About Deer Tick
Deer Tick is an American alternative rock-folk band from Providence, Rhode Island, composed of singer-songwriter John J. McCauley, guitarist Ian O'Neil, bassist Christopher Ryan and drummer Dennis Ryan.
The band's music has been described as rock with folk, blues and country influences, although the band actively rebels against the country tag, stating "We're proud not to sing with a twang". The band regularly performs cover versions in their live sets, including songs by the likes of The Replacements, Nirvana, John Prine, Hank Williams, the Beastie Boys, Warren Zevon and Sonny West. They have also performed entire sets as Deervana, a Nirvana tribute band, including a show in September 2013 to mark the 20th anniversary of the band's third album In Utero.
McCauley explained that inspiration for the name "Deer Tick" came while hiking in summer 2005 in the Morgan–Monroe State Forest near Bloomington, Indiana, where he found a deer tick on his scalp one evening, having never come into contact with one before despite having frequently gone camping and fishing as a child.
Deer Tick began in December 2004 as a duo called My Other Face, a vehicle for John McCauley's songwriting. Having previously played in high school bands Kadaver, El Toro and Metro Savages, McCauley changed direction from the heavier rock music he had grown up with after discovering Hank Williams.
Playing their first gig at The Growroom in Providence, the duo regularly gigged across Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York with the likes of Chris Paddock, Jana Hunter and Diego Perez. Having parted ways with drummer Paul Marandola, McCauley dropped the My Other Face name and toured across the US in May 2005 with Viking Moses. While holding down menial jobs including as a movie projectionist and a waiter at a Chinese restaurant, McCauley continued touring the country with Miranda Stokes, Mandarin Dynasty and Nat Baldwin.
After a year of touring and selling his music on handmade CD-Rs, he returned to Providence with a newfound confidence and songs including "Dirty Dishes", "Art Isn't Real " and "Ashamed". Up until mid-2007 McCauley was the only official member of the band, instead opting to play with a revolving cast of musicians including Marandola and keyboard player James Falzone. With the desire to make Deer Tick a real band, in April 2007 he asked GRSHN Lifestyle and 14 Foot 1 drummer Dennis Ryan from neighbouring Pawtucket to join; he instantly agreed. McCauley had previously tried to get Dennis' half brother Chris Ryan, an old high school friend and local bass player who had played with Stefan Couture And The Campfire Orchestra, to join the band full-time, but he had been unable to join due to finishing off a music degree at Providence College. Following a nationwide tour and having finished his degree, Chris Ryan finally joined.
The band released their debut album War Elephant on September 4, 2007, via Jana Hunter's Houston-based Feow! Records. Recorded prior to the arrival of Dennis and Chris Ryan, neither appear on the album, with McCauley playing most of the instruments with help from Brian McOmber from Dirty Projectors, Nat Baldwin and James Falzone. The album featured "These Old Shoes," a cover of a song by Chris Paddock. After the initial CD run sold out by January 2008 and a dispute over royalty payments arose, the album was left out of print, leaving the band touring with no proper copies of the album to sell. McCauley would sometimes burn copies of the album on CD-R to sell at gigs.
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