I recently had the wonderful opportunity to talk with local guitarist, songwriter, rock and roll artist, and man with swagger, Earle Thunders. Here is a bit of his story and many reasons to catch his next show with The Swaggerlies.

Lynnwood resident Earle Thunders has been creating rock and roll music for a long time. Growing up in the area, he started playing guitar at 14 years old and getting serious with the instrument at 21. His main reason for playing the guitar was to be able to write music. He had been drawn toward songwriting and writing lyrics, and he knew he wanted to put his words to music. He has now been using that talent to wow crowds for the last 30 years and still finds it a challenge and fun.

It’s a small subset of musicians who write their own music. It takes a completely different skillvset to create and perform original music and create a following. Earle has done all of this. He spent most of his musical career playing originals, with a short foray dipping his toe into a cover band to clear his head a bit before jumping back in and writing again. The music he creates is very guitar-based rock and roll: loud, fast and fun to listen to.

Earle has traveled and played some amazing shows in his career. Some of the highlights of Earle’s musical career include playing at The Gorge (three different times!), playing at the legendary Roxy in L.A. and recording with Joe Reineke in Seattle.

The Swaggerlies were formed in 2018. Earle, bassist Jeromy Leonard and the late guitarist Ron Heathman worked on a Christmas song for the MusiCare’s compilation and found that they had a lot of fun playing and writing together — and so the band was formed. The Swaggerlies band has an upbeat rock and roll vibe and are influenced by bands like Motorhead and ACDC and old-school garage rock.

If you are already wondering what this sounds like and can’t wait to catch them live, check out The Swaggerlies most recent album, released at the end of 2021. The next release will most likely be an EP with four to five songs. It’s hard to pinpoint a release date right now as The Swaggerlies are in high demand. You can see on their calendar that they have a lot of upcoming shows that are taking them on the road, playing in Portland, Wenatchee, Mount Vernon, Idaho, Montana and, yes, a few more local shows that are worth checking out — like when they play with the Reverend Horton Heat at the Funhouse in Seattle.

Definitely worth seeing this rowdy crew and getting a proper rock and roll fix.

My Recommendations for April:

Wednesday, April 12

Local sensation the Jazz Punishments Big Band will be playing a showcase at Aurora Borealis in Shoreline, featuring alumni from Edmonds-Woodway High School including Neil Welch (saxophone), Jack Hillman (trombone) and Christine Hannan Eisenmenger (trumpet and vocals). No cover. Learn more here.

Thursday, April 13

Local singer/songwriter Camaira Metz will be playing at Ballard’s Sunset Tavern at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets now.

Friday, April 14

Engel’s in downtown Edmonds has music all month long. Check out their calendar to find out what is happening each night. My top pick this month is the Joe Cook Blues Band with legendary, award-winning Blues musicians.

Saturday, April 22: Three choices for music

Edmonds’ local singer/songwriter BecLynn will be premiering her newest songs at Salish Sea Brewing’s Boathouse location.

Edmonds Center for the Arts has an amazing lineup this month. My musical recommendation is Colin Hay (original front man for Men at Work) performing at ECA. Tickets available here.

Local crooner John Pinetree and the Yellin’ Degenerates at North City Bistro. An intimate venue with fantastic food and drinks, this is the perfect date night. Purchase tickets ahead of time.

Saturday, April 29: Two choices for music

Local favorite One Love Bridge, featuring Alan Hardwick, Rico Valenzuela, Mark Pendolino and Gary Sparling, will be playing at 192 Brewing in the Kenmore area. Plenty of room to dance and enjoy their upbeat music in a fun and open-space venue. To keep up to date on OLB shows, click here.

Local venue Darrell’s Tavern in Shoreline has a variety of music all month. Check their calendar for updates. For those interested in an open mic, they have one every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. My top pick for April is the Stacy Jones Band on Saturday, April 29, featuring award-winning singer Stacy Jones playing a variety of roots-rock, blues and Americana.

Enjoy the music!

— By Rachel Gardner

Rachel Gardner has a heartfelt appreciation for art in all forms and believes everyone is an artist, some just don’t know it yet. A dedicated and involved Edmonds resident, she can often be spotted onstage cracking jokes between sets or in the audience enjoying local live performances. She enjoys being playful with her art and finding unique ways of expression, like forming a boho-grunge-folk ukulele trio with local Edmonds moms.