Magnolia Sons from Nashville and The Future Strikes play The Drinkery tonight!
Magnolia Sons are an eleven piece band of funky delight. You will find it to be impossible to not move when you witness this fashion forward bunch. Try it, I dare you.
I sat down with the band today prior to their show and got a bit of insight on how they make it work.
CM: How did you meet your current bandmates?
AUSTIN (writer, drummer): I met (guitarist) Travis Eidson when I was a DJ, spinning old soul records one night in Nashville. We immediately hit it off talking about vinyl, soul music and what not. I mentioned that I wanted to start up a R&B/Soul project of my own and he referred me to (singer) Benjamin A. Harper whom he worked with.
CM: How would you describe your style?
TRAVIS (guitar): Soul drenched pop that could have been found in the vaults of Motown
CM: What gear do you use? What is your favorite equipment to play and record on?
AUSTIN (writer, drummer): We of course love vintage gear. I play on a 1960’s Gretsch drum set, Travis uses an vintage Gibson Falcon guitar amplifier with a 1969 Fender Mustang. Ben is a huge fan of his Epiphone Sheraton, those sound solid. In order to maintain our retro sound, we always record onto tape with vintage equipment. Its definitely challenging and captures a real performance
CM: Do you have a day job or is music your full time gig?
AUSTIN (writer, drummer): a lot of us work as coffee baristas, some do retail. Kenzie (vocalist) does freelance makeup.
CM: What do you want or expect your fans to take away from your music?
BENJAMIN (writer, vocalist): ... Fun, as cheesy as it sounds. We want people to come to shows and have a blast and let the dance come out.
CM: If you could work with any artist, who would that be and why? Local artist?
AUSTIN (writer, drummer): It’d be Smokey Robinson. One of my favorite songwriters. He’s credited for so many great songs and I feel he’s very underestimated in that regard.
CM: What advice do you have for a young artist just starting out?
STEPHEN (bassist): do it [music] because it's the passion that brings you the greatest challenges and the greatest reward. Do it because you would be lost if you didn't. Do it because it fulfills you before anybody else hears it. From there, it's just a matter of fine-tuning and improving.
