who had since found a job booking background, then drop out entirely. because of that, and this demographic shows at The Stone Fox—started to “Something bad has happened to me,” of people is going to like it. And then slip them onto bills when he could, he continues softly. The song goes there’s the total opposite where and they made friends in the local through ups and downs but closes it just happens by circumstance. out with a hopeful turn, as Harry You’re friends with some people and scene show by show. “Moving to a new place is all about sings confidently, “Something good you learn how to play the instruhow you approach an existing scene,” is coming to me.” With his matter- ments that are sitting around in the Harry says, leaning forward to knock of-fact style, Harry never uses two living room, and then it sounds the the ash off a cigarette into the tray words when one will do, and he isn’t way it does because of where you on the table. “People have been liv- afraid to state his feelings plainly— come from.” Over the years they’ve conteming here for a long time, doing what be they dour, hopeful, or somewhere plated bringing another musician we want to be doing. And I think the in between. into the fold, but the idea has nevBut their willingness to lay it all unique thing about Nashville is the er taken flight. The flexibility and sense of community around like- on the line doesn’t preclude them transparency of a three-piece setup minded people.” Through that com- from having a little fun, too, and have become a central part of who that comes through clearly in their munity, they met people who helped they are as a band. “With three live show. Harry whips and thrashes them hone in on the music they people, there’s a conversation going about with the momentum of his wanted to make themselves. “Our on musically, whether you like it or guitar parts, and though Duncan and music sounds a lot like the bands not,” Duncan says. “When you place Lee are reserved by comparison, neithat we’re friends with and go to see restrictions on your creativity, ironither is afraid to move around when at shows,” Duncan admits. “When cally, it allows for more creativity to they come to a big part in the song. people ask what our influences are— happen.” And all of that raw energy is presided which is kind of a crazy question— That same less-is-more approach I feel like it’s just bands that we’ve over by their fourth bandmate—a flows through everything the band plush toy of the cat Garfield that’s toured with and bands that we’re does, and it’s one of the main reasat atop Harry’s Fender amp since friends with.” sons Wake Up Laughing turned out their earliest shows. Harry adopted Although Music Band’s no-frills as well as it did. They cut the record it as a totem years ago and has colbrand of rock ‘n’ roll certainly fits in five days at Andrija Tokic’s The lected Garfield paraphernalia ever well within the local rock scene, Bomb Shelter studio, which is probsince. No matter how far they go, they’ve got a sound and an attitude ably most famous for being the place Harry will always put him up there, all their own. Much of that comes where Alabama Shakes recorded every show, for no good reason exfrom Harry’s lyrics, which are hutheir now-classic debut, Boys & Girls. cept that that’s just who he is. morous, clever, and above all, honest. “We did a lot of overdubs on this Music Band isn’t afraid to be The album is full of wit and plenty record, but it wasn’t exactly what themselves, no matter who’s watchof good one-liners—“Like a rock inyou’d expect,” Duncan says. “We ing. This simple honesty—at times side my shoe / I can’t seem to get to didn’t double any guitars except for blithe and others brutal—is exactly you,” off of “Raag, pt. 2” comes to one song. Andrija’s production techwhat makes them so refreshing. mind. Even more often, Harry leads the listener down a familiar path but They aren’t trying to be the coolest nique is not adding stuff, it’s more takes a sharp-tongued turn at the guys in the room; they’re just trying just taking things away to reduce it last second. “She’s all I ever wanted to give you a glimpse of their world, to its simplest form.” Though five days is nothing / if all I ever wanted was a lie,” he unfiltered and unafraid. compared to how long some bands It’s a style that’s sincerely theirs, howls on “Day Stealer.” Many of the spend in the studio, it was the lonborn organically out of being close songs share a recurring sense of exgest Music Band had ever spent on a friends for years. “There’s two ways istential loneliness and vulnerability, recording by a long shot. They went of going about [starting a band],” and nowhere is this more palpable in planning to experiment and add Duncan says, looking up at the roof than on album highlight “Fortune all sorts of layers and textures to of the porch to get his thoughts toGuns.” their songs, but Andrija helped to gether. “One is having your sound “Sometimes I need a reminder / of steer them back to their roots. “[He] already figured out and being like, what I’m doing here / If I close my eyes I might disappear,” Harry sings, Okay, we need a synth player, we’re do- helped us realize that [with the extra as the drums build up steadily in the ing this style of music, this is marketable studio time] we just had more time
38 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / //////
# N AT IVE N ASH VI LLE