The Terraplanes Band Bio

It all started when…

In 1936, legendary bluesman Robert Johnson released his first single, "Terraplane Blues," a song chronicling the anguish of a man who suspects his lover has been cheating on him. In the song, Johnson weaves in and out of sexual innuendo, comparing his woman to a broken down car. The car Johnson chose as the metaphor for his unrequited love was the Terraplane, a short-lived but popular everyman’s car built by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit between 1932 and 1938.

The car may have had a short lifespan, but Johnson's song commemorating it has not. With Johnson’s signature slide setting the foundation for the agony and tone the song reflects, "Terraplane Blues" became and has remained a staple of blues and rock bands for over eight decades. Over the years, "Terraplane Blues" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including Mickey Baker, Rory Block, Canned Heat, Eric Clapton, Foghat, Peter Green, John Hammond, Jr., John Lee Hooker, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Tony McPhee, Elliott Murphy, Lonnie Pitchford, Paul Pena, and Roy Rogers. Johnson's one-time musical and travelling partner Johnny Shines recorded the song as "Dynaflow Blues.” The Led Zeppelin song "Trampled Under Foot" is regarded as a tribute to Johnson's "Terraplane Blues," with Robert Plant waxing sexual metaphors similar to the way Johnson did in the 1936 song.

Based on this legacy and a desire to pay homage to Johnson and the genre of blues he inspired, a Los Angeles-based urban blues band named after the legendary song — The Terraplanes — begin playing to packed crowds and clubs across the city, serving up its own blend of blues-inspired covers and originals. "We were, and still are, huge fans of Johnson’s, and ‘Terraplane Blues’ in particular," says Biff Tate, lead singer, guitarist and harpist and cofounder of the band along with guitarist, singer and harpist Kent Land. "Like many bands, we just started out playing music we love and trying to be as faithful to the original style as possible."

As the band’s sound continued to develop, the desire to emulate and honor the music and artists the members respected started to form deeper roots through the music of Chess Records, the iconic Chicago-based blues label founded by the Chess brothers – Leonard and Phil. “The Chess artists took the essence of the blues that Robert Johnson started and made it mainstream,” says Land. “We’re such big fans of the Chess label artists, it was inevitable that the Chess sound would have a strong influence our sound.” In many ways it can be said that the influence of Chess Records on The Terraplane’s sound and style was stretching the limits of where the band was, and further shaping the band’s signature sound and style … a style influenced by Chess artists such as, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Etta James, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and Buddy Guy, to name a few.

Founded in Los Angeles in the early '90s and consisting of various members over the years, the current lineup — which has been together for over eight years — is made up of musicians hailing from several of the country's most roots-based blues cities, including Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis and Los Angeles.

Most recently, The Terraplanes recently celebrated their first commercial release, "The Westlake Sessions", a name referencing the iconic Hollywood-based studio where the band recorded in Studio D — the same room where Michael Jackson recorded many of his megahits, including the history-making album “Thriller.”

The Terraplanes followed up the Westlake sessions recording session with a commercially-produced video in support of the first single from the album, "Water to Wine."

With a successful album and recent first single video released, the band spends weekends doing what it does best — driving home the blues in clubs around the Los Angeles and surrounding areas, while using weeknights to polish and perfect new original material. A new video shoot is in the works, as are a handful of new originals.

Whether it's ripping into the signature slide opening of "Terraplane Blues" in a packed West Los Angeles club at midnight on a Saturday evening, or patiently perfecting a Chicago shuffle groove in a new original at the band’s rehearsal studio, The Terraplanes have the starter mashed down and the headlights on as the group takes us on a blues trip that should not be missed.

Members

Brian Morelli - Bass

Matt Mayer - Rhythm Guitar

Kent Land - Lead Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica

Bill Threlkeld - Drums, Percussion

Biff Tate - Vocals, Harmonica, Rhythm Guitar