The Pumps
The Pumps started as a band in Eau Claire WI in the spring of 2004 with the original line-up of guitarist Mike Oliver, Frank Juodis on Drums, Buck Barrickman playing bass and keyboardist Eric Pearson. Then, going by the name Heat Pump, the group set out to find a niche in the Midwest Wisconsin music scene playing up-tempo blues and classic rock. Tom Brill replaced Mike Oliver in the fall of that year to set the line-up for the next couple of years.
Heat Pump put out their first, self produced, CD in the spring of 2006. The recording, entitled “Gettin’ Warm”, consisted of five of the bands best butt kickin’ tunes and served mainly as a demo.
With Eric’s departure in the fall of 06 the band was left with the decision of finding a fourth member or making it go as a three piece band. They chose the later, changed their name to The Pumps and spent the next four years playing festivals, bars and saloons throughout the Midwest.
A CD entitled “Cover To Cover” was released at Tuesday Night Blues at Owen Park in June of 2010. The CD consists of fourteen great rockin’ blues tunes. "She's Hot", written by Buck, is a good example of how the band blends rock and roll with the blues to create a party atmosphere that's carried throughout the album. The album starts off with "Rock This House" to set the tone and doesn't stop rockin' till the last of "Blues Attack". Recorded with guests Mike Vlahakis and Shawtown Slim at SoundWorks Studio in Eau Claire the Record has seen sales in Europe, Asia and Australia as well as the U.S. The CD is currently available on web outlets such as Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby and many digital web outlets. The CD has gotten lots of radio play on local WHYS as well as stations in Australia, Croatia, Finland and the popular web radio Spotify.
Steve Dwyer helped the band out, filling Tom’s place with the group, for a six month stint in the fall of 2010 before current guitarist Jason Keisler came on board. Well Then! This guy can play guitar! Jason is just what The Pumps needed to get back to the music they love. “We like to get’em movin’” is the goal when selecting tunes done by the band. “We try to select the most upbeat rockin’ blues tunes out there to put a party spin on every gig”.
