Fidelity Grange Reviews

KRVM DJ Tim Little:
“A cross between Robert Earl Keen and Wilco.”
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Jersey Beat Magazine:
CHUCKANUT DRIVE – “Fidelity Grange”

“Actually, think about Son Volt, but with more rock touches and with a more approachable singer than Jay Farrar (and with more accessible emotional content but without the whining).”
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The Stranger Magazine:
Chuckanut Drive, Michael Dean Damron, Williston

“Thankfully, there are bands like Bellingham’s Chuckanut Drive to keep the flame of resistance during this dark regime of awful country.”
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Aiding and Abetting:
Fidelity Grange (Ragtown) reviewed in issue #298, July 2008

“These guys cycle through so many sounds (from Tom Petty to the Band to the Gram Parsons to a wee bit of the Big Star) it seems impossible that they could possibly master each one. Perhaps the secret is taking those influences and melding them to some semblance of a well-defined band sound.”
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Whats up Magazine:
Chuckanut Drive – Fidelity Grange by Boris Budd

“The mix is fabulous. It quickly became evident that Fidelity Grange was so much more than a typical record. Loaded with cool, introspective songs the record reminded me a little of that Alex Chilton, Big Star, Memphis thing at times.”
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The Crooked Mile Home Reviews

Chuckanut Drive - The Crooked Mile Home By Patrick Donders, Hanx.net, April/May 2006

“Contagious and prickly country-oriented rock and roll with a bit of honky-tonk and a slightly smaller bit of soul.” Read the full article, in translation and original View the original article (in Dutch) at Hanx.net

Chuckanut Drive / The Crooked Mile Home By Luc Lenaerts, Mazz MusikaS e-zine, April 2006

“It is a record that is definitely on the edge of becoming like one of those seventies bands, but in a very beautiful manner, without being too gritty.” Read the full article, in translation and original Flemish

Chuckanut Drive - The Crooked Mile Home By Boy Howdy, Nerve Magazine, April 2006

“I swear at the altar of the Lost Church of Gram’s Capo that the soul is what makes it all come into place. Where the Burrito Brothers walked Down the Dark End of the Street, the fellas in Chuckanut Drive deliver a searing concept-driven LP recorded in a church in Bellingham and produced, excellently, by Johnny Sangster.” Read the full article

Pedal to the Metal By Joel Smith, Pacific Northwest Inlander, March 15, 2006

“We’re talkin’ Flying Burrito Brothers and Uncle Tupelo country. And it’s that pedal steel that makes it all happen. Not that Leslie’s ragged vocals and Huggins’ chicken-pecking guitar are anything to scoff at, but Highsmith’s soaring, laughing, whining steel ties the group’s second full-length release, Crooked Mile Home (released last year), tightly to the country milieu. Pulled taut, it’s the kind of music that makes you want to speed down country roads with the top down, an open container between your legs.” Read the full article View the original article at the Pacific Northwest Inlander

Chuckanut Drive: The Crooked Mile Home By Jaired Denali, What’s Up Magazine, January 2006

“Chuckanut Drive’s talent seems to lie in their ability to set moods. From the echoing sadness of ‘Juanita,’ to the foot stomping guitar licks of ‘Any Way I Can,’ I was constantly shifting my emotions, and hand tappin’ to follow along with the songs.” Read the full article View the original article at What’s Up Magazine

The Crooked Mile Home Johnny Attitude, The Ramble, December 28, 2005

“Steve Leslie’s vocals are unmistakably powerful in their simplicity. During the first spin, I heard some great songs. The second spin is when the real story came to life and it hasn’t left my head since.” Read the full article View the original article at Johnny Attitude’s Ramble

Chuckanut Drive (self-titled EP) Reviews

Rocky Road: Chuckanut Drive draws from scene’s roots By Tony Staciek, The Bellingham Herald, June 10, 2004

“‘Let me think. When was the last time I got a black eye?’ Leslie says. ‘I’m not a fighter, so I’m not sure. But you know, you don’t have to write about yourself to be honest. And right now, I’m finally doing the stuff I want to do with the people I want to do it with.’” Read the full article

Chuckanut Drive, self-released By Kasey Anderson, What’s Up Magazine

“By turns clever and affecting, Leslie’s songs always seem to strike a familiar chord, not because they’re terribly derivative (they’re not), but because he’s walking a well-traveled road. Hearts get broken, heads get dizzy, and the combination of the two seems to lend itself to Leslie’s particular brand of lyricism.” Read the full article

Chuckanut Drive: Alt-country appeal By Matt Fu, Bellingham Weekly, December 4-11, 2003

“I was always confused to catch the band live and see less-than-large crowds listening in on the beer-drenched laments of this Texas and Tulsa native. That’s right, though watered down by our West Coast’s sentiments and surrounded by false imitators, Steve’s accent is real, folks.” Read the full article