Over the last two years, we've made countless memories together as a band, and our van was there with us through all of it. Traveling all forty-eight contiguous states, and all without a single break down or trip to the shop. But despite thousands of dollars invested in preventative maintenance, on March 22nd, in the middle of our full US tour, en route to Boise, ID forTreefort Music Fest, a rod in our engine blew, leaving us stranded in Grand Junction, CO for a few days. We hurried to a Ford dealership to have the engine checked out, so we could fully understand the problem and weigh all of our options. With more information, and some time to collect ourselves, we were just grateful that in spite of this setback, we were all safe and well.
What we were now faced with at this were several very costly repair options that were far out of our budget. There was a very real possibility we would have to cancel the remainder of the tour and return to our home states.
Reaching out to family and friends in hopes of receiving insight or assistance on what to do next, our drummer's generous parents, Jo Ann & Steve offered to loan us money to assist with whatever option that we as a band decided was best, and would put us back on the road as soon as possible.
Encouraged, we contacted our friend: Sam F Panthers, owner of Panther Performance Auto Group in Denver, CO, an active member of the Denver scene, and notorious for helping touring musicians in a tight spot. He gave us an obscenely generous quote for labor, and mentioned a small tour bus he was trying to sell for the band Ghoul. With both options being within a few hundred dollars of one another, and the pros to replacing our tour-worn van with a bus in much better shape, we asked the questions we needed answered and made our decision. Committing ourselves to this choice, we rented a U-haul (which we shoved Steve and Jaeg into the back of... poor guys) and drove several hours through a massive snowstorm, leaving our beloved van in Grand Junction.
We've always prided ourselves on our independence as a band and the DIY-approach we've always had to touring, but having taken this route, we've placed ourselves $7,500 in debt to Sean's family so that we could continue this tour, missing as few dates as possible. We could never prepare for unforeseen expenses of this degree, and that's why we need your help. We can't do this alone, and with our first full length coming out this year, we need to be poised for any opportunities its release may bring.
We've put a list of the expenses we now need covered below, and ways you can help us out, either through GoFundMe, PayPal, or by purchasing merch off our web store. Every dollar and every share helps.
$6,500.. Small Bus $500.. U-haul Rental/Gas Costs Grand Junction>Denver $500.. Taxes and Registration
GoFundMe.. www.gofundme.com/stocksmile PayPal.. [email protected] Merch Store.. www.stocksmileband.storenvy.com
Any help recouping these expenses will mean more to us than words can say, and every dollar will go directly back to Jo Ann & Steve.
We can't even begin to describe how much we appreciate everyone who has come to our shows, booked us, offered us their floor to sleep on, enjoyed our music, supported us by purchasing merch, and stood by us through the ups and downs. Thank you.
Special thanks to: Jo Ann & Steve Ballard, for loaning us the money required to get us back on the road to continue the tour. Sam F Panthers & Adalyn Hayes of Panther Performance Auto Group for working tirelessly to provide us the information and service to help us determine what would be best for the band. Ryan Harrison & Tami King, for storing our dead van in Grand Junction, letting us crash on their floor, and driving us around town to complete errands. Erika Entrop, for hosting us in Denver for as long as we needed to sort things out and get back on our feet.
Please be on the lookout for our new record, "I Think I Learned The Most From You", coming out this year.
Bob, Sean, Steve, & Jaeger
