MEMPHIS to MONTANA

Memphis to Montana is the stage name of singer-songwriter and guitarist Stephen Gwinner. His writing and recording styles have been described as folk-rock blended with country-rock. He created the musical project Memphis to Montana in early 2021 and recently released a debut album titled “Under a Black Flag Tonight”. For the recording of the album, he collaborated with sound engineer, co-producer, and multi-instrumentalist Luke Scheeler. Luke also contributed by playing drums, keyboards and bass on several of the album’s tracks, and was an integral part of the project.

Stephen is a singer- songwriter known for lyrical storytelling wound through simple melodies. Melodies that often incorporate dense layers and multi-part harmonies inspired by early works from REM, James Taylor and Tom Petty. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and currently resides in Bozeman, Montana, where he has lived for the past 20+ years.

After years of playing music in coffee houses and bars, Stephen decided to record a set of songs that were written specifically with an intentional directness in the lyrics. When asked about the content of the songs on the album, he said "It might not make the best content for songs, but as far as I can see, most people in this country spend the vast majority of their waking lives in some form of office dystopia looking at a screen. And doing shit that, for the most part, they really don't want to be doing. And usually, having to do it with at least one or two people they really, really don't want to be doing it with. It doesn't matter if they live in the Mississippi delta or in NYC. It's pretty universal. So I tried to write a few songs that try to acknowledge it. I mean, I was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Tennessee. But I never knew anybody who waxed nostalgic about the dirt their grandpappy tilled. So I couldn't write about it. I wrote about greed and feckless leaders instead".  

The new album offers a combination of acoustic clarity and over-the-top electric guitar infused bombast. Songs like "Into the Dreamlife of my Adeline" and “Hold Fast Tonight” balance on top of 3-part harmony richness. While “Draggin’ Heaven Down” and “Under a Black Flag” deliver electric guitar driven grit, but always with lyrics being the focal point. Stephen’s love of storytelling is showcased on the tracks “Lions Bled” and "And All Free Today".

Stephen is currently recording a follow up EP at Peach Street studios in Bozeman, Montana.