en-us News Feed from Singer/Songwriter Shane Clouse http://www.shaneclouse.com/http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=793http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=793 Several years ago Plentywood native Jason DeShaw, fresh out of Carroll College, got Shane Clouse and his band, Stomping Ground, to perform at an event promoting biodiesel fuel.

“It was not well-attended,” Clouse says with a laugh, “but everyone sure had a lot of fun.”

They’re positive fun will still be very much in play when the two musicians team up for another benefit Wednesday in Helena and Thursday in Missoula – and they’re hoping to draw great crowds this time.

See, this time they’ve got Tim Ryan, Rob Quist and Kostas on board as well.

“It’s a pretty talented lineup,” says Clouse. “You’ve got Grammy winners, a couple of guys with No. 1 hits – and then there’s little ol’ me. I haven’t had that kind of success yet, but I’m trying hard.”

Montana musicians all, they’ll be donating their time and talents to raise money for XSports4Vets, the Missoula-based nonprofit that helps America’s veterans transition to civilian life, with a keen eye on support for those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

They’re calling the Helena and Missoula performances “Singers for Soldiers.”

When DeShaw contacted Clouse about helping with this benefit, it took no arm-twisting. Clouse and Stomping Ground were there for the original benefit, when XSports4Vets was being co-founded by a friend in honor of her brother, a vet from Helena who survived Iraq only to commit suicide once he was back on U.S. soil.

“Being musicians we work with a lot of nonprofits, donating our time,” Clouse says. “What I like about this one is the money doesn’t go to infrastructure or to pay salaries. All the money raised goes directly to their mission.”

XSports4Vets provides local veterans with recreational opportunities, many of them exhilarating ones such as riverboarding, skydiving, rock climbing and open-air flying in a special light-sport aircraft. The heart-racing activities mimic the fast pace of serving in a war zone, and bring together veterans who have seen the same horrors and experienced similar challenges once they return home.

“It’s really cool to be a part of that,” Clouse says. “I’m not a vet, but it’s really neat to have something to do with a group that helps veterans deal with PTSD, and does it by letting them be with their comrades, and hang out with folks who understand where they’re coming from.”

DeShaw, who recently released his fifth country album, will open the show with original music. Then Ryan, Quist, Kostas and Clouse will take the stage for a Nashville-style writers-in-the-round performance.

“All the honky-tonks in Nashville have writers-in-the-round,” says Clouse, who lived there for five years before coming home to Missoula to run his family’s nursery business and pursue his music career on a local level. “There’s not enough time to let everyone play who wants to, so they bring them up all at once and they take turns.”

The others on stage often join in, and there’s lots of storytelling between songs.

“It’s a bit more formal than a picking circle,” Clouse says. “It lets you see the people behind the songs, and hear how songs got created. A guy like Rob Quist has amazing stories about the days Jimmy Buffett and Heart opened for him (and Mission Mountain Wood Band). Kostas has stories about Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, and Tim Ryan can talk about the current folks he still works with.”

Quist, who is from Cut Bank, has been a staple on the Montana music scene since 1971, when he co-founded Mission Mountain Wood Band. Songs he has written have been performed by artists such as Loretta Lynn and Michael Martin Murphy.

Ryan, from St. Ignatius, has long carved out a career in Nashville that includes co-writing Phil Vassar’s No. 1 hit, “Last Day of My Life.” Kostas, born in Greece but raised in Billings (and who now lives in Belgrade), wrote Patty Loveless’s first No. 1 hit, “Timber, I’m Falling in Love,” and has written for Dwight Yoakam, Travis Tritt and Martina McBride.

DeShaw, the organizer of Singers for Soldiers, has been earning his keep in Nashville since 2007. Clouse’s latest release is “Good Thing Going On.”

“We’re all down-to-earth Montana people,” Clouse says of the benefit’s lineup. “Montana is our source of inspiration, and what we believe a normal world should be like.”

But it’s not a normal world, and young people who serve their country sometimes return from war with scars both physical and emotional. The performances in Helena and Missoula are to help an organization that helps them once their military service is done.

]]>Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=782http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=782 Shane Clouse

He’s got a voice that’ll knock your Tony Llamas off! …Sheri Jones, Missoulian.
Montana’s Best Country Act….Great Falls Tribune


Shane Clouse is a singer songwriter and Montana native. The youngest of eight children, Shane began his performing career as a toddler. He would sing his heart out to his parents and siblings on the fireplace hearth of the family’s farm house. Soon after, Shane started to hone his skills studying singing, dancing, acting, and learning to play several instruments. Shane won his first singing competition at the age of five. As a solo act or with his band Stomping Ground, Shane has opened for Dierks Bentley, Phil Vasser, Huey Lewis, Joe Nichols, Rodney Atkins, Don Williams, Sawyer Brown, Michael Martin Murphy, Tom Russell, Rob Quist, Jon Anderson, Ronnie dunn, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band..
In 2012 Shane wrote all the music for the Comcast Sportsnet Show "Stompin Ground" on Comcast Sportsnet Nothwest. Shane also composed the music for Trout Unlimited "On The Rise" on the sportsman's Channel and has composed the music for several episodes of "Skullbound TV" also on the Sportsman's Channel.

Shane has four cd’s to his credit; “Montana On My Mind”, “Midnight on the Highway” with Stomping Ground, “Montana Matters” compilation of the songs of Montana, and “Good Thing Going On”. Shane is currently working on writing music for a new cd due out in 2013.

Shane would say he is blessed to do the two things he loves in life, play farmer and play music. Shane is the owner and manager of his family’s "Pink Grizzly" nursery business on the tiny farm where he was raised in Missoula, MT. Shane still keeps up a rigorous touring schedule performing solo and with his band Stomping Ground. Shane has a great passion for agriculture, hunting and conservation. Shane performs for and donates time to many conservation groups and works to promote agriculture including supporting such groups as Stockgrowers, RMEF, WSF, SFW, and many other groups. In his free time Shane enjoys hiking with his wife Kelly, training and riding his horses, playing hockey, playing rugby, writing songs, gardening, hunting and fishing! With a strong family and a full life it is easy to say Shane Clouse has a “Good Thing Going On”.

]]>Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=792http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=792 http://bid.wildsheepfoundation.org/SHANE-CLOUSE-BAND-STOMPING-GROUND-PROVIDING-ENTERTAINMENT-YOU-CAN-SINK-YOUR-FEET-INTO_i15298491 ]]>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:05:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=791http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=791 Shane Clouse performed the National Anthem to a sold out crowd at Portland Rose Garden before the Portland Tailblazers defeated the San Antonio Spurs on Feb 21, 2012.


http://www.csnnw.com/pages/landingsg?Shane-Clouse-performing-National-Anthem-=1&blockID=656592&feedID=10846
]]>Sat, 03 Mar 2012 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=789http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=789

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/shane-clause-and-stomping-ground-stomping-ground/1l36fco7f?from=us-KUPL

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/shane-clause-and-stomping-ground-midnight-blues/1l3ax60jt?from=us-KUPL

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/shane-clause-and-stomping-ground-almost-over-you/1l3byfsme?from=us-KUPL

]]>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:13:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=790http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=790

http://www.csnnw.com/pages/stompinground/


"Stompin Ground"
Songwriter: Shane Clouse
Producer; Ken Triphan
Label: Tack Room Records
]]>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=787http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=787 Shane Clouse is a singer/songwriter and recording artist born and raised in Missoula, Montana. Shane and his band Stomping Ground have opened for country music greats including Ronnie Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Rodney Atkins, Phil Vasser, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Anderson, and Sawyer Brown. The youngest of eight children Shane has a strong devotion to family and to agriculture. He and the love of his life, Kelly live near the scenic Bitterroot River in Lolo, MT. In his free time Shane enjoys hockey, rugby, hunting, and working with his horses on his family's ranch nestled under St. Mary's Peak in Stevensville, MT. Shane got his start in Nashville, TN where he recorded his first solo album in 2002. Shane and his band were state winners and regional finalists of the Colgate Country Showdown and Shane’s song Finer Things was featured on the nationally syndicated Lia Show. Shane has since recorded and released four other CD's including the 2010 album Good Thing Going On. The song Stomping Ground from that CD is the theme song for upcoming rodeo reality show, featuring the Willis family of Redmond, OR, Stompin’ Ground – set to premiere in February 2012 on Comcast SportsNet. ]]>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:35:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=788http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=788 Stompin’ Ground, an original Comcast SportsNet production, is a dust-inhaling, dirt-eating, boot-stomping, heart-stopping, good-time rodeo program. It’s a real-life look at the Willis’, an Oregon rodeo family who uphold the ethics & attitudes of the western lifestyle. Take a gander into their unique & chaotic life at theranch and on the road. To the Willis’, rodeo is life. It’s always go-time. Their lifestyle is full of passion, excitement, disappointment, sacrifice, the unexpected & the unbelievable. Also catch the original music of up-and-coming counry singer/songwriter Shane Clouse.

]]>Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:47:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=786http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=786 ]]>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=785http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=785 Shane Clouse
Good Thing Going On
by Erika Fredrickson Sept 16, 2010


It's sort of incredible that Shane Clouse isn't hitting top country charts from the comfort of a Nashville studio. It's not that he fits the pop country profile of Keith Urban or Easton Corbin exactly; he definitely has songs with more depth than a lot of those commercial monkeys. At the same time, he knows his hooks, themes and country punch lines well enough to court mainstream listeners while simultaneously standing out from what otherwise seems to be a steaming pile of empty cowpoke treacle. And he writes his own songs, many in collaboration, which is a rare thing in the country world these days. What I love about Good Thing Going On is that Clouse has fun with original details, even while playing with hackneyed country themes. "Leaving Georgia" is about leaving a cheating woman named Georgia, who sits pigeon-toed on the porch smoking cigarettes waiting for him to come home. "Loving Life" celebrates drinking beer and whiskey all day long. Outlaw songs evoking Merle Haggard and loping western tunes evoking Marty Robbins give the album enough style cred that even in "Stomping Ground," when he sings well-done lines like, "Girls are hot and the beer is cold," it's easy to let it slide. ]]>Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:29:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=784http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=784 You can hire Shane Clouse and Stomping Ground for almost any event. Shane Clouse offers several different acts to cater to your event anywhere in the United States

Shane Clouse solo act,
Two piece: two guitars and two vocals. Very intimate
Three piece: bass, guitar, mandolin and vocals easy listening with a dance beat!
Full Band: 4 piece band with drums up to Seven piece large band! Rocking dance combo!!!

To inquire about pricing for your event please call (406) 370-4487. ]]>Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:55:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=783http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=783 Big Sky Brewery 5:30 to 9:30 pm


Shane Clouse releases his new cd "Good Thing Going On"

Bob Wire opens at 7 pm.


Benefit for Montana Matters Collaboration for Conservation to benefit Montana Wildife Federation and 5 Valleys Land Trust


Great Montana Music and Great Montana Beer! What a combination.

Tickets at :

Pink Grizzly, Rockin Rudies, Big Sky brewery the day of the show or at www.montanamatters.com


$30 ticket includes a Montana Matters cd for adults

$15 Student ticket

Please bing a picinic lunch and a lawn chair. No Host bar provides alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks!
]]>Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=781http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=781 PRESS RELEASE

FOR: IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 6.28.2010
FROM: YWCA MISSOULA
CONTACT: Caitlin Copple, 543.6691; Shane Clouse, 370.4487
SUBJECT: “Shane Clouse to Sell CDs at YWCA Thrift Stores”

MISSOULA – Starting in July, Missoula-based country music artist Shane Clouse will begin selling his albums at YWCA Missoula’s Secret Seconds thrift stores. Despite having shared the stage with Don Williams, Ike Reilly, Mickey & the Motorcars, Phil Vasser, Joe Nichols, Huey Lewis, Sawyer Brown, Michael Martin Murphy, Tom Russell, and most recently with Dierks Bentley, Clouse remains devoted to his native community and the many worthy causes in it, including the YWCA.
“The YWCA not only promotes women, but also strong families and good fathers,” explained Clouse. “I support the YWCA because of the holistic ways it creates a positive environment in Missoula.”
The albums will be on sale at all three stores, located at 1136 W. Broadway, 920 Kensington, and 1221 Helen Ave, for $20 each. Ten dollars from each disc sold will go toward the YWCA’s programs to end domestic and sexual violence and house homeless families in Missoula.
Clouse’s first album, “Montana on My Mind” came out in 2003 and was recorded in Nashville, Tenn. In 2005 Clouse and his band Stomping Ground were chosen as “Montana’s Best Country Act” by winning the state Colgate Country Showdown and placing at the Western United States regional level. In 2008, Shane Clouse and Stomping Ground released their CD “Midnight on the Highway”.
Clouse is a passionate supporter of community and currently serves on the boards of the Missoula Community Foundation, Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee and the Clark Fork River Farmer’s Market. Clouse is involved with the Montana Wildlife Federation and International Wildlife Film Festival, and in conjunction with these organizations he released the a “Songs of Montana” compilation CD to raise money for the “Montana Matters” 2009 campaign.
Founded in 1911, YWCA Missoula is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Learn more at www.ywcaofmissoula.org and find us on Facebook and Twitter.
]]>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:53:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=779http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=779


Visit the YouTube page to comment!

]]>Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=778http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=778
Montana Matters aims to preserve Montana’s rich and storied past, its vibrant history as the embodiment of the Wild West, while at the same time ensuring the state’s abundant wildlife and magnificent forests, fields, lakes and streams are preserved for generations to come. Additional information about Montana Matters can be found at www.montanamatters.com.

Clouse, an ardent outdoorsman who was born and raised in Missoula and lives in Lolo with his wife, needed little convincing to lend his voice, literally, to the campaign.

QUOTE FROM SHANE— Why does Montana Matter to me?

I was born and raised in Montana with a strong background in agriculture. For that reason I have a perpetual love for growing things and maintaining the pristine beauty that Montana provides us all.

Why did I literally lend my voice to Montana Matters?

I am a member of the Montana Wildlife Federation and a supporter of the Wildlife Film Festival so it was an easy transition to lend my voice to help out both organizations.

The youngest of eight children, Clouse started singing on the hearth of his family’s farm house and won his first singing contest at the age of five. Since then his talents have taken him to stages across Montana and around the world. He and his band Stomping Ground were named Montana’s “Best Country Act” in 2005. His latest solo CD, “Good Thing Going On” is due out this fall and he has also released “Songs of Montana,” a compilation of songs donated by Montana artists to benefit the Montana Matters campaign. Along with singing and songwriting, Clouse is a hockey player, rugby player, agriculture advocate, an avid outdoorsman, and conservationist.

Several of those who donated songs for the CD, including Tom Catmull, John Floridis, Jess Kilroy and Bob Wire, will be appearing with Clouse at the Songs of Montana concert


]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=775http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=775







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Archived Story
It's 'Midnight' for Stomping Ground - Shane Clouse and his band release their first CD in five years, and it's a tight country groove
By JAMIE KELLY of the Missoulian

Shane Clouse tunes and gets ready to perform in the Colgate Country Showdown regional finals in Great Falls in August 2005. Clouse and his band Stomping Ground won the event and moved on to the Western regional finals.
Photo by LINDA THOMPSON/Missoulian

Preview
SHANE CLOUSE & STOMPING GROUND release their new CD, "Midnight on the Highway," in a concert at the Wilma Theater on Friday night at 8 p.m. The concert features performances also by Tom Catmull and the Clerics, and singer/songwriter David Boone. The concert is a benefit for the Missoula Community Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization that is creating a permanent endowment for Missoula charities and public projects.

On the Internet

• To read more about Shane Clouse & Stomping Ground, visit www.shaneclouse.com.


• To learn more about the Missoula Community Foundation, visit www.missoulacommunityfoundation.org.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shane Clouse would always have liked to introduce himself as a musician.

Trouble was, said Clouse, he never was.

That sort of admission may come as a bit of a shock to the country singer's die-hard fans, but Clouse doesn't hesitate when he says he's never considered himself much of a musician at all.

Not, that is, until recently.

"I've been a country singer my whole life," he said. "It's part of me. And I wanted to call myself a musician, instead of just a singer. I understand now there's a difference."

The difference is Stomping Ground, Clouse's band, the three other members who make up the whole act. And those three have, over the years, taught Clouse a bit of musical humility as the band's popularity continued to grow regionally.

"They are much better musicians than I am, and whether they knew it or not, they taught me how to be a musician," said Clouse, showing his perfect pearls with a big grin.

Clouse has reason to smile these days, and not all of it has to do with the Friday release of his band's new CD, "Midnight on the Highway," a 12-track disc that he and his bandmates recorded themselves.

The 34-year-old Missoulian, once one of the most eligible bachelors in the valley, is now quite ineligible, at least when it comes to the dating game.

Last February, Clouse, who long considered himself a workaholic, non-marrying type, slipped a ring on Kelly, a woman whom "I chose very carefully."

Any woman who plans to live her life out with Clouse has to understand that Clouse is driven crazy with a head full of songs and dreams of success as a country singer.

"We have the same dreams," said Clouse, in an interview early this week. "We talked about our goals and the goals that I have nationally. She's 100 percent behind them. Because it's such a big part of my life, I wouldn't be able to be married to someone who didn't understand it. That's why I waited so long to get married."

Waited, too, have fans for this recording, only the second the band has produced. If their output is scant, you can forgive them. Aside from Clouse's marriage, there have been other life changes that have put the squeeze on the band members' free time. And most of those changes involve diapers.

Drummer Mark Sikich and his wife Denise had a child in July of 2006, and bass player Zach Millar and his wife Sarah have had two children since Stomping Ground's last CD in 2003.

"You have to find time," said Sickich. "You make time to do those things. It does affect things, so we try to practice a little later in the evening, and do things when the kids are asleep."

The CD, a mix of some new progressive country tunes as well as staples of the Shane Clouse stage show, is hearty, fun and more jam-based than radio-ready.

It's a sound that defines Stomping Ground, if you've ever caught one of the band's live shows (and with a growing radius of band dates, you don't have to look hard to find them near you).

"People have commented that we're like psychedelic country," said Clouse. "Because we jam. And there's not a lot of country bands that will do that."

Or a lot of country bands that will, as Stomping Ground is known to do, break into Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" right in the middle of a honky-tonk tune.

The recording of the CD itself took far more time than most as the band determined early on that it would record the music itself.

That it did, setting up shop in the small, insulated basement of the Pink Grizzly, the Clouse family business on Russell.

The big trouble was that Clouse and his bandmates had to take a crash course in ProTools, the recording software that is the industry standard. It is demanding software, one that comes with a manual thicker than the New York-area white pages.

"We talked about pooling our money and going to a studio to do the project," said Clouse. "Several of us have done that. But we actually negotiated and arrived at the conclusion that we should buy our own equipment to give us more freedom and time. But I think we all underestimated the learning curve."

So armed with a Mac loaded with ProTools and some new gear, the band holed itself up in a 12-by-12-foot room - what Clouse calls "a ghetto studio" - and began the arduous task of click-track recording.

"This project was difficult because we started from scratch," said Sikich. "It's like handing over the keys to a 747 and having some average guy fly it. It was a learning process. ... The rest of the band basically has learned the system pretty good."

The result is more than 1,000 pressings of a well-honed and crafted CD, wonderfully recorded and mastered. It is, at even an elementary listening, professionally made.

And it had to be, said Clouse. The band has realistic hopes for this recording, saying it may just be the project that propels the band to regional if not national stardom.

"As a group, we are obviously coming out with the biggest CD release we could," said Clouse. "And we accomplished that to gain maximum exposure."

Still, Clouse keeps his feet firmly planted in the Missoula earth. Fame is a long shot, and he and his bandmates know it. After all, their biggest chance at making it big fell just short in the Colgate Country Showdown three years ago in Elko, Nev., and it's an experience that's still fresh in their minds.

"In some ways, this band has had more success as far as publicity and opportunities than any other group I've been in," said Sikich. "It's really cool. ... But I'm realistic. I know I have to have a day job. But if something happened, it would be very cool."

For Clouse, his band fills a creative niche in his life that is more about family than fame. His priority now is his wife and family.

And even if he makes big splashes in the country world, he'll always make sure that home is where he swims every day.

"My real goals are to be a great husband and a great father," he said. "I reached the point where I realized that if I let this person go, I'd never be fulfilled as a man. Because happiness unshared is not fulfilling. And success unshared is not fulfilling. I want someone to share that all with."

Reach Jamie Kelly at 523-5254 or at jkelly@missoulian.com.
]]>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=777http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=777 Missoulian Article 2005Share
Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 11:03am
Shane Clouse is state's top country act
By JOE NICKELL of the Missoulian
Shane Clouse ain't never been to New Orleans, but he's headed to Elko, Nev., as Montana's best country act.

Clouse, whose song "I Ain't Never Been to New Orleans" has become something of an anthem to his throngs of Missoula fans, won first prize in the Montana Colgate Country Showdown on Saturday in Great Falls. He and his band, Stomping Ground, will advance to the Western states regional finals in Elko on Oct. 1.

"We believe in hard work, and we won't let you down," Clouse told the crowd after accepting the award, which included a check for $1,000.

The band faced down eight other acts from around Montana, all of whom had advanced to the state finals after winning in state regional competitions. Clouse and Stomping Ground previously won the western Montana regional contest at the Rustic Hut in Lolo in April.

The band performed two songs - "The Auctioneer's Song" and the original "Twenty-five Beers and a Handful of Steering Wheel."

More than 40 fans traveled from Missoula to hear the band perform.

"Having all those fans there really gave us a lot of energy," said Stomping Ground bassist Zach Millar.

Clouse, 32, formed Stomping Ground just two years ago. Since then the band has become one of
]]>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=774http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=774
MONTANA MATTERS
Songs of Montana
ARTIST SONG TITLE
1. Introduction
2. Shane Clouse: Montana Matters
3. Jack Gladstone: When the Land Belonged to God
4. Tim Ryan: I Know the Sound a River Makes
5. Tom Catmull: Big Tears
6. Amy Martin: Raven's Wings
7. Kostas: Paradise Valley
8. Mark Sickich: The Barn Song
9. Bob Wire: Go Butte
10. Mike Ulvula: From My Home
11. John Floridis Late May Moon
12. Rob Quist: Roll On Forever
13. Jessica Kilroy: Home
14. Shane Clouse: Montana on My Mind

Montana matters will help insure that the wildlife, and wildlands of Montana are preserved for many generations to come.


]]>Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:00:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=780http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=780 Country with integrity
ARTIST: Shane Clouse RECORDING: "Montana on My Mind" Montana is the place many country singers wish they came from, but few can actually claim this state as home. Born and raised in Missoula, Shane Clouse has just released his debut album, "Montana On My Mind." A true Montanan, Clouse's album has all the professionalism of any contemporary country musician, but keeps the integrity of his hometown roots.

Clouse started down the musical path at the early age of 5 years old, winning at the Police Talent Show. He explored many avenues and finally settled on country music. At 19, he began writing songs, then at 26 he hit the road for Nashville.

Now, three years later, he is debuting his album in Missoula, where his music first began to grow.

"Montana on My Mind" includes almost all the topics necessary for a contemporary album these days. The title track holds the ache of leaving Montana, with a gentle melody and a full swell of music. "Ain't Never Been to New Orleans" is a dancin' traveling song about bouncing all over the world. "Solemn Vow" is a traditional wedding song, with all the trimmings.

There is a ballad about lost love, and a heel-kickin' country love song. "I'd Rather have a Beer" is a funny tune about a man finally getting sick of putting up with a sour relationship. The album ends with a heartfelt love song about a man stuck between his love for a woman and his love for the plains of the West.

Clouse writes his songs with honesty and feeling. The stories are those of many country songs, but with an authenticity that makes them new. Though some of the musical patterns are not original, they are played in a way that makes them fresh and altogether enjoyable.

"Montana on My Mind" is unpretentious and refreshing, and will be a good friend in any environment. It's available at Rockin Rudy's, Hastings and Budget Tapes and CDs.
]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:53:00 MSThttp://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=776http://www.shaneclouse.com/article.php?article_id=776







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Leaving it all on stage: Missoula country acts perform well, but fail to advance at regional contest
By JOE NICKELL of the Missoulian

Shane Clouse and Stomping Ground were the final act to compete at the Colgate Country Showdown regional competition at the Stockmen's Casino in Elko, Nev. The band, who won the state title this summer, finished in third place Saturday night.
LINDA THOMPSON/Missoulian

Elko, Nev. - It was a strong showing for Missoula-based country acts in the west regional round of the Colgate Country Showdown on Saturday, as two local acts placed third and seventh in the semifinal competition.

But neither Missoula band Shane Clouse and Stomping Ground nor local singer/songwriter/guitarist Kris Schallock will advance to the national finals in Nashville, Tenn. Phoenix, Ariz.,-based singer Michelle Rene bested all other contenders at Saturday's event. A total of seven musical acts from California, Idaho, Arizona and Montana competed in Saturday's semifinal round, which was held at the Stockmen's Casino in Elko, Nev.

Moulton Jess, a band out of Idaho Falls, Idaho, took second place. Shane Clouse and Stomping Ground took third.


The margin of victory for Rene was extremely tight, and after the competition, several judges said it was nearly a toss-up among the top three contenders.

"I think (Rene) will go further in the business; but if I was to book an act in my venue, I'd book one of the two bands (Moulton Jess or Shane Clouse and Stomping Ground)," said judge George Goddard.

"We left it all on the stage," said Clouse after the conclusion of the competition. "There are other ways to get where we want to go. And you've got to be able to show you can take your lumps and show what you can do after you lose."

"It was pretty awesome to get this far," said Schallock, who placed seventh. "This gave me a little credibility, so we'll see where it leads me."

No Montana act has ever won top prize in the 24-year-old contest.

Shane Clouse and Stomping Ground qualified to compete in the Elko regional after winning a local competition sponsored by KYSS-FM at the Rustic Hut in Florence last April. More than 400 radio stations around the country sponsor first-round competitions, and more than 1,000 acts typically sign up to compete each year.

Clouse and Stomping Ground then competed in the state finals of the Country Showdown, held at the Montana State Fair in Great Falls on July 30. They won that competition as well, earning a grand prize of $1,000 and a chance to compete in Elko this past weekend.

Schallock advanced to the regional final through a more circuitous route. After missing the deadline to enter the Montana contest, Schallock entered and won a local-level contest in Sandpoint, Idaho, on Aug. 27. Idaho sends its local winners to three different state finals, in Oregon, Nevada and Washington. Schallock ended up competing in the Oregon state finals, in Lincoln City, Ore., on Sept. 11. Once again, he placed first, sending him on to the regional Showdown in Elko. (Both of the other Idaho acts to compete in state finals also advanced to the regional, making Idaho the most-represented state in the semifinal round.)

Schallock's run to the regional round of the contest surprised no one more than himself. A relatively inexperienced performer who has never headlined a public concert, Schallock says his success in the first two rounds of the competition has given him a new level of confidence about his musicianship.

"It's pretty flattering to think people could appreciate my music at this level," said Schallock in an interview prior to Saturday's event. "People appreciating what I do has definitely already given me a confidence booster."

Schallock performed two original songs in Saturday's contest: "If This," a song about unselfish love; and "Little More Country," about growing up in Polson.

The 23-year-old musician got his first musical experience singing in church, and began playing guitar when he was in sixth grade. After graduating from Polson High School, Schallock moved to Missoula in 2001 to attend the University of Montana, and has called the Garden City his home ever since.

Although his only public performing experience has been at open-mic events and church functions, Schallock plays and writes music avidly. He is currently studying to become an emergency medical technician.

Schallock says he isn't sure whether he'll enter the contest again in the future.

"If I feel like that's something I'm led to do, I'll do it," said Schallock. "I'll mainly just continue to play for friends and family, which is what I really love to do."

For their part, Shane Clouse and the members of Stomping Ground were pleased at having advanced to the regional round of the contest, but they say they won't enter the contest again.

"I think it served its purpose for us," said Clouse. "It really helped put us on the map. I'm bummed because everybody hates to lose; but I've lost before, and I think it's what you do next that shows your mettle."

The band intends to now focus its efforts on recording a new CD, and to continue polishing its live show.

"We put on a great show at the Old Post (in Missoula), and we'll put on a great show someday at Texas Stadium," said Clouse. "This doesn't change things for us in that regard."

Despite their ambitions, it is unlikely that Clouse and his bandmates will soon be leaving Missoula to make their way in the country music business. Clouse manages the Pink Grizzly, a garden supply store owned by his family and located on Russell Street. Bassist Zach Millar works as a distribution coordinator at Big Sky Brewing Company; guitarist Ryan Fadden is a self-employed carpenter; and drummer Mark Sickich works at Lithia Motors.

The band is a regular fixture at area nightclubs, and has performed opening sets at high-profile concerts by Sawyer Brown and last spring's Phil Vassar/Joe Nichols double-bill at the Adams Center. Although the band played a range of cover songs during those performances, it focuses primarily on writing and performing original music in the so-called "Outlaw Country" vein.

Clouse and Stomping Ground performed one original song in Saturday's contest, titled "Ain't Never Been to New Orleans." Clouse noted that the song, which he wrote years ago while living in Los Angeles, gained extra poignancy for him in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The band rounded out its two-song performance with the classic "Auctioneer's Song." They performed that song, along with the original "25 Beers and a Handful of Steering Wheel," in the Montana Country Showdown.

Performers in the Country Showdown are judged on a 50- point scale, with separate scores given for marketability in country music, vocal/instrumental ability, originality, stage presence and charisma, and talent. Up to three bonus points are given for performing original music.

Despite the results of the contest, Missoula's local musicians were upbeat on Saturday night.

"I'm not gonna think about the loss any more tonight," said Stomping Ground drummer Mark Sickich. "I have 12 hours to think about it tomorrow, driving back to Missoula." ]]>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:16:00 MST