Since its inception in 2009, Wicked Saints’ core members have been singer-songwriter/guitarist, Paul McCarty, drummer/singer John Gannon, and bassist/multi-instrumentalist, Chad Watson.

Paul McCarty sings lead, and plays guitar and harmonica. He was raised in a musical family in the musical city of New Orleans, and was a music composition major at Loyola University of New Orleans with a background in indie film scoring. He currently holds the record for most mentions of music in his bio.
Although folk-influenced, his songs seek stranger directions melodically, harmonically and lyrically, sometimes drawing upon his childhood influences like Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot and Led Zeppelin, and sometimes resorting to some college-knowledge. “I almost always start with a groove and a melody and then fit words into the melody.”
Born in New Orleans, Paul is a lifelong Saints fan, thus the band name. “New Orleans has a great musical tradition as everyone knows. I’m less influenced by it than you would think I am, but more influenced by it than I think I am.”

John Gannon, Wicked Saints’ drummer, has dubbed himself the most oxymoronic Wicked Saint. We all assume that’s correct because it sounds about right. Beyond that, however, he gives the band a real range of character, throwing in great harmony vocals, and cool grooves with a light touch, a train-beat, or even a strong Bonhamesque beat.
But hand him a guitar and he’ll tell you a story of his own. Honed from years of campfire singing, John brings a lot of charm and great energy to the microphone and holds your attention. John’s narratives might leave you laughing or bring a tear to a glass eye.

Chad Watson plays bass, mandolin, and even some trombone for Wicked Saints. He currently qualifies as the most saintly and least wicked member of the band.
“Holding Down the Fort” has been the longest running passion of Chad’s life. Since the Beatles first came to America, he’s been in love with the electric bass. “My dad played upright bass clean through my childhood years. I’ve always felt close to that low-end rumbling, whether it was in our living room as dad practiced or on the various records we played on our stereo hi-fi with the bass turned all the way up!”
Chad has a rich career, having played with Charlie Rich (speaking of rich), Janis Ian, Freddy Fender, The Imperials, Kim Fowley, Little Feat, Delaney Bramlett, Hal Blaine, John Molo, The Seeds, David Arkenstone, Truth, Bijan Mortazavic, Alber Lee, Chris Spedding, Eric Gale, Adrian Belew, Thad Jones, Carnagie Hall, Budokan, and The Kennedy Center with the Windham Hill Solstice Tours. Chad is also an amazing guitarist and mandolin player and plays solo or with his wife Pam Loe. Check out his music at chadwatson.us.

Wicked Saints has also enjoyed long-standing contributions from slide/blues guitarist, David Vidal, accordion/keyboard player, Bobby Thomas, and singer, Brent Michelle.

David Vidal plays slide guitar on both Wicked Saints’ albums. He grew up in New Mexico and Colorado, in a musical family that moved often. His father was a boogie woogie piano player, who also sang cowboy songs accompanied by guitar. His three older sisters had a vocal trio that performed at churches and schools.
Vidal taught himself guitar from a book of blues standards, and started playing in jam bands bands in high school in Denver. He took off hitchhiking across America, guitar in hand. He turned twenty one in Merida, Mexico, and returned to the states hopping freight trains. After settling in Phoenix for a few years and playing in rock bands, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a songwriter and in the studio at Criterion Music in Hollywood. He toured in Europe with the band Village of Odd Waters, and has released four critically acclaimed solo albums, in addition to having songs in numerous films and television shows.
Find his music at davidvidal.net.

Robert Thomas (a.k.a. Bobby T …Roberto Mas …Bobby Toenails) was originally a loaner from the band, The Heatseekers and plays accordion, piano and keyboards. Bobby and Paul played a show at Genghis Cohen together and Paul decided he must play with Wicked Saints.
Bobby loves to lay low, but he’s not hiding. He’s lurking in the shadows of his fedora hat, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush you with an accordion swell. Bobby graduated from Dick Grove School of music in composing and arranging. Bobby is an avid jogger. He once finished a Half Kilometer Marathon in under twenty minutes.

Brent Michelle graces Wicked Saints albums with her beautiful soulful vocals, weaving artfully in and out of Paul’s lead vocal. But when she picks up the guitar and plays a set of her own music you’ll be drawn in. Brent’s relatable lyrics expose the truth behind untold thoughts. She tells stories of her own life and others dear to her. There’s nothing she loves more than performing in front of the energy of an audience. That is where she finds inspiration to keep pursuing her art.
She released her first EP, Becoming, in March 2010, and a single, City Of The Lost in 2011. You can follow her at brentmichelle.com.

Other musicians who have contributed over the years have been guitarists Peter DiStefano, Josh Halpern, and Peter Lobo, bassist Graham Chapman, vocalists Justine Willis, Holli Moon, Marina Gutman, Heather Lomax, Jordi Faria, Melody Guy, multi-instrumentalist Phil Parlapiano, banjo and multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner.
Their second album, “Don’t Kill The Blackbird”, and single “Find Love on Christmas Day” were recorded and co-produced by Brad Swanson at Swansound Studio. Their first album, “Wicked Saints” consisted of five songs (Walking on the Water, The Way I’m Strung, Nothing to See, Died Along the Way, and Mama) produced, recorded and mixed by Annie Miles at Milestone Recording, and the remaining six songs recorded by Max Vidal and mixed by David Williams. David Williams at Melrose Mastering also mastered all of WIcked Saints albums. “Spangled” was recorded by Michael Sumser, and mixed and mastered by Brad Swanson.
Most songs were written by Paul McCarty, with co-writing contributions from Raspin Stuwart, Carrie Wade, Anne Dawes, Philip McCarty. Wicked Saints has also covered songs by Chauncey Bowers, Maurice Ravel and Francis Scott Key.