JOURNAL CULTURE
SOUND CHECK WITH VINCENT HARRIS
Crowfield’s unexpected farewell Charleston country/rock quintet prepares to disband after six years Last month, I wrote a piece about Charleston’s Crowfield, a quintet that’s spent much of the last five years combining country and rock into an addictively melodic brew that brings to mind the Black Crowes circa “Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.” The band’s hearty, familial harmonies and strong songwriting caught my attention, and I spoke with singer/songwriter/guitarist Tyler Mechem about the band’s most recent release, “The Diamond Sessions,” named for their late manager, Johnny Diamond. At the time, Mechem said the band had WHO: Crowfield been through a rough patch, but he was WHERE: The Handlebar, 304 E. Stone Ave., excited about their new music and their fuGreenville ture. Sadly, Crowfield has since announced WHEN: Friday, Jan. 25, 9 p.m. their breakup, and their show at The Handlebar on Jan. 25 will be one of their last. TICKETS: $11. Call 864-233-6173 or visit www.handlebar-online.com. This dramatic turnaround prompted me to contact Tyler and speak with him again. Q: The last time we spoke, the new album had recently come out and you seemed optimistic about the band; what changed? A: I haven’t been able to put this into words very accurately yet, and I can only speak for myself. But I think what I want out of music has changed from what we set out to pursue with Crowfield. Q: Do you plan to do any solo work? A: I will continue to write, record, and release and perform music. I don’t see myself touring to the extent Crowfield did. But I couldn’t stop music if I tried. It’s something I love and enjoy more than ever, whether it’s in front of a thousand screaming fans or for 15 people listening quietly in the corner. There’s just something cathartic about performing what you have created for people. So, I hope people stay interested in my music. I’ll always want someone to perform it for. Q: Will you work with anyone from the band on any other projects? A: I’m sure I will. We’re all still great friends and appreciate each other’s musical talents. I can honestly say that I was probably the least talented musician in the band. So I see it as onward and upwards for the guys. But I will be calling them to record on my music from time to time – for free, I hope. Q: Is there any animosity or bitterness among the band members? A: No. Sorry, there’s not any juicy drama. We all still enjoy being around each other on and off the stage. Q: Do you have any regrets about your time in Crowfield? A: On the business side of it, there are certainly things that hindsight has shown to be inopportune. But I don’t regret any of those decisions. The best you can hope for is that the business doesn’t push you away from the music. You do the best with what you have at the time and move on. My time in Crowfield gave me some of my favorite memories. Along the way, I learned that your definition of “making it” in music will change every day. We’ve “made it” a hundred times, and changed our mind about it a hundred and one times. So, that’s where I’m at, enjoying the view of all the successes and memories of Crowfield. Q: You have your final shows coming up; do you get emotional when you think about that? A: It’s certainly emotional. It was one of the biggest parts of my life for the last six or seven years. I don’t know what it’s going to be like taking the stage with the guys for the last time. I’ve thought about it a lot. I try to imagine counting off the last song... ever. Will the emotions of the situation make me mess up the song? Maybe. But I’ll have my guys behind me to keep it on track and big crowd of friends, family, and fans who are there for the same reason we are: to celebrate. Contact Vincent Harris at vharris@communityjournals.com.
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JANUARY 25, 2013 | THE JOURNAL 31