1) Describe your music for those who aren’t familiar.
Our songs and sets are really stream lined. There are no ballads or dirges, no four minute guitar solos, and no filler. Just bare boned Americana and Punk tinged Rock and Roll.
2) Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Big Star, Cheap Trick, Teenage Fanclub, Springsteen, Costello, the Clash, the Ramones, the Jam, the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, David Bowie, the Velvet Underground, T. Rex, REM, the Replacements, Steve Earle, Wilco…
3) What are some of your favorite parts about the music scene that you come out of? What are some things that you wish you could change about the music scene?
Although the internet has made the world a much smaller place, the Upstate’s Music Scene is still kind of isolated from the surrounding bigger scenes (Atlanta, Athens, Charlotte, Columbia and Asheville are all within a two hour drive) and that works with us and against us. Because of the relatively small number of people going out to shows and the large amount of really great and talented musicians, the Upstate is a prime example of musical Darwinism. The positive side (my favorite part) is that we’re able to really work on our sound and figure out what our strengths are before we ever really get any kind of regional notice. The negative side (and what I wish I could change) is that due to lack of crowd support, there are a lot of really great bands and musicians that call it quits or join cover bands or move to bigger scenes.
4) How did your band get started?
Rob Sweet (AvG’s bassist/singer) and I met in high school and we’ve been in bands together off and on ever since. After our last band (the Twisted Hearts) imploded we both took a couple years off. A little over a year ago, I got back into music through open mic nights and soon began booking shows as an acoustic act. Around the beginning of October of last year, Rob and I started talking about maybe starting a band and the following month we met Andrew Parker (AvG’s drummer) and our little power trio was complete. Within a couple weeks of our first full band rehearsal, we had a live session at WSBF (Clemson’s college station), a photo-shoot with Anthony Collins and our first headlining show. As a result of it all happening so quickly, we never really had time to discuss or really even think about the way we should sound or whatever. This has been the easiest and most organic project I’ve ever been involved in.
5) What are you most excited about for the future of your band?
I’m really excited to get our full length finished and get it out there. A couple months back we were able to record for free at the Soundkitchen (Nashville, TN) on an intern training day and the tracks from that session sound outstanding. We really want everyone to hear the new recordings but we’re keeping them locked down as to not diminish our EP. We’ll be taking some time off from playing out at the first of September to finish up tracking.
6) If you could change one thing about the music industry what would it be?
More and more, style is coming before substance and people are listening to music with their ears less and less. I honestly don’t care how a band looks or dresses if they need writers for their songs and producers for their sound.
6) Who are some of your favorite South Carolina or Regional bands to play with? What band do you think your fans should check out?
Some of the bands that we’ve gotten to play with and that I think are worth checking out are: Jews and Catholics (from Winston-Salem, I believe), the Vinyl Strangers (from Athens), Up the Down Escalator (from Raleigh-Durham), and the Ragged Orchids (from the Upstate).
Some Upstate bands and artist that I really think everyone should hear are: the Antibodies, O Mello Cello Tree, Culture Prophet, David Ezell, and Niel Brooks and his band the Jaywalkers.
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