Fire From The Gods - The INsite Interview

Austin's Fire From The Gods

The INsite Interview

Drew Walker, guitarist - Fire From The Gods

By: Sean Claes

If the status of metal music in today's world was in question, question no more. I was able to attend the All Stars Tour when it made a stop in Austin, Texas on August 15, 2015 at the Empire Control Room & Garage.

Headliners included Upon A Burning Body and Dance Gavin Dance and supporting bands included: A Skylit Drive, Iwrestledabearonce, Within the Ruins, Oceano, Dayshell, Come The Dawn and Conquer Divide. Also on the bill for the Austin show was Zeale (Austin), A Tragedy at Hand (Irving) and Fire From The Gods (Austin).

There was not a dud in the bunch, I was impressed with the quality of metal and hardcore that this group brought to the table. One of the most energetic and crowd pumping (and surfing) bands on the bill was a local sextet by the name of Fire From The Gods.

Although they're been together since 2007, Fire From The Gods, in their current iteration, is relatively new to the forefront of the scene. If the show I witnessed is anything like the show that is currently being performed on their current "2 Legit 2 Pit" tour... fans and newcomers alike are in for a treat.

Their tour began with the Hometown performance at the All Stars Tour on August 15 and it'll end at another hometown gig at the Empire Control Room & Garage on September 6 - The Hoodang Music Festival.

BACKGROUND:
FFTG began in 2007 just as the members were graduating high school. The bandmates changed as members moved away for college, took full time jobs and as a natural progression of the band. Founding members Bonner Baker (bass) and Drew Walker are now joined by four amazing individuals who seem to make the puzzle fit perfectly. Vocalist Chris Mardis and drummer Richard Wicander both played in another Austin band, Outlaws to Kings. Jameson Teat played in few local (Austin) hardcore bands, Somewhere in September and Let The Dead before joining FFTG. Vocalist AJ Channer is the new kid on the block in the band. Hailing from New York (by way of England and Jamaica), he's been holding down the lead screamer position for just over a year.

INsite owner Sean Claes had a chance to catch up with founding guitarist Drew Walker after their set at the All Star Festival. We took a walk and decided to do a little video interview... so we found a quiet space.. in an alley between The Red Eyed Fly and Beerland.

First I had to ask about the origin of their name... wondering if there was a mythological meaning. I found out instead, it was based on a 2003 Horse The Band track that sampled a classic video game commercial.




That out of the way, we talked about the current tour.

They were tapped to play the All Stars Tour by Anthony Stevenson of Come And Take It Productions.



Shows like The All Stars Tour tap local bands to open up for the touring bands in order to provide an all-day show. We talked about this idea for tours, which has gained popularity in recent years.

 

They are currently on a month-long "2 Legit 2 Pit" tour.


Fire From The Gods returns to Ausitn on September 6, 2015 for the Hoodang Music Festival.


Being a band hailing from Austin with 8 years on the scene, I asked Walker his impression on the current Austin metal scene.



Which led to a discussion about the closing of Emo's and Red 7 on the Red River scene.



Turning back to FFTG, we talked about some of their biggest supporters, like Anthony Stevenson of Come and Take It Productions and Dave Dickens of Headbang For The Highway.



Thinking back to the beginning, Walked touched on when the band became more than just a bunch of folks playing music and became something "real."



Walker also touched on the current line-up from Fire From The Gods.






Walker talks about the idea of feeling like the band "Made It."






If you'd like to watch the video interview all together, you can follow this link. 

The next local show for Fire From The Gods will be Day 2 (featuring 18 bands including The Red Cord) of the Hoodang Festival on September 6, 2015 at Empire Control Room & Garage. Make plans to attend and attend early, it's worth your time and energy.  

Zane Williams Interview

Texas Country Artist Zane Williams

An Overnight Success 13 Years In The Making

Courtesy Photo

By Sean Claes

Listening to KOKE FM one day on my commute from work, I caught this tongue-in-cheek song about the trials and tribulations of making it in music. The name of the song was “Overnight Success.” It was a by-and-large autobiographical tune by a new-to-me Texas country singer-songwriter by the name of Zane Williams.

What struck me about the song was, it was funny without being dumb. It was believable while being entertaining. It was the delivery, the words, the melody. To me, “Overnight Success” is an amazingly well-written and performed song. I wanted to find out more about the artist.

Zane Williams is Texas born (Abiline) and has called Kentucky, West Virginia, California, and Tennessee his home before moving back to Texas in 2008 and settling in McKinney.

He has four albums under his belt including Hurry Home (2006), The Right Place (2009), Ride With Me (2011) and Overnight Success (2013).

Well, kind of like the song, even though I “discovered” him only a few weeks ago, Williams has been at it on a full-time basis since 2000 when a Nashville booking agent got him a gig playing the college circuit. He’s actually won a string of songwriting contests and has been a Nashville writer. One of those prize winners, “Hurry Home,” was taken to #14 on the Country charts in 2010 when Jason Michael Carroll covered it.

Sean Claes: Tell me about “Hurry Home,” the song that both garnered you the top prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2005 and a top14 hit when Jason Michael Carroll covered it.

Zane Williams: I wrote it in 1999 after first moving to Nashville.  It won a lot of song contests over the years but was never recorded.  Then in 2007 a guy bought my CD at a show in Nashville, gave it to his friend who was a lawyer at Sony/BMG, who gave it to an A&R guy at Sony, who played it for Jason.  I view it as a modern-day retelling of the Prodigal Son story.

Claes: You won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest again in 2007 with “Hope Is A Flame” which you released on 2011’s Ride With Me. How did that song come about?

Williams: I was writing for a publishing company in Nashville at the time…doing that full time instead of touring and making records.  So I just came in every day and tried to write a song. 

I wrote that one on piano and when it was “finished” a friend in A&R said the lyrics were too abstract.  So I re-wrote the whole thing, and I did think it turned out better the second time.

Claes: The Right Place was produced by Radney Foster. How did he end up producing the record, and how was the experience working with him.

Williams: I had just moved back to Texas and was new to the Texas scene.  But I knew Radney was a great writer and had produced the Randy Rogers Band, whose stuff I loved. 

He had no idea who I was, so it took 4 months of bugging him and everyone connected to him before he finally listened to my music.  When he did, he loved it and immediately wanted to work with me.

Claes: Pat Green just cut one of your tracks, “While I Was Away” which is also on your June 2013 release Overnight Success.  It seems like a very personal story. How is it hearing Pat Green sing the song you wrote about your son?

Williams: I love hearing other people interpret my songs and give them a life of their own.  I’ve heard Pat’s version and it was really cool to hear that recognizable voice singing my lyrics!

Claes: You penned every track on Overnight Success. Do you have a favorite song?

Williams: Probably “While I Was Away”.  The more I sing it, the more I realize how many people can relate to it.  I think that one’s going to be a hit for Pat (and for me).

Claes: Speaking of the new album, the title track about the road to the top in music was what introduced me to your music. How much of “Overnight Success” was autobiographical?

Williams: I’ve lived out every single line in that song.  I only changed very slight details….for instance; I actually borrowed $17K from my grandparents to make my first CD, not $10K from my uncle.  Ha.  Paid them back in one year, too!!

Claes: You include a little jab at American Idol at the end of the song.  What do you think of those types of reality TV for musicians?

Williams: I think they’re a good option if you have a killer voice and don’t have much else going on.  If you already have a publishing deal, or record deal, it’s not really worth signing all that away. 

But a lot of people who go on those shows and become an “overnight success” have actually been doing music for years and years, so really there is no shortcut to becoming amazing

Claes: While on the subject of reality TV, you are featured on Troubadour TX. Of course, that’s a little different, as it tells the story of the working musician, rather than competing for a spotlight in a studio. How did you get involved in that show?

Williams: One of the original producers had seen me play locally in McKinney, TX where he lived.  When they were doing their first audition, he emailed me (along with many others) and asked if I wanted to come. 

(Screenshot from troubadourtx.com)

Claes: I watched the episode where you opened up for Martina McBride. What was that experience like?

Williams: It was a whirlwind trip because I had to fly all the way to northern California and back in a short time period.  But for the short time I was there, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable experience!  I got to meet Martina and she was very sweet to me.

Claes: Who has been some of the musicians you’ve met along the way that have given you good advice? Can you share a little bit?

Williams: My producer Tom Faulkner had a major label deal at one point, and he always has insightful things to say about his experiences. 

My buddy Aaron Watson told me a lot about the Texas music scene when I moved back, and helped me get oriented. 

The best advice is the Nike slogan “Just Do It”.  No one has a magic solution, and what worked for someone else might not work for you.  You just have to jump in, do the best you can, and learn as you go.

Claes: Who are some of the musicians out right now that everyone should hear?

Williams: I love Charlie Worsham’s new record, and I really hope he does well with it.

I also like the Turnpike Troubadours a lot, musically and personally. 

I still think Randy Rogers is the king of red dirt…he has been so consistent putting out great songs over the years.

Kacey Musgraves is another one who I hope makes it big because her songs have depth and cleverness to them that is lacking in a lot of popular songs these days. 

Williams’ new CD, Overnight Success can be found on iTunes (along with his previous releases). Take a listen to his stuff on his website ZaneWilliamsMusic.com. You can also check there to see when he plays next. The last chance to catch him around the Austin area is Thursday, November 14 at Gruene Hall (Gruene, Texas) where he’s playing a free show at 6:00p. 

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

INTERVIEW: Sheer Khan and the Space Case

Putting the Fun Back into Austin's Funk

Sheer Khan and the Space Case

By Sean Claes
With a name like Sheer Khan and the Space Case, I knew I was in for something different when I got the CD in the mail. Add the fact that their CD was entitled Tropical Space Funk and the CD looked like it was on an acid trip (all the pretty colors) and I was certain it was either going to be really good or extemely bad.

This is a fantastically fun jam band that has funk and reggae influences to their sound. What set it off for me was the fact that is just sounded like they were having a great time. The band was formed in 2008 when Kasey Jaime (Bass/Vocals) and Brice Bowden (Vocals/Guitar) met as coworkers at Freebirds World Burrito. As of press-time David McKnight (Saxophone/keys - formerly of Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears) and Travis Rea (drums) round out the band.

I had a chance to talk with Kasey Jaime recently about the band, some of the music, and the future of the funk.

Sean Claes: What’s in a name… Why choose Sheer Khan (assuming the reference to Shere Khan from The Jungle Book)

Kasey Jaime: Funny question actually, We all grew up in the era with the Disney movie so it makes it easy to associate the name with that reference. I read the book as well growing up and liked him ever since. But because of the movie, its in our heads.

Brice (Bowden) actually had a friend back in his hometown with a gigantic “peace pipe” that always was on the hunt for little kids running through the forest, so they named it Sheer Khan. Brice then vowed that he would call his band the same and it started there.

Claes: Sheer Khan and the Space Case has been around for about four years. How do you feel you’ve progressed musically?

Jaime: Man. Honestly, we have had so many line up changes since then. Bringing in new people allows you to jam with others and new ideas. It’s the grooving with new ideas that causes us to grow musically and makes our songs get better too.

It has caused me to seek out new musicians to jam with because everyone can teach you something. Good or bad, a new sound will cause you to think differently.

Claes: How’d you form?

Jaime: Brice and I (Kasey) met while working at Freebirds back in 2008 and we started jamming in his apartment. We originally had another drummer and another guitar player jump on board and we started to create a sound that we have been working on since.

When those two dropped out, we found Aadrian (Pedroza) on Craigslist and found (David) McKnight through a mutual friend of Brice’s at ACC. The four of us put in tons of work together and created our album, Tropical Space Funk.

Unfortunately, after our cd release, Aadrian dropped out for his own personal reasons. We found Travis Rea through mutual drinking buddies and have been getting him up to speed ever since. He is a fast learner and brings a new style into our sound. He also plays in Strange Gun.

Claes: In August you performed “Loony Bus” for a Balcony TV shoot (posted above).

Jaime: That was a fun afternoon. Balcony TV is pretty cool. They had us meet at Joe’s Crab Shack and we set our stuff up in a tiny corner on the patio. As you can tell from the video, there were six of us so space was limited.

We were told we had 30 minutes to run through the song making sure it was perfect. As the first take ended, the video man told us, “Alright, that was great, Thanks Guys” Of course we messed up a bit because of no warm ups, but since it was such a long song, they let us do only one take!

Claes: What’s the song about?

Jaime: We came up with that song by jamming in our garage. We put all the pieces together and needed a name. It reflected our mix of styles so we called it “The Looney Bus.” We call our van The Looney Bus and it stuck ever since!

Claes: On to the music. You’ve got that feel-good funk/reggae feel and you’ve captured your sound well in your debut CD – Tropical Space Funk. Tell me about how you chose the 15 tracks to include.

Jaime: For the last 4 years, we have been developing our sound, writing new songs and putting words to some of them. As we were preparing for the recording process, the thought of capturing the listener and getting them glued to the cd were important. The order was a headache to put together, but once we figured it out, it was ready!

Do you have a favorite track on the album?

Jaime: “Drunk on the Funk” is a favorite. I also really enjoy “Hot Buttered Buns!” I got to play an old school Mini Moog which sounded sick!

Claes: If I had to pick a favorite party track from your album, I’d probably pick “Drunk on the Funk.” How’d that track come to life?

Jaime: We played the 512 Brewery’s launch party for a beer last Octoberish and as we were waiting for the first band to show up it happened. Four overall clad hippies got out of their hatchback with tons of Christian hippie stickers on the back door. You could tell they were different and far out.

A girl started carrying a stand up bass to the music area so I asked what kind of music they played. What she said next was the perfect start to a day of drinking and funk! “We play gospel music. We are hoping to put a little bit of Jesus into everyone today.”

I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. McKnight then started singing Jesus gave me the funk. A few months later, we had the perfect shell for that chorus and the song was born!

Claes: Is there a crowd favorite when you play live?

Jaime: “Buccaneer’s Howl.” People are drinking at shows and who doesn’t love pirates??

Claes: Speaking of…September 16 was “International Talk Like A Pirate Day.” Did you have occasion to play “Buccaneer’s Howl?”

Jaime: Of course, we made sure during practice we busted that one out. Instead of beers, we had rum!

Claes: Reggae/Funk music lost a great venue when Ruta Maya closed last month. Along with Flamingo Cantina, Ruta Maya seemed to be base-camp for supporters of this style of music. Have we seen another club step-up?

Jaime: Man, we are still looking out for that one. We have been playing a lot at The Music Ranch, it’s a mutual love from us and the staff out there! In fact, we just played the Alloveus Festival put on by our friends at The Music Ranch. Still trying to find a perfect place to release our tropical space funk at!

Claes: Where are some of your favorite places to play?

Jaime: Of course The Music Ranch. We really miss Ruta Maya. Flamingo is a fun place to be especially for the reggae side of all of us! We got to play the Continental Club and Stubbs last year, great stages. Still looking to get into The Mohawk, so if any of yall out there wanna hook us up, funk yeah!

Claes: What are your thoughts about the Austin music scene.

Jaime: It’s a loving community. At least for us, most of the bands we have met over the years have helped develop into great friendships and prosperous shows! Its great to go out any night and find some music playing and hopefully that doesn’t stop!

Claes: Who are some Austin bands we should be listening to?

Jaime: We really love Henry + The Invisibles. That guy can entertain and he seems to like us! Some more of our friends in the Jam-Funk scence like FunkOTron, Holding Space, Loose Leaf, Dimitri’s Ascent.

Also some of our favorite Reggae Bands like Ashes of Babylon and Audic Empire. Also, if you ever see a gig with Brice and The Blind Mice, stop in and say hello to us!

Claes: Looks like you’ve got a gig coming up on Sunday 9/30 at Austin’s Pecan Street Festival at 4p on the Trinity Stage. What can we expect from a mid-day show?

Jaime: You will get tons of energy from us! You will also have a chance to hear us with the Hometown Horns, the guys that recorded the extra horn parts on our album, Eduardo Ramirez and Marc Oran. Expect something different playing in the streets!

What else is coming up for Sheer Khan and the Space Case?

Jaime: More music, more fun. We are constantly writing new songs and since releasing the album, we already have about 3 new songs put together.

Constantly putting together shows and meeting with new bands.

October 5th we play Maggie Mae’s.

October 13th We play Frank.

October 19th 512 Bar.

October 27th at Frontier Bar for our Halloween show!

We are also looking to set up a tour but still figuring out to where. We have a lot of friends all over the place so picking our destination is difficult sometimes.

Claes: Anything to add?

Jaime: Try adding 46819273+9854671 and tell me what you get!

You can find our album all over the internet such as Itunes and Spotify and Amazon! Help us out. We have T-shirts and stickers and lighters too!

Long Live The Funk!

Dave Madden Interview

This interview is week 15 of Sean Claes' 52 Weeks of Austin Music Interviews.

 Spiritual. Ecclectic. Original.
Austin's Dave Madden

By Sean Claes

Dave Madden is an amazing musician, singer, songwriter and a pretty fantastic individual as well. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know his music and getting to sit down with him a few times to chat over the last few years.

He seems part bard, part sage, part wordsmith, and from the years I've known him he seems to be incredibly genuine.

Madden was raised in a suburb of Phillidelphia, PA, a small town by the name of Downingtown. He grew up in a musical household where he began playing piano at 8. He was accepted and attended the Berklee College of Music before he brought his talents to Austin, Texas about 8 years ago.

I was introduced to a fresh-faced Madden in 2006 at an METV event in Austin. Then I got hold of his Anything Goes. That album was really well done. There was one stand-out track to me, and that showed me there was many more layers to come. The track, entitled “Photographs,” is the video I posted below.

It wasn’t until his epic undertaking of 2010’s 24 track epic double-album Open Eyed / Broken Wide that I felt I heard the “real” Dave Madden. This album still stands as one of my all-time favorite pieces of music, and it was INsite’s pick for the best Austin album in 2010.

He’s since released a Live From Austin CD that is also a great listen and it was recorded at the now closed Momo’s.

You owe it to yourself and your ears to get to know the music of Dave Madden. He’s got a gig coming up on May 11 at Threadgill’s World Headquarters (301 W. Riverside Dr.) that he’s billing as “The 2nd Annual Really, Really, Really Big Show” Wendy Colonna is also on the bill for the evening… which makes it even bigger.

After enjoying his music and knowing him for about seven years, I finally had a chance to interview him. It was worth the wait.

Claes: How did you get involved in music? 

Madden: There was an upright piano in the living room, and my mom played songs and hymns. Early on, she taught me a few easy duets that we could play together. When I was 8, I started taking piano lessons and never looked back.

Claes: I’ve been watching you for a few years now, you seem to be very prolific and organic with your music. How did you form your beliefs and views you hold musically? 

Madden: I've gotten that comment before, that I'm a prolific songwriter. I always find that surprising, but I guess it is true. Fairly late in life I was stunned to learn that the norm for songwriters is to be incredibly un-prolific. 

Many artists go into the studio to record an album before they have the 9 or 10 songs they need. That's so curious to me. I approach a record with maybe 80 or 100 songs, and have to whittle that down to one album. I have songs I wrote 5 years ago that I really like, but haven't gotten around to performing yet, because there are just too many.

My musical views are apparently both very rare, and very boring. I'm a music theory guy. So music to me is first and foremost the actual nuts and bolts language of letters and numbers and math. And I love that language, it's this perfect, beautiful theoretical construct. I care more about the notes then the way they're played. Genre, vibe and tone count for very little. There's very little musical difference between folk, rock, pop, funk and reggae. Classical and jazz are different though, way more complex.

Claes: You attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music from 2001-2004. What were some of the biggest things you learned? 

Madden: I took a wide array of classes ranging from music to business, arranging to finance. I took Afro-Cuban percussion, taxation in the music business, atonal solfeg, conducting, latin piano styles, funk/fusion piano styles, traditional theory, jazz theory, and many more.

But of course, I also learned valuable life-lesson stuff. One teacher told a class of about 100 of us point blank, "The statistics are clear: 95% of you will not be able to make a living in music." And I learned the value of persistence and dedication.

I got some pretty sweet gigs at Berklee, the biggest, best ones, not because I was the best pianist (I'm not) but because I showed up super prepared and enthusiastic.

Claes: Any classmates there that have gone on to be famous? (I mean besides you). 

Madden: Oh yeah, of course. Paula Cole, John Mayer, Annie Clark of St. Vincent, Gavin DeGraw, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Frisell, many more. And tons of behind-the-scenes guys, producers, recording engineers.

Claes: When did you choose to make Austin your home? Why? 

Madden: I've been here for almost 8 years. I had just finished up an off-broadway gig in New York City, and was looking for a "goldilocks" city - not too small, not too big. I moved down here and started at the very, very bottom. Working at a coffee shop and playing open mics.

Claes: While looking up information about you, I saw that you used to be in charge of music at Phoenix Church in Austin around 2008. Are you still involved in a church? 

Madden: Phoenix no longer exists, but I have been attending Journey Imperfect Faith Community for almost the whole time I've been in Austin. It's a beautiful, scrappy, eclectic group of people. I often play music at other churches.

Claes: To me, much of your music is spiritual without beating someone over the head with religion. Have you ever sat down and written conventional hymns or straight-up Christian music? Why or why not? 

Madden: Not very much, but yes, I have written some straight-forward Christian music, and some Christmas music too. Those are my roots, what I was raised with, and it's good to honor that.

Claes: March 2010 saw the release of Open Eyes, Broken Wide a double release that you did electronically with an intricate CD book to accompany the release. Why did you go that route? 

Madden: The CD was invented as a joint effort between Sony and Phillips in 1982. 30 full years ago. That's insane. It's crazy that in 30 years, we haven't improved the quality of digital music. We actually already have the technology to make higher quality, and I got tired of waiting, so I just did it.

Claes: That release was picked by INsite as the top Austin release in 2010. Needless to say I REALLY enjoyed it. How did you find others perceptions? 

Madden: Well, most people liked it, but I don't think most took the time to really chew through the whole thing. It was an epic artistic undertaking. I'm glad I did it, but I doubt I'll do something that big again.

Claes: In October 2011 you released your Live From Austin. What can you tell me about this release? 

Madden: After Open-Eyed, I shifted my focus from studio recording to the live show. It's a completely different animal: a 9-piece band of horns and strings, these funky, fully-fleshed out arrangements. I wasn't even trying to make a record. We just recorded one of the shows, and it came out with this amazing live energy. 

So I eventually realized that, holy shit, this is a record.

Claes: It was recorded at Momo’s which has since closed. I know Momo’s meant a lot to a good number of great bands and, to me, seemed to be one of the biggest supporters of the independent songwriter/musician in Austin. What are your thoughts on the closing? 

Madden: It's a real shame. It might reopen in a new location in the future, but nothing is for sure yet. We'll see!

Claes: You’ve got a show coming up this Friday at Threadgills. What can you tell me about the gig? 

Madden: It's gonna be great. I'm billing it as the Second Annual Really Really Really BIG Show.

The first was in January of 2011 at Momo's. I had the 2nd one all scheduled for January 2012 at Momo's, but of course, it closed. So we moved it to another great venue, Threadgill's World Headquarters. We're gonna have 3 great bands, hula-hoopers, jugglers and dancers. We're all very excited about it!

Claes: What’s coming up next for Dave Madden? 

Madden: I'll be playing at Barton Springs Poolside Live! event this Summer. That'll really be a dream come true for me.

Go to Threadgills this Friday and catch Dave Madden play live. You’ll thank me later. Oh, and all of his music is available for whatever price you are interested in paying at http://www.patronism.com/DaveMadden.


Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

Madden in 2006 (about the time I met him for the first time)

South Austin Moonlighters Interview

This interview is week 11 of Sean Claes' 52 Weeks of Austin Music Interviews.

Moonlighting Rocks

Introducing The South Austin Moonlighters

By Sean Claes

Have you had the chance to catch the latest supergroup to come out of Austin? When I caught wind that members of The Mother Truckers, Deadman, Shurman, Monte Montgomery, and Jimmy LaFave all got together and were playing Tuesday’s at The Saxon Pub and calling themselves the South Austin Moonlighters, I had to find out more.

First I thought they were a jam band of friends who got together to blow off a little steam and play a bunch of covers, which would have been fine. But, when I heard they were recording an album of originals, I knew I needed to get their story.

The South Austin Moonlighters (S.A.M.) are Lonnie Trevino Jr (Deadman), Phil Hurley (Jimmy LaFave), Aaron Beavers (SHURMAN), Josh Zee (The Mother Truckers), and Phil Bass (Monte Montgomery).

S.A.M. is taking April off of playing at The Saxon Pub and are hitting a few other venues in the area including the Baker Street Pub & Grill (4/12, 4/26 @ 9p), Threadgill’s World Headquarters (4/14 @ 8p), and Gruene Hall (4/15 @ 5p).

I had a chance to ask a few questions to 3/5 of the band.



Sean Claes: South Austin Moonlighters (S.A.M.) are pretty much what the name of your band implies, a group of musicians with other projects that have come together to play. How did it occur?
Phil Hurley: We were all fans of each other’s bands. But, really I credit Lonnie for starting the communication and booking the first show. Once there was a date on the books, there was no backing out.

Lonnie Trevino Jr.: A year ago March all of our bands (minus Phil Bass) were performing at the ninth annual Sin City Social Club showcase hosted by Shilah Marrow. Like Phil said, all of us admired each others bands and individual talent and a genuine like for each other as people.

Aaron Beavers said out loud "Man. We should all get together and just jam with this unit." I took it to heart and sent out an e-mail telling my idea for a "Resentments Type Band" to play a show at The Saxon Pub. Everyone was a little shocked and dismayed thinking this would never happen. I booked a group of happy hour shows on Tuesdays at the Saxon and the pressure was on. We had to put up or pack up. We each picked 3 cover songs we've always wanted to do and we took it from there.

I called my dear friend Phil Bass who I had toured with while with Monte Montgomery. He loved the idea and jumped on board before I could finish explaining what we wanted to do. The others had never played with him before and were hoping for the best. To be honest with you this band would have failed from the get go if it were not for Phil's ability to adapt to any genre. From the moment we hit the first note it was obvious that something special was happening.



Claes: When you began did you think it’d become an organized band?
Hurley: Not really. It was more just for the joy of making music together. My favorite group from when I first arrived in Austin was the Mother Truckers and I was always looking for an excuse to jam with Josh. I’m so thankful to Lonnie for bringing Phil Bass into the group. We needed a drummer. Lonnie said he had it covered. What an understatement! Aaron & I were hanging out and writing together anyway. So that was just extra bonus time with one of my best buddies.

Trevino Jr.: I'd say after that first month! We started offering up original tunes and taking it serious. Even rehearsals!

Claes: Tell me a little about your musical background.
Trevino Jr.: I moved here in '93 after I was hired by Language House (Geffen). I've went on to form a jam band called Jumbo Shrimp, formed Dahebegebees with Ady Hernandez, Joined Cadillac VooDoo Choir, Toured with Monte Montgomery, Jake Andrews, Lisa Tingle, Tommy Shane Steiner, Mike Zito, Deadman, Papa Mali and now with Fastball. I've also started yet another side project called The Whiskey Sisters.

Hurley: I was part of the Boston music scene in the 90’s making records and touring with Gigolo Aunts and Tracy Bonham. I’ve lived and played in Seattle, Amsterdam, Los Angeles and Nashville since then. Touring with acts like Fountains of Wayne, Miles Hunt of the Wonderstuff and Lisa Loeb.

Phil Bass: I have played and or recorded with artist such as Bo Diddly, Gatemouth Brown, Stephen Bruton, Joe Ely, Delbert Mclinton and many others" I also compose music for T.V., film and multimedia projects and do session work for independent artists.

Note: Aaron Beavers (SHURMAN) and Josh Zee were not able to be interviewed for this article, but you can find out more information about them by following the links in this paragraph.


Claes: How did you end up with the Tuesday residency at The Saxon Pub?
Hurley: Lonnie worked with Joe (Ables) from The Saxon to make it happen.
Trevino Jr.: Joe Ables & David Cotton both jumped on the idea immediately. It wasn't a hard sell.

Claes: Now, you’re taking a month off of playing at The Saxon in April. What are you guys going to be up to?
Trevino Jr.: We are expanding and trying other venues and traveling regionally. We will be playing once a month at the Saxon Pub and will probably do another residency in the future. We love the Saxon Pub and understand there are only just so many slots and availabilities for the time slot our fans prefer.

Claes: I’ve heard you’re going to be recording or just have finished recording a CD. What can we expect from it?
Trevino Jr.: We are in the process of organizing a Kickstarter page and video to raise the funds to record a proper record. It will be all original and a true studio album.

Hurley: We’re super excited to start a Moonlighters record. We’ve each picked two original tunes to contribute making it a solid ten tune record.



Claes: You have captured a good number of live tracks from your residency at The Saxon Pub. Any plans of releasing a CD of the live tracks?
Trevino Jr.: That is also in the works. We have interest in Europe and will be releasing a live EP. Ideally we'd like to get it out there by the summer. We are still working out the kinks.

Claes: Has any one player stepped forward to be the “leader” of S.A.M.?
Trevino Jr.: I'd say we have all stepped up as a leader in different areas of the Business side and performance side of S.A.M.

Hurley: We each have that ability. But, there’s a lot of mutual respect within the group that allows us each to have out input and ideas heard. I’ve never been part of a group that has such a strong sense of musical communication. We can accomplish so much in such a short time in rehearsals. Each guy just understands his role in the overall sound so quickly. It’s amazing.



Claes: What are your favorite covers to perform?
Trevino Jr.: So many to mention, I'd ask the fans what their favorites are. We get a lot of requests for "To Love Somebody" by The Bee Gees, and "She Caught the Katy" by Taj Mahal.

Bass: My favorite covers that we do: “To Love Somebody,” “Night Train,” “Last Time,” “Puppet,” …really just about all of them. Ha.

Hurley: I love to sing “Rolling Man” by Fleetwood Mac. And I really enjoy what Lonnie does with “To Love Somebody” by the Bee Gees. Aaron’s version of “Put the Message in a Box” by World Party always makes me smile.

Trevino Jr.: Josh Zee has an affinity for 50’s rock and roll that I like. Especially the New Orleans and Elvis stuff.

Claes: How are you coming with the original tunes?
Hurley: We’ve started to learn how to write together. One of my favorite tunes in the set right now is one that Lonnie, Josh and I kinda created in rehearsal called “Moonlight Ride.” It’s becoming a kind of signature jam!

Claes: Any danger of the moonlighting job becoming your full-time gig?
Hurley: Nothing would make me happier than to see something good happen for this group. I truly love playing with these guys. I sure hope that we can get it together to do some European touring. That would be a dream comes true.

Trevino Jr.: We haven't ruled out that possibility. Anything is possible.


Claes: That said, where do you see the band going?
Hurley: I have no idea. I just want it to stay inspired and inspiring.

Trevino Jr.: We could speculate but we are just interested in living in the moment and having fun. The joy of playing with this band is hard to ignore.

Claes: You’re going to be playing a few gigs this month at the Baker Street Pub and Grill. Have you played there before? What can you tell me about it?
Hurley: It’s a really cool room with lots of room for listening and dancing. The sound is good. There’s no cover and the kitchen stays open until 1:30am!

Trevino Jr.: We've never played Baker Street Pub. It's new, were the Old Alligator Grill used to be for many years. We are hopeful and want to try to spread the joy around Austin.

Claes: Looks like you’re playing a Sunday evening at Gruene Hall on April 15. Will this be the first time the band has played there as a unit?

Trevino Jr.: It will be the first time this Band performs there. We are very excited. I've always have had a great time playing there. Can't wait to play there as S.A.M.

Hurley: I reached out to Tracie (Ferguson) at Gruene Hall. Stonehoney had a special relationship with that room. I am so honored that they are trusting in us and giving us a chance to get something going down there in that historic room. Is there really any place cooler than Gruene?


Claes: You’re also playing Threadgill’s on Saturday April 14. How’d that gig come about?
Hurley: Threadgill’s has been a mainstay for most of our groups and one of my personal favorite venues in Austin. That’s family to me here in town. We’ll have our sister group, The Whiskey Sisters, opening the show. That’s going to go off!

Trevino Jr.: That is going to be a great weekend!


Claes: Is there anywhere you’d like to play that you’ve not yet had the chance?
Hurley: Yeah, sure. I wanna play the new Moody Theatre, The Ryman Auditorium, The Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden. In that order!

Trevino Jr.: So far so good. We've been offered several gigs at many well known venues. We don't want to jump the gun too quickly and jinx anything.

Claes: Anything else to add?
Trevino Jr.: I've traveled all over the world and think that Austin Texas is by far the best Music city in the World. The problem is the City and the residences naturally take it for granted. I've been guilty of that as well in the past. I encourage everyone to find a venue and patronize the heck out of it, find a band and support the heck out of it, create a community that supports the heck out of the arts in this town.

Being a Musician as profession is not taken seriously by a lot of people in this town who want and expect music, and the performance of music, to be free. The economy has been on the rise and yet musicians haven't given themselves a raise in 40something years. Be kind and show support for the biggest reason folks visit and end up staying in this town, the live music.

Hurley: If you haven’t come out to see this band yet. Do yourself and favorite and come on out. It’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

Bass: Ditto!

I suggest you do as they say and catch them live this month. You'e got four chances. Baker Street Pub & Grill (4/12, 4/26 @ 9p), Threadgill’s World Headquarters (4/14 @ 8p), and Gruene Hall (4/15 @ 5p). For more information on the South Austin Moonlighters, visit their website at http://southaustinmoonlighters.com/

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

Interview - Art Versus Industry

This interview is week 9 of Sean Claes' 52 Weeks of Austin Music Interviews.

An Experimental Movement in Music
Austin’s Art Versus Industry

By Sean Claes
About a year ago, I happened to be downtown during Free Week (January 7, 2011) and was invited to catch a electronica/Rock band by the name of Art Versus Industry at Stubb’s. When I wandered in, I was taken aback by the light show, mostly because in my experience when the smog and lights hit the stage at a smaller venue it’s meant to cover up substandard music.

I was pleasantly surprised. Nick Munos (drums), Avi Ghosh (vocals/keys) and Matt Gruber (guitars), the men who make up Art Versus Industry not only provide a wall of sound that is much larger than expected from three musicians, they also make some amazingly wonderful and complex keyboard driven rock music. The lights add to the experience, they are not there to cover anything up, at all.

So, when I heard they released their Movement I EP, were about to complete a full-length album, and they were playing at several venues in March, I thought it was time to get up to speed with the guys.


Sean Claes: What is the story behind the name?
Nick Munos: The band's name is actually an acronym for Avi's name. When the band first came together, Avi was still writing and releasing music under his own name, but wanted to start a new project with a new sound, mindset, and members. We came up with Art Versus Industry as a way to tie the two projects together and to describe the attitude behind the current project.

Avi Ghosh: At the end of the day, despite the reference to my first name- the name embodies the rebellious spirit behind what we're doing. We aren't part of a molded market-machine, especially in respect to current trends though the material isn't necessarily hard to digest by a general consensus (or so we think), It's about reading between the lines to find the truth behind what we're saying without necessarily giving it away.

Claes: Avi, you moved to Austin on a whim with no band. What spurred the move?
Ghosh: I was at a point in my life that I really needed a change of pace and location. I moved to Austin with zero expectations aside from wanting to completely remove myself from where I was at the time. I met someone very special who inspired me to take a leap of faith and relocate with some recording equipment, a subset of my clothing, and an eagerness to discover something “new.” Needless to say- Austin was the breath of fresh air I yearned for and has become what I consider home.

Claes: Matt, you moved across the country to play music with Avi just after you graduated college. What’s the story there?
Matt Gruber: Well, I started listening to Avi's music under the name dEFY, shortly after he released his second full length record The Twelve Degrees Of Loneliness. I was impressed with the sound and sincerity of the music and it struck a chord with me. We became online acquaintances and then after a while, online friends.

I was in my fourth year, finishing up my degree in Math when Avi asked me to contribute to his album All That's Left of Us. After a little conversation, he asked me to be a part of his new live band and I picked myself up and moved down here to be a part of music I truly believed in.

Claes: Nick, a Craigslist ad marked your entry into the band… what were the steps that led up to that ad?
Munos: Actually I went to High school in Plano, Texas and was in an awesomely horrible garage band there. Then I moved to Austin for College and was in several different musical projects that never gained momentum. After college, I sold everything I owned and moved to Brooklyn, New York to try my hand at studio work and start a band there. Soon after, I moved back to Austin and wrote the verbose Craigslist ad that got Avi's attention.

Ghosh: I remember him hitting all the key points in that ad but the rest is just a haze (laughs).

Claes: How does the music writing process go with Art Versus Industry? Is it collaborative or do they come from the mind of a single person?
Ghosh: Usually the songs originate in my bedroom as simplistic ideas. Loops of noises, guitar riffs, synthetic drones with underlying melodies. I like having something substantial to work off of for the rest of the band to add to, take away, or entirely restructure.

Munos: Avi definitely fleshes out the foundation of songs. He will come up with the structure, sound and feel. Then he'll usually give that to me and say, “go nuts.” That's when Matt starts working on the song and will put in his two cents. Then we just build from there.

Claes: You released Movement I in February of 2011. Do you have a favorite track?
Ghosh: My favorite hands down is “Lapse.” I feel like that song truly represents what we all set out to do with Art Versus Industry; both conceptually and musically.

Munos: My favorite song is “Let's Kill.” It's high energy, lots fun to play live, and sums up where the band was mentally “at” during Movement I's writing process.

Gruber: Mine's definitely “Play God.”

Claes: The album is available on your bandcamp for “name your price” meaning free. What has been the reception to the album thus far?
Munos: The reception has been great. It's an amazing feeling going to shows and seeing people singing the songs back to you. It has definitely helped grow our fan-base and allowed for notoriety on a national scale.

Even though the album is available for free, our only request is that if share the love and spread it to your friends. At this point in our careers; we just want as many people possible to hear the result of so much time and effort.

Claes: Is it meant to be listened to front to back or are the songs individual pieces?
Ghosh: It's definitely meant to be heard in one cohesive setting, even being an EP. We've always approached this material as a focused, collective work that builds upon each other, similar to what the next release will present. Even though the music may vary sonically- there is a unified theme and recurrence that only works if you listen from start to finish.

Munos: I personally feel that Movement I works either way. It's a short release and the songs flow together well, but the full-length scheduled to come out soon is definitely meant to be heard from front to back.





Claes: You’ve drawn comparisons to Nine Inch Nails because of the electronic-meets-hard-rock aspect of your music. Would you say they are valid?
Munos: That is a tough question. Just like Nine Inch Nails we make loud, hard hitting electronic music, but I think that is about where the similarities end. It is a huge compliment to be compared to a band of that caliber, but we definitely have our own sound.

Gruber: I believe it's valid only since there are a lot of bands in this genre that mainstream audiences are unaware of. I feel we draw more comparisons with some of the lesser-known acts than we actually do to NIN. It is very flattering though.

Claes: You mentioned a full-length album is in the works.
Munos: Absolutely, the new full length is nearly finished and we have some exciting surprises in store for listeners. We can't be any more specific than that, but I'm excited for people to experience it.

Ghosh: I've never taken so much time, effort, and care to put out a body of work and I don't think I've ever felt more proud of art that I've been involved in. It'll be a challenge for some listeners; but I think it's bound to be a gratifying listen for everyone who's been anticipating the release.

Claes: You’ve got a good collection of unreleased material I’ve seen live and via YouTube. What is your favorite Art Versus Industry song to play live?
Munos: I have a couple. A song called “I Don't Know” a new opener. A song called “Even if it Hurts,” which is an uptempo danceable song and then our slow jam “Dissipate.” All three are officially unreleased and set to come out on our new album.

Gruber: Hmmm, it changes. Especially since we still are playing a decent amount of dEFY/Avi Ghosh material live. So I'll answer for each: dEFY - “This Means Goodbye.” Avi Ghosh - “Eat Me Whole.” Art Versus Industry - “Even if It Hurts.”

Ghosh: Mine's a tie between “I Don't Know,” “Dissipate,” and “This Means Goodbye.” I'd been playing “This Means Goodbye” for years and only with Nick and Matt did that song ever truly come to life.

Claes: Do you have room in your live set for a cover song or two, and if so which ones do you like to jam?
Gruber: We've done NIN's “Big Man With a Gun” in the past to poke fun at some NIN comparisons.

Munos: There is always room for a cover song! We have been toying with this lately and working on taking an unexpected top 40 pop song and making it our own. I don't want to give too much away, but we've got something dirty in the works.

Ghosh: Covers are tricky ground because you're meddling with people's past experiences and to just to re-represent a song the way it already is goes against our musical goals. We're taking the approach of recreating some well-known songs from the ground up- something we're hoping to share later this year.


Claes: What is your opinion of the state of the art of music in Austin these days?
Munos: I think Austin is saturated with amazing musicians but has a much smaller number of bands that are doing something new and original. I feel that Austin, like a lot of the music industry in general, needs a swift kick.

Ghosh: It's a little worrisome, not so much regarding the talent level of the city because that's always in abundance- but moreso the infrastructure for live music. With Emo's leaving Red River and the future of the “Waller Creek” revamp- I feel like the downtown identity for live music is departing.

Throw in the fact you have to pay for parking now and an already struggling economy- I can't help but be skeptical on how these changes are supposed to help our vibrant arts and music community.

While the resurgence on the east-side leaves me hopeful- the sound and vibe of Red River was unlike anything else I've seen anywhere in the US. It was special and to see it being torn apart is a tad heartbreaking. I'm hoping that the newly formed entertainment districts will keep our live music tradition alive and stay true to the necessary production standards previously offered.

Claes: Where are some of the places you like playing in town?
Munos: We always feel at home at Stubb's. They have an amazing staff and we always seem to have our best shows there. We also love The Parish and miss Emo's indoors/Outdoors.
Gruber: Stubb's & Elysium are always fun.

Claes: The widely believed thought is, Elysium is the place for Electronica/Goth music. Have you found other venues accepting of your style of music, or had it been difficult to move into bigger / atypical venues?
Ghosh: I think it was always surprising to me that our most receptive shows, especially early on, were at venues completely independent of Elysium. With that being said, the Elysium is a phenomenal venue that's professionally run and our city's little haven for the darker spectrum of music.

John (Whickham, the owner) has really done an amazing job in integrating us into his venue and never fails to make it feel like home every time we play there. We're fortunate- there really hasn't been a stage in town that hasn't been welcoming and accepting of what we do. It's one of the many reasons we're proud to be based out of Austin.

Gruber: I feel that we've been accepted greatly at other venues, such as Stubb's for instance. We usually have a great time there and people are always very appreciative of what we bring whenever we play there.


Claes: Your live show rivals that of major productions with lights and smoke effects. How important is that visual aspect to your show?
Ghosh: When you come to a show, it's of utmost importance that you feel removed from everything else and are part of a unique experience. We're all about utilizing technology and setting to present a show that will entertain you both visually and sonically.

Munos: People go to shows to be entertained. It is our job to make sure they feel like they got their monies worth, especially when wallets are tight. We spend a lot of time planning how our overall production should look, how the lights should be programmed, and positioned.

We have played several “punk rock shows” and are confident that our energy and song writing will be show enough. However, we feel our production value adds a dimension to our shows that you can't get anywhere else and have allowed us to make a name for ourselves.

Gruber: I've always been a fan of bands that put on large productions. Not just over the top, ornamental productions, but productions that enable the audience to take part and experience a whole different side of the music that they may not understand if seen in a typical rock-show set-up.

It's a necessary addition to create a specific meaning and purpose to our songs. I've also always kept this in mind: if I was a fan of Art Vs. Industry, what would I want to see when I came out to a show?





Claes: You’ve got several shows coming up this month, including a Texas Rockfest date on March 16th. Tell me a little about Rockfest and how you ended up playing.
Ghosh: The Heart of Texas Rockfest is the premiere rock n' roll festival to attend during SXSW music week. It's a culmination of talent all over the world that comes together for three days a year with an annual attendance of 200,000. Adam (Brewer), the guy who runs the event, truly loves live music and supports it because he actually cares about it.

It's quite a selfless endeavor that he undertakes every year- putting together some of the strongest regional and national talent for a FREE out-door event during the most insane week of the year in Austin. When he invited us to be on-board this year, it was a no-brainer. This is our first time and we're putting together our most brutal set to date for the event.

Claes: You’re also playing a March 10th show for Vivogig. For those who don’t know, what is Vivogig?
Ghosh: Vivogig is an incredible ATX-based live music photography platform that lets fans capture and share pictures from live performances. It's a company run by two extremely talented people (Daniel Senyard and Tanner Moehle) who “get” Austin's live music culture and are all about transcending the live experience for audiences.

It's been exciting for me to see Vivogig become what it has over the past year, starting with great podcasts into this fully integrated content generation platform.

Be sure to check it out at vivogig.com and get the iPhone app in time for our show this week! We're beyond excited to be a part of their party at Swan Dive and have a specific set designed for the event. Knowing the professionalism behind the Vivogig team, everyone in attendance is bound to be a part of something very special.

Claes: Any other gigs coming up?
Ghosh: I'm extremely excited about playing Eye In The Sky's “Future Of Music” Showcase at Shiner's Saloon on March 17th. That's another very professionally run organization and Anthony (Erickson), the mastermind behind it all, has quite the reputation for throwing memorable events and parties.

We couldn't have dreamt up a more exciting way to conclude music week. People should check out their new site which highlights the upcoming show and offers some ear candy: eyeinthesky.org

Munos: We're playing the Naked and Famous after party at Stubb's on March 23rd which we are excited about. It'll be free entry and our first “headlining” show since January's free week.




Claes: Anything else to add?
Ghosh: Just a thank you to everyone that's been part of this two and a half year journey. It's an honor to consider Austin, Texas our home and be a part of a magazine that supports our incredible music community.

You've got several opportunities to see Art Versus Industry this month. And they all happen to be free shows, so you can spend your money on a t-shirt or perhaps an EP. The shows are: March 10 at Swan Dive (Free with RSVP on Do512), March 16 at 11:30p at Texas Rockfest Outdoor stage (7th and Neches), March 17 at Shiner's Saloon, and the Naked and Famous after party at 11:00p at Stubb's on March 23.

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.