I’m putting together a new band in Milwaukee — Dave Purcell & The Contradictions — and I’m looking for collaborators. I’ve been leading original bands for years in Cincinnati, Albuquerque, and Chicago, played shows regularly, and released records that earned positive reviews. You can read more about that here if you’re interested.
✪ I have a great bassist, so I’m looking for…
- Lead guitarist
- Keyboardist, second guitarist, or a multi-instrumentalist (violin, accordion, mandolin?)
- Backing vocals are a big plus
Some favorites are:
- Guitar: Mike Campbell, David Hidalgo, Jay Bennett, Greg Leisz, Peter Buck, Buddy Miller, Robbie Robertson, Mark Ribot, Bill Frisell, Daniel Lanois, Britt Daniel, the guitarists on Kathleen Edwards’ records
- Keys: Benmont Tench, Jon Brion, Richard Manuel/Garth Hudson, Steve Nieve, Mitchell Froom, Rami Jaffee, Patrick Warren
✪ About The Music
Think smart, honest songs that live somewhere in the neighborhood of Wilco, Calexico, R.E.M., Elvis Costello, Alejandro Escovedo, and Tom Petty. About 25% are instrumentals.
I want to be upfront that I’m not interested in sharing the songwriting role. We’ll focus on my songs with the occasional cover thrown in for fun. I welcome your input on arrangements and textures, and look forward to your coming up with cool parts.
You can hear a 10-song sampler at Soundcloud to get a feel for my songs. If that doesn’t work, I’m happy to send a download link. The last song is a demo so you can hear what I share with bandmates. My guitars, bass, and keys on demos are usually just sketches to get the idea across.
✪ You Are Probably A Good Fit If You Are…
- Experienced with original music, both live and in the studio
- A good communicator and interested in making something cool together
- 35+, or at least musically fluent in the artists I mentioned above
- More interested in tone and textures than shredding
✪ Gigging, Rehearsing, & Recording
- Rehearsals will probably be weekly at first and then taper to biweekly as things gel. Gigging goal is 6-10 shows a year, with the occasional regional trip if it works.
- Record in 2026.
- If you’re not sure about a commitment, let’s try a few shows together and see how it feels.
🚀 Interested?
If this sounds like a fit, drop me a line at dave@davepurcell.com and tell me about your experience with original music. I’d love to hear any clips of your playing that you can send.
Thanks for reading — I look forward to connecting.