the tequila rockingbirds (TTR)

Formative Years and the Hustle (2007–2017)

Around 2007, I decided it was time to get back on stage. It took a while, jamming with various local musicians, to pull together the lineup that eventually became The Tequila Rockingbirds (TTR). In the preceding years, I had cut my teeth with a string of local acts—including Friars Point, Electric Dirt, the Acoustic Dirt Trio, Zodicatz, and Satan Drives the Shortbus—all of which paved the way to this point.

The initial starting lineup consisted of myself, vocalist Percy McDonald, drummer Sonny Hogan, and bassist Keith Jackman. We played our first official show in December 2007, but shortly afterward, Keith had to step away for family reasons. We eventually found our new bass player in Chris Davis, locking in TTR Version 1.

Percy and I made a fantastic business team. I was the ideas guy, constantly plotting out big-picture strategies, while Percy was exceptional at picking up the phone and making the calls required to secure bookings and move the band forward. For the ten years we shared the stage, we spoke almost daily.

Building the Buzz: Turning Marketing into Gigs

It was slow going at first, and we were hungry to get busier. To kickstart our momentum, I put together a professional marketing portfolio for corporate clients and aggressively dove into early social media to get eyes on the band. We needed to be seen.

I came up with a strategic concept to host a series of high-profile “reunion shows” for defunct local bands. The hook was simple: the nostalgia would draw a massive, guaranteed crowd, and TTR would get to perform as the opening act. I created a Facebook group called Newfoundland Bands Old & New, which quickly exploded to several thousand members. Through that hub, I connected with several veteran musicians who were eager to dust off their gear.

• Show 1: Featured a reunion of my old band, Mean Streak.
• Show 2: Featured Crisis, a legendary local band that had previously held a major record deal and toured extensively.

Both shows were absolute blockbusters. In fact, Alan Doyle even showed up to take in the Crisis reunion. By the time the dust settled on those two events, TTR had generated all the buzz and industry connections we needed to pack our calendar with bookings. Mission accomplished. Around the same time, Percy secured for us a commercial beer sponsorship. We didn’t drink the product; instead, we used it strictly as a high-powered promotional tool to keep the band’s name out in front.

Percy and I would also play in the middle of the week as the McCaines.

Our corporate calendar kept us incredibly busy, leading to some massive milestones—including flying up to Churchill Falls twice for headline slots, and performing at the Gander Arena in front of 3,500 people for the annual Ride for Sight. Beerfest was another good one.

TTR played many times at Club One

Drowning in a Moment of Enlightenment

Throughout these formative years, my primary drive was to create original music. Percy was completely on board, and Sonny and Chris were game to back us. I had accumulated a massive stockpile of musical riffs and arrangements on my own. The songwriting process usually involved Percy and me getting together; I would play him a guitar foundation, and he would improvise vocal melodies over top. I would then meticulously draft lyrics based on his vocal phrasing, and together we would polish the track into its final form.

The vast majority of the tracks on our debut album, Drowning in a Moment of Enlightenment, were forged this way. A few others were born out of raw jam sessions during band rehearsals. I used to extract the improvisational audio captured by a Canon room camera, arrange the best pieces into a cohesive song structure, and write the lyrics. “You’ve Got the Rolling Stone” is a perfect example of that camera-jam method.

We booked studio time with producer Rick Hollett to track the record, and we were incredibly proud of how it sounded.

Some pics from recording:

Unfortunately, just before the album hit the shelves, Chris and Sonny exited the band. This ushered in TTR Version 2. Keith Jackman returned to the bass chair after his hiatus, and Tony Hollett stepped in on drums. This was the lineup that filmed the official music video for our lead single, “These Are the Things“—a video I have recently restored and re-uploaded to YouTube.

The Atlantic Records Connection

A surreal highlight from the album release came when Ross Halfin—the legendary international rock photographer known for his work with Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and AC/DC—stumbled onto the record. He loved it so much that he gave us a glowing shoutout in his online diary.

Halfin didn’t stop there; he personally connected me with Craig Kallman, the CEO of Atlantic Records, to discuss a potential record deal. Kallman liked what he heard but wanted us to commit to a rigorous touring schedule to back it up. Because our original lineup had already dissolved and life commitments were what they were, it was more than we could realistically take on at the time. Still, having the head of Atlantic Records spinning our tracks was an incredible validation of the music.

Turning the Page

The V2 lineup held a few writing sessions that yielded some incredibly promising ideas, including two fully realized songs that I wrote. However, by 2017, I realized I had hit a wall with the cover band circuit.

Percy and I sat down and agreed to pivot. He wanted to keep the cover machine rolling, so he took the rhythm section and formed a new outfit called The Diezel Dogs, while we kept the TTR name separate to focus primarily on original material. I held two fresh writing sessions under the TTR banner, capturing some great creative ideas that I still have in my vault. I played a few select club gigs, but my heart wasn’t in the bar scene anymore. I ultimately threw in the towel on the band format to pursue pure, standalone songwriting on my own terms. (Percy later decided to change The Diezel Dogs back to The Tequila Rockingbirds, which I disagreed with at the time, but went along with because I knew how much the moniker meant to him).

Looking back, it was a decade of intense hustle, brilliant rock ‘n’ roll, and a body of original work that still holds up completely.

Contemporary Press & Reviews

10/10 — “A real top-dollar calibre release from beginning to end.”

“The Tequila Rockingbirds hail from Newfoundland, Canada, and remind me of something between Led Zeppelin and Great White, with elements of both bands in there. A really strong album from a band who are no doubt a stellar live act if this CD is anything to go by. It’s a real top-dollar calibre release from beginning to end with ballsy batterers like ‘Jericho’, the folky, Led Zep IV-esque ‘Leave Your List Behind’, and the powerful ballad with its socking-at-ya vocals and rolling drums that is ‘These Are The Things’. Then there’s the screaming, sliding guitar in ‘I’ve Got A Box To Put You In’ and the gorgeous closing acoustic track ‘Are You Listening’. Hope they do really well all over the world as they truly deserve to. Outstanding.”

— Glenn Miller, Metalliville

“The songwriting ability and musicianship definitely shines through.”

“From Newfoundland, four-piece rockers The Tequila Rockingbirds have independently produced their new album, Drowning In A Moment of Enlightenment. Laptop out. CD in. Headphones in. Volume up. One minute later, my initial opinion was formulated: I’m going to like this band.

It is always extremely refreshing when a new classic rock band emerges from the woodwork. It is clear this band is heavily influenced by the classic greats such as AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and many more from listening to the very first track, ‘Jericho’. It’s actually quite tough to determine which classic bands haven’t influenced this foursome, so if you want to enjoy some fresh, new classic rock inspired by only the best, this band is a must-listen. The songwriting ability and musicianship definitely shines through on this album. The vocal ability of singer Percy McDonald is outstanding; his capacity to sing heavy ballads and then shift to softer ones sets him apart from many other classic rock acts.”

— Betsy Green, Fireworks Magazine

bonus photos