Good Brother Earl

Good Brother Earl, the Pittsburgh-based Americana rock band, is excited to support their current album, "Dog Years," with live performances in the tri-state area.
The 10-track album showcases the band's signature sound, which is a fusion of Americana, roots-rock, and folk music. "Dog Years" was recorded at band member Skip Sanders' (keys, guitar, and bass) home studio in Pittsburgh's Northside. The band credits Sanders' home studio for creating a comfortable and creative atmosphere during the recording process.
Although it’s been10 years since their last official release, the band has maintained a regular live show schedule in the Pittsburgh area. During that time, singer/songwriter Jeff Schmutz, guitarist Paul Fitzsimmons, drummer David Throckmorton, and bassist Dan Paolucci would periodically head to the Northside to record new music.
In anticipation of the official album release, the band has already released a video for “Sound Between the Silence” and a limited edition CD single for “Canary”.
Also, in appreciation to their fans, a physical CD is currently available at their live shows and mailing list subscribers. The CD has 2 additional tracks not available on any streaming service.
Good Brother Earl performs cinematic songs with a heartland Americana feel. The band's diverse sound that ranges from rave up rock to Americana, has something for everyone. Their music is heard on stations WYEP, WDVE, and WXDX in Pittsburgh and they were the most play band on the XM Unsigned Channel in 2005. WYEP named them one of the top 10 Pittsburgh bands in 2004. Their song "Lonely Heart" was featured in a promotional commercial airing on cable channel AMC (American Movie Classics) all through the month of February 05.


Good Brother Earl formed in 1998 with Jeff Schmutz and bassist-songwriter Dan Paolucci. They eventually added three players to complete the band in 2001. Guitarist Schmutz and bassist Dan Paolucci are rockers, while Skip Sanders (keyboards) and Paul Fitzsimmons (guitars) have jazz backgrounds.

Good Brother Earl has participated in several exciting concert events and has had the privilege of performing with some legendary artists. Good Brother Earl was joined by Boyd Tinsley, violinist for Dave Matthews Band, at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. Boyd accompanied the band on some GBE originals, and also performed his own song, "True Reflections". In between frequent stops at the Hard Rock Café in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, the band performed with The Clarks and at the Three Rivers Art Festival with Little Feat . At the Chevrolet Amphitheatre this past summer, Good Brother Earl was part of the Big Shindig concert, an event which included national acts such as Guster, Maroon 5, Graham Colton and Marc Broussard. Another highlight of the past year was being selected to represent Pittsburgh in a performance at Lollapalooza 2003 at the Post-Gazette Pavilion.

The bands music was featured on a compilation CD called, “Decent Xposure Vol. 1,” which included other independent artists such as Ari Hest, and Ingram Hill. Additionally, out of 1600 bands, Good Brother Earl was screened by TAXI and Billboard as on of the top 15 independent acts in the North East. The original sound has also earned them spots on local radio stations, successful state senate and governor campaigns, and in Hollywood films; including “Autopsy Room 4” written by legendary thriller writer, Stephen King.

The group has played at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, been an opening act at the Big Shindig at the Chevrolet Amphitheatre for Guster and Maroon 5, performed in New York City and was joined by Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley for a few songs during a set in Washington, D.C., last year. In 2004 they appeared with the Gin Blossoms, and the Clarks. In 2006 they performed at the Rolling Rock Town Fair.