The Cheeksters

The Cheeksters were formed in 1990 soon after Mark and Shannon met by chance on a
train in London, England. Mark hails from the UK, while Shannon was born and raised
in Tennessee.
They started performing music together as a duo with Mark on guitar and vocals and
Shannon playing bass guitar. They soon released their debut album “ Stranger Things
Have Happened “ in 1992, followed by “ Hey, What’s Your Style ? “ in 1994.
The couple relocated to Nashville in 1996 and began working with producer Brent
Little at his all analog studio Cream Puff Recorders. So far they have recorded four
critically acclaimed albums at Cream Puff - “Skating On The Cusp“ (1999) , “Nineteen
Sixty Five“ (2005) , “Movers and Shakers“ (2007) , “The Golden Birds“ (2011) – and are
currently hard at work on a new record.
Over the years The Cheeksters have performed extensively in the SouthEast US, as
well as showcasing their talents in NYC and London. Their songs have been placed
with the NFL and Coca-Cola for commercial use, gaining them wide exposure and new
fans.
The Cheeksters combine the best of what made music great in the 1960’s with a
winning, fresh pop approach that delights audiences. In the studio the group has
produced six albums of timeless, tuneful, terrific pop that has real staying power.
Onstage the versatile five-piece band turns out its straightforward catchy pop
confections, bringing to mind a swirling variety of influences : Memphis soul, Carnaby
Street pop, swampy rhythm and blues, and more. They somehow manage to channel
Burt Bacharach / Hal David pop, Dusty Springfield’s diva soul, T-Rex’s manic boogie
and the pomp of David Bowie often in the same song without sounding derivative.
The current line-up has performed together for the past 10 years and is made up of
Mark Casson ( vocals, guitar, piano ) , Shannon Hines Casson ( vocals, bass guitar ) ,
Jay Moye ( piano, guitar ) Mike Baker ( drums ) and Jerome Widenhouse (trumpet).