive touring schedule for 2011 with return trips to Nectars, Fairfield Theatre Company, Infinity Hall and the band's first trip to The IronHorse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Moving into spring of 2011, the band continued to tour and scored opening slots for Buddy Guy and Bill Kreutzmann's 7 Walkers among others. They also began work on their third album utilizing Marshall and Krizan to co-produce with the band. Marshall also contributed two songs to the disc along with their previous collaboration, the single "Cohesive", with all songs recorded at Krizan's Sonic Boom studios. The summer tour included stops at Strangecreek, Camp Creek and their first ever Main Stage performance kicking off Saturday's Gathering of the Vibes festivities. In the fall, the band's academic pressures began to limit their touring schedule until just after Thanksgiving when founding guitarist Jeff Howard decided he was leaving the group. Jeff finished the year out with four shows in December, his last concert with the band was December 30, 2011 at Pearl Street in Northampton.