dark folk / lo-fi / gauzy 
James Bracken cut his teeth as a sideman lending his soulful vibrato and rhythm playing to Ian Hilmer’s Stagefright, an alternative string band from southern MN. The band performed extensively regionally, steadily gaining grassroots momentum circulating live bootlegs but never releasing an album, which ultimately ended the band and each of the members went on to front their own project.  

Several hundred bar gigs later a fortuitous connection with Rochester producer Fires of Denmark led to a productive series of recording sessions documenting Bracken’s expansive catalog and tracking a brand new batch of songs set to be released as Echo Messenger.

From the Mountaintop (acoustic)

Rocky Gibraltar

Van Gogh Painting lost in a trance
The colors do a dance
Swirling around off the script
A canvas full of hypocrites

Over pastures do they see
A shinny star brings them to their knees
The cypress burns into the night
Causing such a holy fright

Ah la ha!

Night at the Paris

this is from a batch inspired by risk and beauty. 

ft. Steve Schmidt (American) on keys

lonetraveller

The kitchen tapes Featuring Jesse Stayton On  Electric 

scarecrow wall

whale'n with Ishmael

weathervane

WeatherVane (live demo cut)

James Bracken 
Jesse Stayton
circa 2007
early kitchen tapes 


"welcome to the flippening of our analogous existence"

yellow flight

recording, production, and vibe granted by Mike Terrell 
written and performed by echomessenger 



Only You

Driving all night in the snow
Stuck in Minneapolis 
With a broken cellphone 
watching the skyline grow
I'm feeling alright
Waiting for my friends Downtown

written by echomessenger

Stuck In Mpls.

Scott Moldenhauer - drums
Jeff Moldenhauer - bass
Greg Huckabee - guitar
James Bracken - guitar, vox

written and produced by
Echomessenger 
at 12milestudio
Red Rock Minnesota
2022

whip the horse's eyes (demo cut)

three coins deep (live demo cut)

take me to the game (live demo cut)

Scott Moldenhauer - drums
Jeff Moldenhauer - bass
James Bracken - guitar, organ 

written and produced by
Echomessenger 
at 12milestudio
Red Rock, Minnesota
2022

sand in the hall (demo cut)

wonzer cover
produced by Fires of Denmark 

1000 things

crossflames (live demo cut)

produced by Fires of Denmark 
written by echomessenger 

On the contrary

live sound throaty gauzy lo-fi just fucking listen 

Fists of folds (live demo cut)

written by James Bracken 
produced by Mike Terrell 

Weathervane

written by James Bracken
w/ Jesse Stayton on lead
from 
the kitchen tapes 


The Old Porch (live demo)

written by James Bracken
w/ Jesse Stayton on lead
from
the kitchen tapes

Hazy Hazey (live demo)

written by James Bracken
w/ Jessie Stayton on lead 
from
the kitchen tapes

Lady Angel (live demo)

with
Ben Tapia - Bass guitar
Chachi Heiny - Drums 

more than enough

scott m.- drums
jeff m.- bass
James b.- guitar, vox

meet her in the galley

written by Ben Tapia
performed by c- rock city

Chachi Hieny- drums
Ben Tapia- bass
James b.- guitar&vox



Fast Eddie

dark-folk/gauzy/lo-fi/singer-songwriter

James Bracken found a fortuitous connection that led to a productive series of recording sessions documenting Bracken’s expansive catalog and tracking a brand new batch of songs released as Echo Messenger.    

Instagram 
https://www.instagram.com/echo.messenger


Local rag...
https://www.postbulletin.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/tuesday-tracklist-echo-messenger?fbclid=IwAR3oL-B7JWfeihD-ANDbGLom56QGouNqRRPEsU6e_YRWnXsvasrWEwVqYps

Live performance...
https://youtu.be/NuHSe3DGuYA?si=w7JLTgwH2OJXT_wk

Self produced album...
https://youtu.be/MpFcmCt57q4?si=JJhdjLRHkgVzn66E

EchoMessenger

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