This is a professionally-written bio. Mostly for zines and shit...

Before you read it, I guess I should say a few things myself...My name is Jeff Sanders...aka "The Sandman". I started jamming at age 13. Mostly because I had no social skills and felt like an outcast...maybe if I played guitar I could get girls. Maybe people would accept me for something. Maybe I could eventually take over the universe and brainwash people with telepathic jams...just maybe.

At first I was into "Out of the Cellar" and "Shout at the Devil"...and soon after it was "Dealing With It", "Ride the Lightning" and "Spreading the Disease"...

I was the kid at parties jamming "Fade to Black" and "Diary of a Madman", all effed up on booze etc... Small group of lost souls gathered around. Singing the words as I played. Feeling like somebody...skipping school to jam. Wandering into the woods to jam by myself...playing anywhere and everywhere.

After school ended, slowly booze took over my life. For awhile I could write riffs, but could never actually finish writing a song. In fact, I could barely do much of anything for awhile...I pretty much always was in a band. Cover bands mostly. Lame. I wrote a ton of original riffs. Mostly on nights I got totally high and riffed into a cassette recorder well into the night. I worked them into the bands I was in here and there. Mostly the guys I jammed with were into playing covers. But whatever. Playing live shows was fun as shit anyways.

To make a long story short, I got in a load of trouble in my early 20's. I was on a downward spiral...hurt a lot of people I loved. Thank God for my family and my guitar or I'd be dead right now. Or in jail...

Now I'm in my thirties...been sober for 8 years. My family and Mountain Mirrors are my life. And you of course, dear listener...I'm with you...we're in this together...I'm rambling now. Read on...

BIOGRAPHY:

Mountain Mirrors started in the woods of Massachusetts with a Radio Shack keyboard, a four-track and a drum machine. Jeff Sanders, the man behind Mountain Mirror’s eclectic mix of psychedelic-laced folk, has been entranced by music as long as he can remember. A fan of all types of music, Jeff listened to metal artists like Anthrax and Metallica in his early teenage years but discovered esteemed songwriters like Nick Drake and Damien Rice as he grew older. It was this mix of influences that made Jeff realize that a musician need not be tied to one genre or another but rather to create music that they feel inspired by and in turn hopefully inspire others.

With his sophomore release, the self-titled Mountain Mirrors, Jeff explains that his influences go far beyond music, “I'm influenced by subjects I'm interested in just as much as this constant barrage of music. I love shows like "Unsolved Mysteries" and "Ghost Hunters,” "The Shield" and "The Sopranos". Quentin Tarantino movies. Anything disturbing.” And so with song titles such as “Stay Evil”, “Your Time Has Come” and “Karmic Dogs” you might be surprised to find that the songs aren’t necessarily as menacing as they might seem. Stonerrockchick.com, in a review of Jeff’s first album (Lunar Ecstasy), described Mountain Mirrors as “fit for poets, travelers and seekers” and it’s an apt description. Take, for instance the song “Stay Evil”; the song as Jeff describes it was written “about following a spiritual path and finding some enlightenment.” A perfect blend of insightful spirituality and eclectic arrangements make Mountain Mirrors a subtle and powerful listen.

Jeff started his musical journey surrounded by friends who also dreamt of a life entrenched in music. Jamming long into the night, the group of musicians were the bane of many neighborhoods Jeff recalls amusingly. “I was always terrorizing someone's neighbors, jamming all day until we got kicked out. Then it turned into partying in the woods and talking about taking over the universe with our music.” His first band was named Thunderkiss, largely a cover band. Jeff enjoyed the friendship and the opportunity to perform but knew that writing original songs was the only way he could satisfy himself. He went through a handful of other bands, a combination of original and cover material included in the sets and decided to ultimately strike out on his own.

When Jeff created Mountain Mirrors it was merely himself and a handful of equipment, writing and recording all vocal and instrument parts. After his time spent in a variety of band set-ups it was only natural that he wanted to work solo but when recording began on the new self-titled release he was eager to include other musicians. The contributors include Elad Fish on drums, Claire Fitch on cello and Guy By-Tor on bass. “They’re phenomenal, absolutely sent from Heaven.” Jeff says.

The Sound Monitor wrote of Mountain Mirrors, “from atmospheric sounds to Massive Attack style trip-hop with your more standard acoustic guitar & soft singing tracks. The music takes you on numerous twists and turns throughout dark and beautiful landscapes from your dreams and nightmares.” An undiscovered talent, Jeff Sander’s Mountain Mirrors takes folk and turns it on its spiritual ear.

All content ©2006 Jeffrey J. Sanders. All Rights Reserved.