Varmint is an all-covers project featuring a core band plus some irregulars and lots of special guests.
Varmint came into being on New Years Eve 2005 as a one time only covers project. It featured Robin
Holcomb and Danny Barnes as the principal singers, along with Tucker Martine - drums, Tim Young -
guitar, Steve Moore - wurlitzer piano, Wayne Horvitz - Hammond B-3, and Keith Lowe - bass.
Shortly thereafter, Tia Freeborn (ex-O.K. Hotel) opened a small bar called Lottie’s Lounge
in the Columbia City neighborhood in Seattle. Lottie’s was just a few minutes from the home of Horvitz and
Holcomb who approached Tia with the idea of leaving the Hammond B-3 there and doing a weekly gig each Tuesday.
Shows began with the members of Zony Mash/Sweeter Than the Day in addition to Holcomb on vocals
and Jon Hyde on pedal steel, and lasted for almost 2 years. Each week featured special guest vocalists and
the band maintained a strict rule of "no original material, and no rehearsals." Guests over the
years included Reggie Garrett, Karen Pernick, The Tallboys, Dave Keenan, Nova
Devione, Arni Adler, Grant Dermody, Orville Johnson, Laura Veirs, Joe Miller,
Casey MacGill, Del Ray, Garfield High Horns, Jed Jedrzejewski, Jim Burns,
Paul Hiraga, Terri Moeller, and many more, including two Christmas shows where the entire bar
sang along.
A typical night with Varmint might include renditions by Holcomb of Black Jack Davey and Cluck Old
Hen (traditional), Mister Man on the Moon (Michael Hurley), Enlightenment (Sun Ra), Dues
(Ronee Blakley from the movie Nashville), the Al Green version of I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank
Williams) and Close To You (Burt Bacharach), with Tim Young singing Solitary Man (Neil Diamond) and
It Won’t Be Long (Johnny Paycheck), as well as Jon Hyde singing Last Date (Floyd Cramer) and rippin‘
through the instrumental Bar Hoppin'. Dave Keenan would sit in on Reuben’s Train (trad),
Laura Veirs would sing Frieght Train (Elizabeth Cotton), and Arni Adler would guest on If He Swings
on a String (made famous by Marlene Dietrich).
In the summer of 2006, the core band went to Montana to record at Snowghost Studios with engineer
Brett Allen. In just 2 1/2 days the band burned through 20 tunes with a "catch it live while
it’s hot" attitude. With very few fixes or overdubs, these tracks, mixed over a year later, are ready
for release with a guest-filled CD release extravaganza at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle.
