Blackpool Mecca

I SAT DOWN WITH MY VERY GOOD FRIENDS BLACKPOOL MECCA FRESH ON THE HEELS OF THEIR OVER-SOLD-OUT 5 SPOT SHOW FOR THEIR DEBUT SINGLE RELEASE, 'BOYS'
OUT NOW WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR MUSIC.

KISMET IN ACTION, THE GUYS OF BLACKPOOL MECCA FOUND EACH OTHER AT A TIME WHEN EVERYONE WAS IN THE MOOD FOR A NEW MUSICAL START. BLACKPOOL MECCA HAS SOMETHING TO SAY, DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM ALL OVER THE MUSICAL MAP TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS AND MAKING THEMSELVES HEARD. NONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND ARE NEW TO THE GAME, ALTHOUGH THE BAND HAS EXISTED IN IT'S CURRENT FORM FOR ONLY JUST OVER A YEAR AT THIS POINT. THEY'VE GOT 40+ SHOWS UNDER THEIR BELT ACROSS THE STATES AND COUNTING WITH FANS FROM EVERYWHERE, COURTESY OF THE POWER OF THE INTERNET.

BLACKPOOL MECCA IS: BAXTER WHITE (VOCALS), KRIS JEDD (GUITAR), JAMESON SAVAGE (BASS) AND CALEB HUGHES (DRUMS) READ BELOW TO SEE TO THEIR INSIGHTS ON EVOLVING FROM THEIR MUSICAL PASTS, WHAT INSPIRES THEM TODAY, AND WHAT IT'S LIKE MAKING FRIENDS AS ADULTS.

LOVE LOCAL NASHVILLE: BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I’D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT NO ONE IN THIS BAND IS A NASHVILLE NATIVE. WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY AND WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE?

CALEB: WELL, I’M FROM TEXAS. I MOVED AROUND A LOT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, SO I CLAIM SAN ANTONIO. THAT’S JUST WHERE I SPENT THE MOST TIME. BUT YEAH, I MOVED HERE TO PLAY MUSIC AND TO PURSUE SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS.

LLN: AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?

CALEB: A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW.

JAMESON: LET’S SEE, SINCE LAST AUGUST.

CALEB: YEAH, AUGUST.

LLN: JUST BARELY OVER A YEAR THEN?

CALEB: YES.

JAMESON: I MOVED HERE SIX YEARS AGO IN APRIL.

LLN: SIX YEARS…

JAMESON: YEAH. I'M FROM PHOENIX.
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KRIS: I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SIX HOURS. (EVERYONE LAUGHS) NO, I MOVED ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO FROM THE FROZEN TUNDRA OF NEW HAMPSHIRE IN NEW ENGLAND. I MOVED HERE FOR MUSIC BECAUSE THERE WASN’T A BIG SCENE WHERE I WAS FROM AND I KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE CITY TO BE IN TO MAKE MUSIC.

LLN: THE MECCA, IF YOU WILL.

KRIS: ONE OF THE BIG THREE, AT LEAST.

JAMESON: SEE, I DIDN’T THINK NASHVILLE WAS THE CITY TO BE IN AT ALL.

KRIS: REALLY?

JAMESON: I WAS THINKING, LIKE, SAN FRANCISCO OR MAYBE LONDON-- NASHVILLE TO ME WAS JUST, LIKE, COWBOY BOOTS AND HICKS AND COUNTRY MUSIC.

LLN: A LOT OF PEOPLE GET THAT VIBE BEFORE THEY-- BEFORE THEY KNOW.

KRIS: I JUST SORT OF FOLLOWED THE UNDERGROUND SCENE ONLINE AND I FOUND ALL THESE BANDS FROM NASHVILLE. I WAS LIKE, ‘THERE’S STUFF GOING ON THERE THAT’S REALLY COOL’.

LLN: WHAT ABOUT YOU, BAXTER?

BAXTER: I AM FROM TEXAS. IT WILL BE SIX YEARS FOR ME, TOO IN EITHER AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS THAT I MOVED. BUT I MOVED HERE FOR MUSIC, AS WELL. I GREW UP IN A PODUNK TOWN AND I WAS LIKE, ‘I CAN’T REALLY PURSUE MUSIC HERE, SO I’M GONNA GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE AND GO TO A PLACE WHERE MUSIC IS BIG.’
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LLN: SO YOU ALL CAME HERE TO PLAY MUSIC, BUT WHY NASHVILLE SPECIFICALLY? YOU COULD HAVE GONE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND THIS WAS YOUR CHOICE. IS IT THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU FELT LIKE YOU COULD MAKE HERE? IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION, BUT I GREW UP HERE, SO IT'S DIFFERENT LIVING HERE WHEN IT'S SOMEWHERE YOU'VE BEEN SINCE YOU WERE A KID.

BAXTER: FOR ME, PERSONALLY IT’S BECAUSE THE ARTISTS I WAS LISTENING TO AROUND THAT TIME WERE ALL BASED IN NASHVILLE.

LLN: SO IT WAS IN INFLUENCE THING?

KRIS: FOR ME, COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE TO GO TO COLLEGE AND LOOKING AT MY SIBLINGS, I WAS LIKE, ‘I DON’T WANT TO DO THAT.’ AND IF I’M GOING TO DO SOMETHING IN NASHVILLE, I MIGHT AS WELL DO SOME SORT OF PROGRAM. SO, I FOUND THIS AUDIO ENGINEERING PROGRAM AND SAID, THAT’S MY LITTLE, LIKE, ‘SCHOOL,’ BUT IN REALITY I KNEW I WAS JUST MOVING BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC. AND YEAH, THERE’S DEFINITELY A LOT OF VENUES AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS THE PLACE TO BE.

SOMEONE COUGHS, LOUDLY. EVERYONE LAUGHS

KRIS: HE'S DYING!

LLN: ALMOST EVERY INTERVIEW I’VE EVER DONE HAS GONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

JAMESON: THE AUDIO VERSION OF THIS INTERVIEW IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH MORE HILARIOUS.

LLN: SO, CALEB, NASHVILLE SPECIFICALLY. WAS THERE A REASON THAT YOU CAME TO THIS TOWN AS OPPOSED TO ANY OF THE OTHER PLACES YOU COULD HAVE GONE?

CALEB: YEAH, THERE WAS. UM, ONE OF THEM WAS THAT I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO LIVE IN NASHVILLE, EVER SINCE I WAS 15. SO, THAT WAS KIND OF A BIG ONE. BUT THEN, I GOT THIS REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR WITH A BAND THAT WAS BASED OUT OF MEMPHIS, SO I LIVED IN MEMPHIS FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND TOURED ALL OVER THE NATION A COUPLE OF TIMES AND NO CITY REALLY FELT LIKE HOME LIKE NASHVILLE DID. AFTER BEING IN SO MANY OTHER CITIES, I DON’T KNOW, WHENEVER I WOULD PULL INTO NASHVILLE, IT JUST FELT LIKE, ‘OKAY, THIS IS HOME.’ AND IT WAS JUST A WEIRD THING, BUT MAINLY I’D ALWAYS KIND OF-- THIS IS WHERE MUSIC WAS, SO THAT’S WHERE I WANTED TO BE, BUT UNTIL I ACTUALLY SPENT MORE TIME IN NASHVILLE AND TIME IN OTHER PLACES, IT JUST REALLY WAS APPARENT TO ME THAT NASHVILLE WAS THE PLACE FOR ME.
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LLN: YEAH. RIGHT ON. WHAT ABOUT YOU, JAMESON?

JAMESON: WELL, I MOVED HERE FOR A CHILDHOOD FRIEND WHO WAS A SINGER. WE’D BEEN WRITING SONGS TOGETHER IN ARIZONA FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND SHE MOVED OUT TO NASHVILLE TO DATE THIS GUY. WHEN SHE CAME BACK HOME AND VISITED ME AT MY BROTHER’S BIRTHDAY PARTY, SHE WAS LIKE, ‘YOU GOTTA COME OUT TO NASHVILLE. WE’LL KEEP WRITING SONGS TOGETHER AND IT WILL BE SUPER FUN,’ SO I MET WITH THE BAND AT A BAR AND WE WERE LIKE, ‘WE’RE GONNA MOVE THE BAND TO NASHVILLE.’ AND EVERYONE WAS LIKE, ‘ALRIGHT, LET’S DO IT. WE’RE ALL IN.’ BUT IN THE END, IT JUST ENDED UP BEING ME AND THE GUITAR PLAYER. THE BASS PLAYER DIDN’T MOVE OUT AND FRANKLY, WE DIDN’T WANT THE DRUMMER TO MOVE OUT, BUT YEAH. I CAME TO PURSUE THAT PROJECT.

LLN: OKAY, SO TELL ME ABOUT THE FORMATION OF THIS BAND AND HOW YOU’RE DIFFERENT NOW THAN A YEAR AGO.

BAXTER: I THINK, AS FAR AS HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT NOW, WE’VE BECOME SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER. IT WAS KIND OF WEIRD, BECAUSE WHEN IT STARTED, KRIS AND I HAD ONLY KNOWN EACH OTHER, LIKE THREE MONTHS, MAYBE. ORIGINALLY, HOW IT STARTED WAS US JUST GETTING TOGETHER AND HANGING OUT AND PLAYING MUSIC.

KRIS: WE WOULD SHOW EACH OTHER STUFF THAT WE WERE WORKING ON.

BAXTER: YEAH. SO, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT WE’VE BECOME A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER.


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JAMESON: WHY DON’T YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT HOW THE BAND FORMED?

BAXTER: WELL, I PLAYED IN... ANOTHER BAND AND JUST WASN’T ENJOYING THAT WHOLE THING

JAMESON: OH, I FORGOT YOU WERE STILL DOING THAT WHEN WE STARTED.

BAXTER: YEAH. I WASN’T REALLY HAVING A GOOD TIME. IT WASN’T REALLY WHAT I WANTED TO BE DOING. SO, KRIS AND I WORKED TOGETHER IN A WAREHOUSE AND I WAS JUST LIKE, ‘HEY, DUDE. LET’S GET TOGETHER AND JAM.’ AND THERE WAS ANOTHER DUDE THERE WHO PLAYED DRUMS, SO THE THREE OF US JUST STARTED HANGING OUT AND PLAYING AND THEN ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER. I QUIT THAT OTHER BAND AND JAMESON KNEW KRIS.

KRIS: WE HAD ALSO WORKED TOGETHER LIKE, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS BEFORE THAT.

JAMESON: AT THE FAMILY WASH. WHEN I FIRST MET HIM-- I THOUGHT HIS NAME WAS, WHAT WAS IT?

KRIS: WAS IT CHARLIE?
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LLN: IT WAS CHARLIE. THEN YOU CAME TO BE KNOWN AS 'NOT-CHARLIE', AT MY HOUSE BECAUSE WE KNEW YOUR NAME WASN’T CHARLIE. ALSO REST IN PEACE, FAMILY WASH.

EVERYONE LAUGHS.

KRIS: THAT COULD BE MY NICKNAME. KRIS ‘NOT CHARLIE’ JEDD. CHARLIE NOT CHARLIE.

JAMESON: WELL, AND KRIS HAD SENT ME SOME OF HIS DEMOS AND STUFF HE WAS WORKING ON.

KRIS: I’D BEEN WORKING ON SOME SOLO STUFF AT THE TIME.

​JAMESON: I THOUGHT IT SOUNDED SUPER COOL. IT REMINDED ME OF LIKE, THE BLACK KEYS AND TY SEGALL.

KRIS: YEAH, AND THEN WHEN BAXTER AND I WERE WRITING, I THOUGHT, IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL IF JAMESON WAS WORKING WITH US ON THIS STUFF, AND SO, I INVITED YOU OVER AND WE DID THAT WHOLE THING.

BAXTER: LIKE, TWO REHEARSALS LATER, HE WAS LIKE, ‘I HAVE A FRIEND THAT IS PUTTING ON SHOWS. WE COULD GO PLAY ONE.’ WE WERE LIKE, ‘OKAY, I GUESS WE’RE GONNA GO PLAY THIS HOUSE SHOW.’ SO, WE DID.

LLN: AND WHEN DID CALEB COME ALONG?

BAXTER: HE DIDN’T.

KRIS: NO, HE’S HERE. I CAN SEE HIM.

EVERYONE LAUGHS
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JAMESON: THAT’S SUCH A FUNNY STORY.

CALEB: HOW I GOT INVOLVED WAS, I HAD JUST PARTED WAYS WITH THE BAND I HAD BEEN TOURING WITH, SO I WAS JUST LIVING AT HOME, BACK IN TEXAS AND I HAD A ONE-OFF SHOW BOOKED WITH THIS BLUES ARTIST I WAS PLAYING WITH AND JAMESON SOMEHOW HAD A CONNECTION WITH THIS GUY.

JAMESON: WE’LL GET TO THAT.

BAXTER: AND THEN IT ENDED UP I SOMEHOW ALSO HAD A CONNECTION WITH THIS GUY.

CALEB: THIS RANDOM GUY IN ARKANSAS THAT SOMEHOW HAD A CONNECTION WITH JAMESON. AT THE END OF THE SET [JAMESON] JUST CAME UP AND STARTED TALKING TO ME AND WAS LIKE, 'DUDE, I THINK YOU PLAY WELL AND, LIKE, HERE'S A CARD FOR WHENEVER YOU MOVE UP HERE.' AND AT THAT POINT, ACTUALLY, IT'S KIND OF CRAZY. IT ALL HAPPENED SUPER FAST BECAUSE RIGHT BEFORE THAT SHOW, I MET WITH THE GUYS THAT BECAME MY FIRST NASHVILLE ROOMMATES AND THEN I MOVED UP TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT SHOW, ALMOST EXACTLY.


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BAXTER: YEAH, HE PLAYED A REVIVAL AT MY CHURCH IN TEXAS YEARS AGO, EVERYTHING JUST KIND OF CAME TOGETHER AND CLICKED REALLY FAST.

CALEB: EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE PERFECTLY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO COME UP HERE RIGHT AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE NEEDING SOMEBODY FOR SOME SHOWS AND YEAH, SO I JUST CAME IN AND (LAUGHS). ANOTHER TESTAMENT TO HOW FAST IT HAPPENED, JAMESON MESSAGED ME PROBABLY A WEEK AFTER I HAD JUST GOTTEN SETTLED IN AND HE WAS LIKE, 'HEY MAN, HOW'S MOVING TO NASHVILLE GOING? I'D LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU.' AND I WAS LIKE, 'WELL, ACTUALLY I JUST MOVED UP HERE, SO LET ME KNOW ANY TIME YOU'RE GETTING TOGETHER, I WOULD LOVE TO COME OUT AND JAM WITH Y’ALL.' HE WAS LIKE, 'WELL, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE A REHEARSAL TOMORROW IF YOU WANT TO COME BY.'

EVERYONE LAUGHS

JAMESON: AND YOU DID!

BAXTER: WE REHEARSED AND THEN, LIKE THREE DAYS LATER HE PLAYED A SHOW WITH US.

CALEB: WE HAD NEVER-- I HAD NEVER LISTENED TO ANY OF THE MUSIC.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

CALEB: IT WAS JUST PURE, LIKE--
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BAXTER: YEAH, AND THEN LIKE TWO DAYS AFTER THE FIRST SHOW TOGETHER WE WENT AND PLAYED OUR FIRST OUT OF TOWN SHOW.

CALEB: IT WAS ALL PRETTY FAST.

JAMESON: OH, YEAH. FLORENCE [ALABAMA] WAS LIKE--

KRIS: YOU WERE JUST LIKE, ‘HERE’S THIS DUDE.’ THEN HE WAS HERE.

LLN: AND HE’S BEEN HERE EVER SINCE.

CALEB: YEAH EXACTLY! I GOT HERE AND NOW, I’M HERE NOW, NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

JAMESON: BUT IT WAS A CRAZY COINCIDENCE WHY I WAS AT THAT SHOW, BECAUSE THE ARTIST THAT CALEB WAS PLAYING WITH WAS-- SO THE GUY THAT THE SINGER THAT I MOVED TO NASHVILLE TO WRITE WITH, THE GUY SHE WAS DATING BACK WHEN I MOVED HERE MANAGED THE BAND CALEB WAS PLAYING WITH.

LLN: SMALL WORLD.

CALEB: YEAH, IT’S SUCH A ‘MY-COUSIN’S-UNCLE’S-FRIEND’ KIND OF THING, BUT IN ARKANSAS, THAT’S SO COMMON.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

JAMESON: THE SINGER OF MY OLD BAND USED TO RAVE ABOUT HIM. HE’S LIKE THIS WILD, JOHN THE BAPTIST, BEARDED MISSIONARY GOSPEL BLUES SINGER, YOU KNOW, WITH LIKE A ROCK AND ROLL TWIST.

CALEB: HE DOES HAVE A GREAT STAGE PRESENCE AND HE’S A GREAT MUSICIAN AND HE SOUNDS GREAT ALL THE TIME, EVEN IN REHEARSALS. HE JUST ALWAYS HAS THAT PASSION, WHICH IS REALLY ADMIRABLE. BUT YEAH, IT WAS A PRETTY CRAZY CONNECTION.
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JAMESON: NO, BUT MY ROOMMATE WAS RUNNING THE DOOR OF THAT SHOW AND I HADN’T SEEN THIS GUY SINCE RIGHT AFTER I HAD MOVED TO NASHVILLE. I USED TO HANG OUT WITH HIM ALL THE TIME BACK WHEN I GOT HERE. YEAH, IT MADE ME FEEL NOSTALGIC ABOUT FIRST MOVING TO NASHVILLE AND I WAS JUST LIKE, ‘I’M GOING TO GO OUT TO THIS SHOW.’ I GET THERE AND THERE’S THIS AMAZING DRUMMER AND AT THE TIME, WE WERE AUDITIONING DRUMMERS AND THOSE AUDITIONS WERE NOT--

BAXTER: GOING WELL.

JAMESON: ...GOING VERY WELL AND SO I SAW THIS GREAT DRUMMER AND I TOOK SOME VIDEO AND SENT IT TO THE GUYS AND WAS LIKE, ‘HEY, CHECK OUT THIS GUY.’ AND IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE, I TEXTED YOU THE DAY AFTER THAT SHOW, BUT I HAD THE WRONG PHONE NUMBER. SO I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST BLOWING ME OFF. THEN, A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, WE WERE LIKE, ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THAT DRUMMER?’ SO I FACEBOOK MESSAGED YOU INSTEAD AND I THINK THAT’S WHEN YOU GOT IT.

KRIS: DID THAT RANDOM NUMBER GET BACK TO YOU?
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JAMESON: NO, THEY DIDN’T.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

BAXTER: IT COULD HAVE ALL GONE DIFFERENTLY, HAD HE NOT FOUND YOU ON FACEBOOK.

KRIS: THANKS, MARK ZUCKERBERG

BAXTER: THANKS, MAN.

LLN: ALRIGHT, SO TELL ME ABOUT THE SOUND. I PERSONALLY HAVE A HARD TIME DESCRIBING YOUR GENRE TO PEOPLE, BECAUSE IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT SONG YOU'RE LISTENING TO AT THE TIME, BUT IN THE MOST GENERIC SENSE, YOU ARE A ROCK AND ROLL BAND. HOW WOULD YOU EACH DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND? CAN YOU?

KRIS: I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE VERY DIFFERENT INFLUENCES, I’D SAY. I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE THE SAME.

CALEB: OUR INFLUENCES INDIVIDUALLY, I THINK ARE VERY, VASTLY DIFFERENT AS FAR AS WHAT WE DRAW UPON AND WHAT WE PLAY, BUT WE PUT IT TOGETHER AND THAT’S KIND OF HOW YOU GET THE SOUND THAT WE HAVE. AND WE HAVE SOME SIMILAR INFLUENCES, SO THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DRAW FROM OUR COLLECTIVE MUSIC TASTES, TOO. I DON’T KNOW, I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY IT’S CLASSIC ROCK AND ROLL, BUT WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A MODERN TWIST.

KRIS: I THINK WE ALL HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR SONGWRITING OF ALL GENRES, SO WE KIND OF PULL DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.

JAMESON: MY BROTHER HAD A REALLY VULGAR EXPRESSION FOR OUR SOUND WHEN I SHOWED HIM OUR ROUGH MIXES WHEN I WAS IN PHOENIX.

KRIS: VULGAR?

JAMESON: HE WAS LIKE, NIRVANA KNOCKED UP THE ARCTIC MONKEYS.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

JAMESON: THAT WAS JUST FUNNY TO ME.

LLN: I FEEL THAT.

JAMESON: I THINK KINGS OF LEON IS A REALLY COMMON INFLUENCE ALL AROUND. IT’S A UNIFYING ONE

CALEB: IT’S THE ONE WE ALL KNOW VERY WELL.

KRIS: AND FOR SURE, LIKE, ZEPPELIN.

JAMESON: SABBATH.

KRIS: CLASSICS.

LLN: WOULD YOU SAY THOSE INFLUENCES COME THROUGH HEAVILY IN YOUR SOUND? IT IT SOMETHING THAT SPILLS THROUGH INTO YOUR SONGWRITING?

KRIS: I THINK YOU CAN HEAR CERTAIN THINGS.

CALEB: I WOULDN’T SAY HEAVILY, BUT THERE ARE FLASHES OF SOME THINGS, EITHER IN TONE OR RHYTHM BUT IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE’RE ALL STILL SORT OF GETTING USED TO WRITING WITH EACH OTHER THAT I THINK IT WILL CHANGE OVER TIME.

JAMESON: I THINK IT’S FAIRLY COMMON FOR A YOUNG BAND TO WEAR IT’S INFLUENCES ON IT’S SLEEVE.

CALEB: FOR SURE.

JAMESON: YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE GREATS, I MEAN THE BEATLES AND THE STONES, THEY STARTED OFF WITH A VERY DERIVATIVE SOUND. THEY SOUNDED LIKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON AT THE TIME AND THEN THEY FOUND THEIR OWN VOICE. I DON'T ACTUALLY THINK WE SOUND LIKE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

LLN: WHAT’S THE WRITING PROCESS LIKE FOR YOU GUYS? DO YOU CO-WRITE, DOES EVERYONE--

BAXTER: IT’S A TOSS UP EVERY TIME. FOR WHAT WE HAVE NOW, THERE ARE SONGS THAT EACH OF US WROTE INDIVIDUALLY AND THERE’S SONGS THAT WE WROTE TOGETHER.
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KRIS: I THINK IN EVERY SONG, THOUGH, THERE’S AT LEAST ONE THING EACH PERSON HAS CONTRIBUTED, AT LEAST.

BAXTER: WE’VE ALL ADDED OUR OWN SOMETHING TO THE SONGS TO MAKE IT WHAT IT IS.

LLN: SO, EVERYONE JUST TAKES CARE OF THEIR OWN PARTS?

BAXTER: YEAH. EVERYONE IS IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THEIR PARTS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.

LLN: DO YOU FIND IT EASIER OR MORE DIFFICULT TO WRITE AS A GROUP OR TO CO-WRITE, AS OPPOSED TO SITTING DOWN AND WRITING YOUR PART AND THEN BRINGING IT TO THE GROUP?

BAXTER: I KNOW, AS FAR AS WRITING INDIVIDUAL PARTS, AT LEAST FOR ME, IT SEEMS EASIER TO COME UP WITH PARTS WHEN EVERYBODY’S TOGETHER. IT’S NOT AS EASY TO COME UP WITH THOSE PARTS BY MYSELF.

LLN: YOU’RE SORT OF FEEDING OFF THE ENERGY OF THE OTHERS.

BAXTER: IT’S KIND OF HARD TO GET INSPIRED WITHOUT THAT ENERGY FROM EVERYONE ELSE.

KRIS: IT’S KIND OF WEIRD FOR ME. I DO BOTH. WHEN I SIT AT HOME AND WRITE, I COULD DO THAT FOR DAYS ON AND ON AND NOT GET SICK OF IT, BUT I DEFINITELY LIKE WORKING OFF OF EACH OTHER. I THINK THAT BRINGS ITS OWN ELEMENT TO IT.

CALEB: AS FAR AS DRUM PARTS, IT’S, UH, IT’S KIND OF HARD TO WRITE A DRUM PART JUST BY YOURSELF.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

CALEB: YEAH, I MEAN, IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE. I’VE DONE IT BEFORE AND JUST BEEN LIKE, THIS IS A REALLY COOL LITTLE GROOVE IDEA THAT I HAVE. THEN, I’LL BRING IT TO THE GUYS AND SAY, ‘LET’S SEE WHERE IT GOES.’ HONESTLY, I HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN A BAND OR DOING MUSIC AT THIS KIND OF LEVEL. SO, IT’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I’M ALWAYS EAGERLY TRYING TO IMPROVE ON. I ENJOY JUST BEING WITH EVERYBODY AND CREATING SOMETHING IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS ABOUT MUSIC-- BEING ABLE TO SHARE IN THAT KIND OF CREATIVE PROCESS. IT’S SO MUCH MORE FUN TO WRITE SOMETHING THAT YOU FINISH PLAYING AND YOU’RE LIKE, ‘THAT WAS SO COOL’ WITH PEOPLE THAN DOING IT BY YOURSELF. I MEAN, YOU CAN-- IT’S A DIFFERENT FEELING, BUT IF YOU WRITE SOMETHING BY YOURSELF, YOU’RE LIKE, ‘WOW, THAT’S COOL I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW PEOPLE.’ BUT WHENEVER YOU’RE DOING IT AND IT’S ALL GELLED PERFECTLY AND YOU’RE LIKE, ‘YEEEEAAAH, THAT’S AWESOME.’

JAMESON: I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER BEEN IN A BAND WITH SO MANY STRONG CREATIVE VOICES THAT WORK TOGETHER SO WELL. I THINK THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE STRONG SONGWRITERS WITH STRONG CREATIVE IDENTITIES THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON THESE SONGS. I THINK ‘BOYS’ WAS REALLY THE MOMENT WHEN THE SONGWRITING PROCESS FOR US REALLY--

JAMESON, BAXTER, KRIS: (IN UNISON): CLICKED.

BAXTER: YEAH.

KRIS: IT WAS VERY FAST WRITING.

LLN: THAT IS YOUR FIRST OFFICIAL SINGLE?

JAMESON: YEAH, WE CAME INTO THAT SESSION WITH A RIFF THAT KRIS HAD BEEN WORKING ON.

BAXTER: WE HAD BEEN WORKING ON IT THE NIGHT BEFORE.

JAMESON: AND BAXTER HAD A VERSE IDEA. WE JUST SAT DOWN AND IN AND AFTERNOON--

BAXTER: IT WAS LIKE, IN AN HOUR. WE SAT DOWN AND ALL THE LYRICS WERE WRITTEN.

JAMESON: YEAH, WE FINISHED THE LYRICS. WE FIGURED OUT WHAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE SONG WAS. I REMEMBER WHEN WE SAT DOWN WITH THE DRUMMER AT THE TIME TO EXPLAIN THE SONG, HE SAID, ‘WOW. THIS SONG STRUCTURE IS WEIRD, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE IT ENTIRELY FIGURED OUT. YOU KNOW WHERE THIS SONG IS GOING’ IT WAS A FUN SESSION. I THINK WE REALIZED COULD WRITE TOGETHER IN A ROOM AND EACH CONTRIBUTE IDEAS AND LET EVERYTHING HAPPEN. IT IS TRUE THAT SOME SONGS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN MORE INDIVIDUALLY THAN OTHERS, BUT I THINK THE PROCESS WHERE WE ALL COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT THE ARRANGEMENT AND EVERYTHING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.


LLN: WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT OF SONGWRITING, DO ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE FIRST SONG YOU EVERY WROTE?

BAXTER: NO, I DON’T.

KRIS: I’D HAVE TO DIG REAL DEEP IN GARAGEBAND FOR THAT.

JAMESON: OH, SHIT. WHAT WAS IT?

KRIS: WELL, ACTUALLY, THIS IS A WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY BLAST FROM THE PAST. WHEN I WAS, LIKE FIVE, MY UNCLE WAS VISITING US AND I WAS PLAYING THE FAMILY PIANO WE HAD IN OUR BASEMENT AND I MADE THIS THING UP AND I WAS SHOWING IT TO HIM AND I WAS LIKE, ‘THIS IS CALLED ‘SUMMER DAY’.’

EVERYONE LAUGHS

KRIS: THE NEXT DAY, HE WAS LIKE, ‘CAN YOU PLAY THAT SONG YOU WROTE YESTERDAY?’ AND I STARTED DOING IT. I THINK THAT’S THE FIRST SONG I EVER WROTE.

LLN: NICE. ‘SUMMER DAY.’

JAMESON & CALEB: ‘SUMMER DAY’

KRIS: IT WAS PROBABLY THREE NOTES.

BAXTER: I DON’T REMEMBER AT ALL.

CALEB: I’M JUST GETTING INTO WRITING. I GUESS, MY FIRST EVER DRUM PART I EVER WROTE AND I WAS JUST LIKE, “OH, THIS IS WHAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE.” WAS A SONG CALLED ‘ FOOL OF MYSELF’ THAT I DID THAT JUST RANDOMLY CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND I WAS LIKE-- OKAY.

JAMESON: I THINK THE FIRST SONG I REMEMBER ACTUALLY COMPLETING WAS A RAP/ROCK SONG.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

KRIS: WHOA. I NEED TO HEAR THIS.

JAMESON: NOT ONLY A RAP/ROCK SONG, IT WAS A CHRISTIAN RAP/ROCK SONG. I WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD.

BAXTER: ELEVEN. HE HAD THE HOLY SPIRIT IN HIM AT ELEVEN.

CALEB: TOBYMAC!

JAMESON: BACK THEN, IT WAS DC TALK. DC TALK WAS THE--

KRIS: (MOCK RAPPING) WIPE YOUR SHOES OFF WHEN YOU COME IN.

BAXTER: ISN’T THAT WILL SMITH? [NO.]

JAMESON: THAT IS WILL SMITH [IT’S NOT. IT’S A FAMILY GUY PARODY OF WILL SMITH] DC TALK AND WILL SMITH SHARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

JAMESON: WHEN I WAS ELEVEN, I HAD THIS FRIEND AND WE WANTED TO BE SONGWRITERS TOGETHER, BUT NEITHER OF US COULD PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS. HE ACTUALLY ENDED UP BEING A MUSICIAN, TOO. HE PLAYED IN BANDS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AS A GUITAR PLAYER AND A BASS PLAYER. BUT, YEAH. ELEVEN YEARS OLD. THE TITLE OF IT WAS ‘ STRUGGLIN’ AGAINST THE FLOW.’

CALEB: OH, GOD!

EVERYONE LAUGHS

BAXTER: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE’RE ALL HEARING THE TITLE OF THIS SONG.

CALEB: SPEAKING OF WILL SMITH, MY FIRST TIME EVER GOING INTO MIAMI WAS LISTENING TO ‘MIAMI’ BY WILL SMITH. FUN FACT. IT WAS AMAZING.




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LLN: THAT’S BEAUTIFUL.

JAMESON: COME ON, BAXTER.

BAXTER: I CAN’T REMEMBER.

JAMESON: WHAT’S THE FIRST SONG YOU REMEMBER BEING PROUD OF?

LLN: WHAT IS THE EARLIEST SONG YOU REMEMBER WRITING, IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE FIRST.

BAXTER: I DO REMEMBER, AT A YOUNG AGE, ME AND MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND TRYING TO WRITE A SONG. LOOKING BACK, I KNOW THAT WAS THE WORST POSSIBLE SONG EVER WRITTEN.

CALEB: I HAD A VERY SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. THAT JUST STRUCK MY MEMORY

BAXTER: I KNOW IT WAS BAD. I DON’T REMEMBER EVER BEING LIKE, ‘THIS IS CALLED WHATEVER.’ I JUST REMEMBER WRITING IT AND BEING LIKE, ‘WELL, THIS IS GARBAGE.’

EVERYONE LAUGHS

JAMESON: THAT’S THE TITLE OF THE SONG. ‘THIS IS GARBAGE’

LLN: YOU GUYS SEEM LIKE YOU LIKE EACH OTHER A LOT.

BAXTER: (LAUGHS) NO, NOT AT ALL.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

CALEB: WE'RE JUST GREAT ACTORS.

LLN: YEAH, YOU'RE ALL JUST EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL

JAMESON: WE'RE ALL JUST PRETTY PEOPLE WHO THINK WE'RE LOOKING IN THE MIRROR WHEN WE'RE HANGING OUT TOGETHER.

LLN: I IMAGINE, THOUGH, THAT DOING ALL OF THIS DOESN'T FEEL AS HARD WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS. I MEAN, IT PROBABLY FEELS LESS LIKE A CHORE AND MORE LIKE, 'HEY GUYS, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS COOL THING TOGETHER! LET'S GO!'

EVERYONE LAUGHS

CALEB: WELL, AND THAT'S WHAT SO FUN ABOUT TOURING. IF YOU'RE WITH YOU'RE FRIENDS, IT'S JUST A ROAD TRIP OF MISCHIEF AND FUN AND THEN YOU GET TO PLAY SHOWS ALONG THE WAY. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT.

JAMESON: I THINK IT'S REALLY LIKE JOINING THE CIRCUS, YOU KNOW? THE THING YOUR PARENTS WERE AFRAID THAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO, YOU WERE GOING TO RUN AWAY AND JOIN THE CIRCUS AND BEING A TOURING BAND IS A LOT LIKE THAT.

CALEB: THIS IS WHAT MY DAD DID WHEN HE WAS MY AGE. SO HE'S JUST KIND OF LIKE, 'YEAH, I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.'

JAMESON: JUST WANDERING FROM TOWN TO TOWN, SETTING UP SHOP, PROVIDING ENTERTAINMENT AND HOLDING YOUR HAT OUT AND HOPING SOMEONE THROWS A TIP IN IT. ​
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LLN: YOU'VE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW FRIENDS WITH SOME EXPERIENCE WHO YOU RELY ON A LITTLE BIT FOR GUIDANCE, TELL ME ABOUT A COUPLE OF BANDS-- A COUPLE OF LOCAL, NASHVILLE-CENTRIC BANDS THAT YOU GUYS LOVE RIGHT NOW. WHO ARE YOU DIGGING?

CALEB: WELL, THE WEEKS. I SAW THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME ON NEW YEAR'S EVE AND THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME HEARING THEIR MUSIC AND I WAS BIG TIME INTO THAT. AND SOME FRIENDS OF OURS, QUIET OAKS. THEY'RE PROBABLY MY FAVORITE BAND WE'VE EVER PLAYED WITH.

BAXTER: YEAH. THEY'VE BEEN A BIG HELP FOR US. IN SOME WAYS THEY KIND OF FEEL LIKE OUR MUSICAL BIG BROTHERS. THEY'VE KIND OF HELPED US GET OUR BEARINGS ON CERTAIN THINGS.

JAMESON: YEAH, THERE ARE SO MANY AND RECENTLY I'VE BEEN LOVING SAD BAXTER.

BAXTER: I AM NOT SAD, BY THE WAY. I AM OKAY.

JAMESON: IT'S FUNNY. WE GOT CONFUSED FOR SAD BAXTER AT THIS ONE SHOW.

LLN: BAXTER, BEFORE I MET YOU AND NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THEM YET, I SAW YOUR NAME ONLINE, I THINK I ASSUMED YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THEM, TOO.

BAXTER: I WENT UP AND INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THE GUY AND WAS LIKE, ‘HEY, MY NAME IS BAXTER.’ AND HE WAS LIKE, 'OH, ARE YOU FROM SAD BAXTER?' 'NO, I AM NOT.'

JAMESON: HE MOTIONED TO US AND WAS LIKE, 'SO YOU GUYS ARE SAD BAXTER?'

LLN: JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NAME IS BAXTER.

CALEB: OUR IS HAPPY BAXTER.

JAMESON: YEAH, BUT, UM, SAD BAXTER. MICROWAVE MOUNTAIN, AND GYASI ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES.

LLN: WHAT ABOUT YOU, KRIS?

KRIS: UM, LET'S SEE. TENNESSEE MUSCLE CANDY, OKEY DOKEY- THEY'RE REALLY COOL. HONESTLY, THERE ARE SO MANY.

LLN: YEAH, HONESTLY, THAT'S A BIT OF A LOADED QUESTION IN NASHVILLE. THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF REALLY GOOD MUSIC, WHICH IS THE PERFECT SEGUE TO MY NEXT QUESTION. YOU ALL CAME TO MAKE MUSIC IN NASHVILLE, WHICH IS ARGUABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT CITY IN WHICH TO BE A MUSICIAN, BECAUSE THE MARKET IS HEAVILY SATURATED AND EVERYONE COMES FROM EVERYWHERE TO MAKE MUSIC HERE. WHAT IS IT THAT SETS YOU APART FROM THE COUNTLESS OTHER ROCK BANDS THAT WE MIGHT SEE PLAYING OUT OR HEAR ON ONE OF THE LOCAL RADIO STATIONS? IS IT THAT YOU WANT IT MORE?

JAMESON: I THINK WHAT SETS US APART IS THAT WE'RE ALL PRETTY EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY AT THIS STAGE OF EVERYTHING HAPPENING. THERE ARE A LOT OF BANDS THAT ARE VERY TALENTED AND HAVE GOOD SONGS, BUT AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE, THERE'S OFTEN A LOT OF CAUSTIC NEGATIVE ENERGY AND RIVALRIES OR JUST TRIVIAL STUFF THAT GETS IN THE WAY OF MAKING MUSIC. I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD THING GOING CREATIVELY, BUT OUR RELATIONSHIS ARE REALLY HEALTHY, TOO.

BAXTER & KRIS: WE'RE FRIENDS.

JAMESON: YEAH, THIS IS THE GANG.

CALEB: WE'RE A GROUP OF VERY OPINIONATED AND VERY TALENTED PEOPLE, BUT THE COOL THING IS THAT WE'RE ALL VERY HUMBLE...

EVERYONE ERUPTS INTO LAUGHTER.





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​LLN: YEAH, CLEARLY.

CALEB: WHAT I MEAN IS, NONE OF US ARE LIKE 'I'M THE SHIT.'

JAMESON: WE'RE VERY TALENTED, BUT THE BEST THING ABOUT US IS WE'RE SO HUMBLE!

​EVERYONE LAUGHS

BAXTER: WE ALL KNOW THAT WE CAN ALWAYS GET BETTER AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE THE CASE.

JAMESON: AND EVERYONE GIVES AND RECEIVES NOTES OR CRITICISM OR WHATEVER WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ALL WANT OUR SONGS TO BE THE BEST THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE.

LLN: THERE ARE NO EGOS TO CHECK.

BAXTER: I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT REALLY SETS US APART IS THAT WE'RE ALL FRIENDS, YES, BUT WHEN WE'RE ON STAGE PLAYING, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACT LIKE WE'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME. WE'RE GENUINELY ENJOYING PLAYING TOGETHER WHETHER THE ROOM HAS ONE PERSON IN IT OR IS COMPLETELY PACKED OUT. WE'RE JUST HAVING FUN PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER. AND JUST--

CALEB: YEAH, I MEAN, WE HAVE FUN AT REHEARSAL. IT'S NEVER SOMETHING YOU DREAD.

JAMESON: SERIOUSLY, ARE WE NOT DOING PHRASING?

EVERYONE LAUGHS

BAXTER: (LAUGHS) YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. WE HAVE FUN JUST REHEARSING WITH NOBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM.

JAMESON: WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER THE MOST IS THE ENERGY WHEN I FIRST WENT INTO THE REHEARSAL SPACE AND FIRST SAT DOWN TO PLAY WITH BAXTER AND KRIS. I THINK THAT THE ENERGY THAT I FELT AND THE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT US JAMMING TOGETHER AND THE SONGS THAT WE WERE STARTING TO WRITE-- WHAT MADE ME EXCITED ABOUT IT IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT. I THINK THE PEOPLE CAN FEEL THE EXCITEMENT WE FEEL WHEN WE PLAY.

LLN: SO WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT YOU GUYS WANTING TO DO SOME D.I.Y. TOURS AND GETTING MORE INVOLVED IN THE D.I.Y. CIRCUIT, WHICH ISN'T SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO DO. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT SELF PROMOTION, ESPECIALLY IN OTHER STATES WHERE YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR LISTENERS AS REGULARLY AS YOU MIGHT WANT. YES, THERE IS SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH SUPPOSED TO MAKE EVERYTHING EASIER, BUT DOES IT?


CALEB: ON THE ONE HAND, IT'S EASY ACCESS TO TONS OF PEOPLE. THE HARD PART IS GETTING ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT YOU AND CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE IT'S SO SATURATED. THERE ARE GREAT ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE CAN EASILY CONNECT WITH YOU. IT'S JUST GETTING THE INITIAL FAN BASE AND NAME RECOGNITION.

KRIS: IT'S GREAT FOR COMMUNICATION. THERE'S JUST SO MUCH OF EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET. IT'S DIFFICULT TO SIFT THROUGH.

JAMESON: THE HARD PART FOR ME ABOUT IT IS ON THE ONE HAND, LOOKING AT THE BAND AS A BUSINESS. WE WANT TO PROMOTE, BUT ALSO AS MUSICIANS, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE OR OUR PROFILE PAGE ON FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM OR WHATEVER IS JUST US. BUT IT'S HARD TO KEEP IT AS JUST YOU AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND KEEP IT LIKE, A--

LLN: IT’S DIFFICULT TO KEEP YOUR INTERACTIONS GENUINE?

JAMESON: YEAH, TO HAVE GENUINE INTERACTIONS AND NOT ALL JUST, "HEY, COME TO THE SHOW!' YOU KNOW? LET ME ENDORSE MYSELF. IT'S BEING YOURSELF. BECAUSE YOU WANT YOUR BAND TO BE PROMOTED, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE--

LLN: GROSS?

BAXTER: YOU DON'T WANT TO BE 'THAT GUY'

JAMESON: YEAH, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THAT GUY.

KRIS: DON'T BE THAT GUY.

CALEB: NOBODY LIKES THAT GUY.

BAXTER: I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE THAT ONE FACEBOOK FRIEND WHO SENDS THEIR INVITES EVERY SINGLE SHOW--

JAMESON: THEY'RE ALWAYS JUST, LIKE HYPING THEIR CONTENT OR WHATEVER. IT'S GROSS.

BAXTER: YEAH, IT'S THE WORST.

LLN: OKAY, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. NOW, IN THIS PORTION OF THE INTERVIEW, I ASK THAT YOU DO NOT THINK, ONLY ANSWER.

KRIS: WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
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​LLN: IT'S OKAY, THEY'RE JUST RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS.

EVERYONE LAUGHS

JAMESON: KRIS IS CATCHING UP.

LLN: IT'S EASY. THEY'RE ALL MUSIC RELATED. DON'T WORRY. IT'S NOTHING SCARY.

KRIS: I'M NOT GOOD WITH TESTS.

LLN: IT'S JUST A LITTLE QUIZ. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST OR BAND OF ALL TIME?

KRIS: OOF.

BAXTER: KINGS OF LEON. (TO KRIS) YOU CAN SAY IT, TOO. IT'S OKAY.

LLN: IT'S OKAY IF IT'S THE SAME.

KRIS: TAME IMPALA, I GOTTA SAY.

CALEB: RIGHT NOW, HONESTLY PROBABLY FOO FIGHTERS IF WE'RE GOING BAND, THEN ARTIST DANIEL CEASAR.

LLN: JAMESON?

BAXTER: DON'T THINK! JUST SAY!

JAMESON: HONESTLY, IT'S SO FUCKING CHEESY BUT THE BEATLES.

LLN: THEY'RE NOT THE BEATLES FOR NOTHING.

JAMESON: IF I'M BEING HONEST, THAT'S THE BAND I ALWAYS GO BACK TO.

LLN: ALRIGHT, YOUR FAVORITE RECORD. YOUR DESERT ISLAND RECORD. IT'S THE ONE YOU'VE GOT. IT'S A HARD QUESTION BECAUSE I'M NOT GIVING YOU THREE.

CALEB: YEAH, THAT'S TOUGH.

JAMESON: I'M GOING TO JUMP ON THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY 'AHA SHAKE HEARTBREAK' BECAUSE I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO IT A LOT LATELY. IT MIGHT BE TEMPORARY OBSESSION. BECAUSE THE ARRANGEMENTS ARE JUST SO BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED AND THEY ENCOURAGE REPEAT LISTENING.

CALEB: I WOULD SAY MINE IS THRILLER. BECAUSE I LOVE THE 80S POP STUFF AND EVEN THE MODERN 80S NOSTALGIA STUFF. THAT'S DEFINITELY JUST THE SOURCE OF WHERE ALL THE MUSIC I LOVE COMES FROM.

KRIS: I'M GONNA SAY BEGGARS BANQUET, BY THE STONES.

JAMESON: FUCK, I WAS GONNA SAY A STONES ONE, TOO.

BAXTER: THERE'S SO MANY.

JAMESON: WHY CAN'T THERE BE FIVE? GIVE US FIVE. OR TEN.

BAXTER: I'VE BEEN REALLY LISTENING A LOT TO THE REMASTER OF THE WHITE ALBUM.

JAMESON: OOH, THAT'S A GOOD ONE.

KRIS: YEAH. THAT'S A LONG ONE.
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JAMESON: HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO THE ESCHER DEMOS? ON THE REMASTER, THE ORIGINAL DEMOS THEY MAKE A GEORGE'S HOUSE? THE ACOUSTIC DEMOS.

BAXTER: YEAH, I DID.

KRIS: IT'S REALLY COOL.

LLN: THIS IS EITHER A TWO-PARTER OR AN EITHER/OR. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LYRICIST OR INSTRUMENTALIST?

JAMESON: BOTH. LYRICIST FOR ME, AND GOD, THIS IS SO FUCKING PRENTIOUS, BUT LYRICIST FOR ME IS JACQUES BREL. HE'S THIS BELGIAN LYRICIST AND HIS SONGS ARE SO POWERFUL. I THINK THAT HE'S BETTER THAN LEONARD COHEN. HE'S BETTER THAN BOB DYLAN. HE'S SO GOOD. AND INSTRUMENTALIST, JAMES JAMERSON, MOTOWN. BEST BASSIST OF ALL TIME.

CALEB: LYRICIST IS KIND OF HARD FOR ME BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO A LOT OF SONGWRITING STUFF, BUT DAVE GROHL IS A REALLY GREAT ROCK AND ROLL SONGWRITER. THEN AGAIN, DANIEL CEASAR HAS THIS AMAZING WAY OF WRITING THESE ALMOST DIRTY LYRICS, BUT YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT BECAUSE HE SOUNDS SO GOOD. AND AS FAR AS MUSICIAN, I HAVE A JOHN BONHAM TATTOO. HE'S SUPER INFLUENTIAL TO ME. HE'S DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVORITE DRUMMERS.

KRIS: THIS IS SO DIFFICULT.

BAXTER: SUCK IT UP, MAN.

LLN: YEAH, I DON'T DO LIKE THROWAWAY QUESTION SHIT. TALK ABOUT YOUR GUITAR. THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, RIGHT?

KRIS: OH, FOR SURE. WELL, THE GUITAR I HAVE IS THIS CUSTOM SIGNATURE GUITAR BY THIS BAND THE PILLOWS. THEY'RE A BAND THAT I'VE ALWAYS LOVED. MY BROTHER WENT ON THIS TRIP TO JAPAN AND BROUGHT BACK ALL THIS COOL MUSIC. I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I REALLY GOT INTO THEM. THEIR SONGWRITING IS INCREDIBLE AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE U.S. OVERLOOK IT BECAUSE THEIR LYRICS ARE IN JAPANESE, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THEY HAVE SOME OF MY FAVORITE SONGWRITERS. BOTH INSTRUMENTALLY AND IF YOU LOOK AT TRANSLATED LYRICS.

BAXTER: AS FAR AS LYRICS GO, I REALLY LIKE NOAH GUNDERSON AND SHITTY BEHAVIOR NOTWITHSTANDING, RYAN ADAMS. AS FAR AS INSTRUMENT, I DON'T KNOW IF I REALLY HAVE ONE SPECIFIC PLAYER THAT I WOULD SAY IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL TO ME. I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IT'S HARD TO PIN ONE DOWN.

LLN: WELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS. THIS WAS REALLY FUN.

KRIS: KEEP ON ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLD.

JAMESON: YEAH.

BAXTER: YEP.

LLN: COOL. - Love Local Nashville