Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes

Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes formed as a hardworking indie rock outfit whose high-energy approach and relentless road schedule quickly cultivated a devoted audience. Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist Daniel Ellsworth, born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, established the group after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a music career. Following a self-released solo album, he issued an EP in 2008 credited to Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, though no stable lineup yet existed. Ellsworth therefore recruited players to fill out the Great Lakes, assembling the quartet in 2010 with guitarist Ricky Perry from Huntsville, Alabama, bassist Marshall Skinner from Columbus, Ohio, and drummer Joel Wren originally from Wichita, Kansas. The musicians soon built a reputation across the Southern club circuit. In 2011 Ellsworth gained additional notice as part of the nine-member vocal collective that competed on the third season of the television music contest The Sing Off; the ensemble remained for nine weeks before elimination, yet Ellsworth’s focus had already shifted. That same year the band delivered its debut full-length album, Civilized Man, and spent several months touring in support. Amazon selected Civilized Man among its Top 100 albums of 2011. In 2013 the group paused its road work to record the next release. Issued in May 2014, Kid Tiger was produced by Vance Powell and drew further favorable coverage while the band resumed touring; the album also marked the arrival of guitarist Timon Lance, who replaced Ricky Perry. The ensemble returned in 2016 with the five-track EP Bemidji.