Eli Gardiner 'Transient' Album Release w/ Ryan Gebhardt, Emmy Woods & Nick Hensley at Turf Club
Eli Gardiner is a songwriter from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, currently located in Minneapolis Minnesota. He writes music that can be described as Americana, Heartland Rock, and Folk. Coming of the 2020 release of his album, The Fire and The Medicine, he formed his full band comprised of drummer Greg Schutte (Mickey Hart, Ryan Bingham) lap steel/electric guitarist Dan Schwartz, keyboardist Kevin Gamble and bassist Nick Salisbury (Ryan Bingham, Brian Fallon).
The new album, Transient was be released December 15th. It was recorded this past winter in Eli’s home studio. It is comprised of intimate, hushed songs that showcase the depth of his writing. Drawing on inspiration from albums like Springsteen’s Nebraska, Eli delves into the more mysterious and haunting depths of American storytelling.
Originally hailing from New York, Ryan Gebhardt began releasing music with his band The Humble Cheaters in 2016. After releasing two albums, he embarked on what was then a solo endeavor, Stanley. His self-titled debut LP, Stanley, was released on Forged Artifacts (USA) & King Forward Records (NL) in the fall of 2017 and coincided with Ryan's move to Minneapolis.
With a new band in Minneapolis, Stanley released a handful of singles and did several tours, playing with bands like Post Animal, Berta Bigtoe, Purple Funk Metropolis, Slow Pulp, Sleepy Gaucho, and many more. Stanley's sophomore release, Afternoon Stanley, came out in early 2020 on Acrophase Records. Also in 2020, Ryan released The Humble Cheaters, the third LP from the band, as well as Pen Pals with his other side project Astro Heart.
With shows off the table during the Coronavirus pandemic, Ryan decided to use the opportunity to pursue a new, more folk-oriented, solo project. The debut single, "Lemon Farm," came out in the fall of 2020. Shortly thereafter, Monday Love, the debut EP was released. It was mixed by Adam Thein (Mixed by Theinada), and the title track was featured as the Song of the Day on Minnesota Public Radio's The Current on January 4, 2021.
Emmy Woods was born and raised on an old dirt road in small town North Dakota and currently resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota. With hints of country, folk, and blues, Emmy’s songs showcase both her knack for storytelling, her strengths in musical artistry, and her impressive vocal abilities cultivated by years of practice. Audiences enjoy a collection of tunes that are at once soft and strong, fragile and fierce. When asked to describe her music in three words, lover of music Kyle Smith said “Queer Farm Vibes.” She’s often joined onstage by her band, The Red Pine Ramblers, which is comprised of multi-instrumentalist Jake Johnson, percussionist Brody Kucera, bassist Bob Delage, and keyboardist Lydia Lecher.
Hensley has maintained a full schedule since 1998 playing more than 200 shows a year throughout the North America and overseas. He has shared the stage with several National acts including: The Why Store, Alex Ligertwood of Santana, Fastball, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, The Gear Daddies, The Samples, Low, Semisonic, The Wallflowers, Soul Asylum and many more.
Hensley is also a booking agent and an avid supporter of local MN music. In turn, he has created some of Minnesota’s most popular Songwriter Showcases including: MNaked and the MN Songwriter Showcase, which is held every Sunday at Plums in St. Paul (for 17+ years) and every Wed at The Aster Cafe in NE MPLS.