After twelve years together, one thing has remained constant for Wisconsin rock & rollers the Family Business – it’s always been about the music. “Looking back to when we started out, most of us were still in High School, so a lot has changed for each one of us personally. Somehow we’ve all remained very close friends who still like making music together,” says bassist Garrett Wartenweiler. And they haven’t just made music, they’ve done so at a proli c rate, putting out four albums in the last six years alone.
The band released 2015’s Balls Pricey, a 13-song album that brings the heavy guitar riffage of the 60s and 70s back into the 21st century. Says Rick Tvedt or Local Sounds Magazine, “They strip away all the excess of classic rock, polish it up – but not too much – and then unleash it to audiences that may not have heard such raw power in some time.” “This is the way that great rock and roll and great blues should always sound,” adds Lou Lombardi of Blues Rock Review.
While the band’s chemistry and instrumental prowess is heavily reflected in their studio works, it is even more apparent in a live setting. Mixing in the occasional well-timed ballad amongst a plethora of high energy rockers, the foursome effortlessly guides their audience through the peaks and valleys of their extensive repertoire. Hailing from Madison, WI, the band’s talent has garnered them recognition both locally and beyond. In addition to securing opening slots for Rival Sons, Blues Traveler, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Cracker, SIMO, and Black Stone Cherry, the band has won a number of Madison Area Music Awards (MAMAs) and secured multiple nominations Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards (WAMIs). Never ones to slow down, the band plans to record their sixth studio album in 2018 while playing extensively throughout the Midwest.