Stir (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri , United States |
| Products | Alternative rock music |
Stir is an alternative rock group consisting of four members, originating from St. Louis, Missouri.
Formation and signing with a major label
Established in 1994 at the University of Missouri, Stir was originally formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Andy Schmidt, bassist Kevin Gagnepain, and drummer Brad Booker. The band came together following the dissolution of their previous project, "The Choice," which ended when its frontman exited the music scene.
In 1995, Stir self-produced and released their LP Until Now through their independent label, Stir Music. After performing at South by Southwest, they secured a deal with the independent label Aware Records and launched their debut album Stir in 1996, which included much of the material from their earlier independent record. Subsequently, major label Capitol Records reissued Stir to expand its distribution reach.
Under Capitol’s banner, they released their sophomore album Holy Dogs in 2000, receiving acclaim from radio programmers who recognized them as rising figures within alternative rock.
Commercial performance and achievements
Stir experienced moderate success on alternative rock radio stations. Their most successful single, "Looking For" from their debut album, peaked at number 8 on the Billboard mainstream rock chart in 1997. Although "One Angel" was expected to be a major hit, it fell short of expectations. Tracks from Holy Dogs, including "New Beginning" and "Climbing The Walls," achieved modest chart positions in 2000 but did not receive substantial backing from Capitol.
They toured alongside Train, during which five songs such as "Superstation" were aired live on Westwood One radio. Additionally, Stir made two appearances on the nationally syndicated program Rockline (in 1997 and 2000) and performed on VH1's The List, featuring a live rendition of Nirvana's "In Bloom". Although talks about performing on late-night television occurred, an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman never came to fruition.
Despite promotional activities, sales for Holy Dogs reached about 45,000 copies by the end of its promotional period.
Between late 2001 and early 2002, Schmidt and Gagnepain earned first prize in the International Songwriting Competition for their track "Skeletons," chosen from over 15,000 entries worldwide by judges including Rob Thomas and Arif Mardin. This song, along with "Hold On" and "What You Do," was slated for inclusion on their forthcoming album planned for release by Capitol Records on April 22, 2003.
Lineup changes and challenges
Following the tour supporting Holy Dogs, original drummer Brad Booker departed to focus on a solo career that involved work on Volkswagen and NCAA commercials and brief stints with Gravity Kills and Apartment 26. The band expanded by adding a second guitarist and recruiting a new drummer. On July 5, 2002, Stir reemerged as a quartet featuring:
- Thom Donovan, guitarist (formerly of Lapush)
- John Pessoni, drummer (ex-member of The Urge)
They unveiled new tracks such as "Not the Only One," "First Time," and "Hold On," alongside covers of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train". A third major-label album was scheduled for release on April 22, 2003; however, it was indefinitely postponed due to shifts in label management.
After changes in Capitol Records’ leadership led to tensions, the band was dropped while the label retained ownership of both unreleased material and prior albums (which were subsequently reissued). Bassist Kevin Gagnepain described the unreleased record as Untitled, Unmastered, and Unemployed. Much of this content has since been distributed online by the band themselves and can be found on unofficial platforms such as stirmusic.net.
Beginning of extended break
Stir unofficially ceased activity in 2005 following an acoustic performance at The Pageant in St. Louis. Although bassist Kevin Gagnepain suggested the band was not permanently finished, Andy Schmidt conveyed that the possibility of a reunion was "extremely unlikely."
During this period of inactivity, band members engaged in diverse endeavors:
- Brad Booker shifted his focus to music production and songwriting for artists such as Piper and Bloom, while also performing with the cover group Wyld Stallyns. He contributed to Chloe Day's popular track "Kingpin" and currently works as a real estate agent in St. Louis.
- Kevin Gagnepain played bass for several acts including Tobi Kai & the Strays, Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band (known as "Jethro Dirt"), Shooting With Annie, and the alternative country band Whiskey Morning, which released its debut album in October 2016.
- Thom Donovan established the band Lapush, which signed with FourFiveSix (Universal) and released two albums featuring singles that charted and appeared on NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly as well as MTV programs like The Hills. Now residing in Nashville, Donovan has appeared as a musician on ABC’s Nashville, released his third solo album Canon (2014) collaborating with Wyclef Jean and Ruby Amanfu, and secured placements on CBS's The Good Wife and ABC's Body of Proof. He tours as lead guitarist for Will Hoge and composes for Kobalt Music Group.
- John Pessoni continues his musical involvement in St. Louis through Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band ("Johnny Dirt") and The Urge.
The founding members also created El Monstero y Los Masked Avengers, a Pink Floyd tribute ensemble that matured into a recognized act performing 10 to 15 shows annually across the Midwest. Kevin Gagnepain remains the only original Stir member active in this group.
Andy Schmidt resides in Los Angeles where he is employed by Roland Sands Designs, occasionally performing solo acoustic sets.
Reunion in 2016
On April 19, 2016, St. Louis radio station 105.7 The Point announced Stir’s participation in its Wayback Pointfest scheduled for July 9, 2016 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater.
Original lineup members Andy, Brad, and Kevin delivered a ten-song performance featuring tracks such as "Lady Bug," "One Angel," "Holy Dogs," "Hold On," along with a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s "Kashmir."
Following enthusiastic reception at the festival, Stir was booked for the inaugural concert on September 30 at Delmar Hall—a new venue with a 750-person capacity near The Pageant in St. Louis. Tickets sold out rapidly. The band performed an extensive two-hour set covering their entire career, including unreleased songs from their third album and covers of U2’s "Where The Streets Have No Name" and Simple Minds’ "Don't You (Forget About Me)." Additionally, Andy Schmidt joined his brother Justin to debut "Steve's Song (Free From It All)," dedicated to their late father.
Owing to the swift sellout at Delmar Hall, an encore show was arranged for December 2 at The Pageant. While expressing willingness to perform occasional or yearly appearances, the band left their long-term intentions open-ended.
Performances in 2018
After taking a break throughout 2017, Stir announced via Facebook that they would open for Daughtry at the O'Fallon Heritage and Freedom Festival on July 4, 2018 in O'Fallon, MO. They shared the lineup with Portrait: The Music of Kansas and the School of Rock Ballwin House Band. Members of Portrait have longstanding connections with Andy Schmidt and Stir’s original members through joint performances with Almost Joshua.
Later that year on November 9, Stir appeared at Aware Records’ 25th Anniversary Concert held at Chicago’s House Of Blues. Performing alongside Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizon), Alice Peacock, Brian Vander Ark (The Verve Pipe), Jackopierce, and Isaac Slade (The Fray), Stir’s acoustic set was met with critical praise and contributed significantly to the event’s sold-out success.
Albums
- Fall, 1993, Forty Lashes Music (independently released by the four-member group known as "The Choice")
- ...Until Now, 1995, Stir Music (self-published by the trio called "Stir")
- STIR, 1996, Aware Records, later reissued through Capitol Records
- Holy Dogs, 2000, Capitol Records
- Untitled, Unmastered, and Unemployed, 2003 (never officially released)
Charting singles
| Year | Title | Chart Rankings | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | |||
| 1996 | "Looking For" | - | 8 | STIR |
| 1997 | "One Angel" | - | 23 | |
| "Stale" | - | 21 | ||
| 2000 | "New Beginning" | 18 | 16 | Holy Dogs |
| "Climbing the Walls" | 39 | 39 | ||