The early reviews of Bob Egan’s self-titled debut are quite consistent : lots of talk about roots rock and melodic pop, textures and Traveling Wilburys.  That’s no surprise considering Egan’s path as a hired-gun steel guitarist with early Souled American, Freakwater, Wilco and Billy Bragg.

During Egan’s first European tour with Freakwater he had an epiphany - “It was our first night of the tour in Hamburg and after the show this song comes on that is haunting me.  Little by little it feels more and more familiar until this really sicko steel guitar comes in and I recognize my own playing from seven years earlier with Souled American!”

After almost three years as Freakwater’s steel guitarist Bob and Max Johnson traded places - Max to Freakwater and Bob to Wilco.  “I started to get to know the Wilco guys when they were finishing Being There and they invited me to play on a few cuts on the record.  Then I started playing a bit with them in different combinations in Chicago and Nashville.  Seems like I slowly morphed into the position - it felt pretty natural.”

Bob spent almost two years touring America, Canada and Europe with Wilco’s Being There tour which exposed him to a whole ‘nother level of the business - festivals, television, meeting “rock stars.”

After playing steel on the Grammy-nominated Mermaid Avenue (that collaboration between Woody Guthrie, Wilco and Billy Bragg) Bob moved to Mississippi to write his first record.  This writing was “interupted” by a summer Mermaid Avenue tour with Billy Bragg.  It was also “interupted” by appearing on a lot of Canadian’s records (the Tragically Hip, Oh Susanna, Neko Case).

Since the American release of Bob’s record he has kept busy touring east of the Mississippi.  He’s also spent considerable time in Norway - producing Bonkers (Metropol) and playing on Madrugada’s smash debut Industrial Silence (Virgin).  “Its gonna be a great year!” - Bob Egan