Staffers

After two years, Staffers —the musical outlet from DC-by-way-of-Omaha’s Ryan McKeever—returns with a fourth collection of songs “Asleep at the Wheel,” out October 14th on Propane Exchange.

Staffers are known for their ramshackle, smart-guy guitar pop (including 2020’s “In the Pigeon Hole” from NYCs ever/never), but “Asleep” finds the wall of sound clearing with more dynamic instrumentation and sentimental lyricism while expanding on the cheekiness that made past releases so enticing.

McKeever—who you may recognize playing in Anna McClellan’s band or as the drummer of Baltimore’s WORKERS COMP—founded Staffers in 2013 as a basement recording project. In November 2020, McKeever assembled a lineup of new and old co-conspirators to isolate and record in Palenville, New York. Accompanied by Anna McClellan, Gavin Cordaro, Wilson Keithline, and Luke Reddick, McKeever and the band captured the bulk of “Asleep” in the converted barn where they stayed. Tracking was completed in DC and Omaha with additional contributions by Sean Pratt and Megan Siebe before being given to Jim Schroeder for mixing and Melbourne’s Mikey Young for mastering.

While “Asleep” generally takes on a more deliberate approach to production and arrangements, there are definitive moments where the lackadaisical spirit of old reveals itself, often hiding in plain sight and begging the question “How easy is it to run from self indulgence?”

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