Interview with Seager Tennis from Mellow Bravo from Boston; Playing @sxsw this week! @mellowbravo
Boston, Massachusetts sextet Mellow Bravo are making their way to SXSW this week, along with just about every other band hellbent on making their mark in the music industry. Steeped in the Rock n Roll sound and attitude, Mellow Bravo’s spirited approach will suit anyone who wants some straight forward ragers nicely. Check out this great video for their track RIDIN’ and judge for yourself.
Introduced by another band, The Lights Out, who I spoke with here on Live High Five a little while ago, I caught up with bassist/vocalist Seager Tennis via FB Chat (of all places) and got the skinny on who Mellow Bravo is, what they’re doing, and where they’re playing in Austin during SXSW!
Interview:
G- Hi there and thank you very much for taking the time to speak with Live High Five! Introduce the members in the group… Who is everyone, what do they play, and where does everyone come from?
ST- Hey happy to be here! Mellow Bravo is out of Boston, Massachusetts, and our 6 members are:
Keith Pierce (vocals)
Jess Collins (keys, vocals)
Andrew Doherty (guitars)
Jeff Fultz (guitars)
Seager Tennis (bass, vocals)
Dave Jarvis (drums)
G- How long has Mellow Bravo been a band and how did the project first come together? Do you remember the moment that you really felt the group “click?”
ST- The band was founded in 2009 and the group clicked from the first time we played together… Songs recorded during that first jam are still played at every single show, no lie.
G- You guys are heading to SXSW in a few days… How pumped are you about that? Where are you playing, and how can we come see you?
ST- We had our first SXSW experience last year and it was absolutely awesome! We met so many music lovers, bands, promoters, bartenders, locals, etc. etc. and we cannot wait to get down there again.
We are still lining up shows, but two that I can tell you for sure are The Small Stone Records Showcase, at HEADHUNTERS on Thursday, March 14th at 7pm and The Outlaw Roadshow on Saturday, March 16th, 3pm at RUSTY’s.
Small Stone is an awesome label out of Detroit (run by Scott Hamilton) that does a ton for us, and Outlaw Roadshow is produced by Ryan Spaulding of Ryan’s Smashing Life (Boston music blog) and Adam Duritz (Counting Crows.)
G- Can you give us a few examples of any bands or artists in particular that influence your style? Who do you typically like to listen to, and are there any acts you think we should know about?
ST – When it comes to us, we try to capture that SPIRIT of Classic Rock. Not the look or the sound, but the Rock n Roll spirit. We are simply trying to keep that alive.
As for bands you should know about? I will keep it as simple as I can: If you like Rock n Roll, support your local rockers. They are out their busting their asses for no money because they believe!
G- What is your writing process like, and who in the band typically comes up new music? Do you have a primary songwriter, or do you write music more organically through jamming during rehearsals?
ST – Writing new material can be as simple as a riff we all start playing really loudly in practice, or a completely tight and fully written song brought to the table by Keith, Andrew or anyone else. Our band policy is quality over quantity, you know? We are always aiming for the best possible material we can write at any given time.
G- Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? If you could only give 1 song to someone who’d never heard of you before, to try and make a new fan, what song would you give them and why?
ST – Well I am sitting here by myself and I think everyone would have a different answer, but I would pick “HIGHS N LOWS” from our first album STRUT. It captures all the elements of the band that we are trying to put across and it has endured for us through the years. Plus, we all love playing it and play it at every show.
It was on an episode of CSI: NY a few weeks ago and for all of us to watch our song on TV together is a big time thrill!
G- That’s awesome, man! Makes me wish I owned a TV J
Are there any bands or artists that you hope to share a bill with in the future?
ST – Anyone that is passionate about Rock n Roll and putting on a great live show for their fans.
G- Eloquent in its brevity and focus. Much respect, Seager!
What is the craziest or most memorable show that you have played to date? Where was it and what was it like?
ST – Easy! We played this local contest thing called the Rock N Roll Rumble here in Boston and directly after our set, Keith ran outside and jumped on top of a car with his acoustic and started singing. He brought the crowd out with him and they were just captivated by his voice and his playing. It was a couple years ago, but people still talk about it. We have amazing fans!
G- Lastly, what advice can you give some of the young, up and coming bands everywhere who want to make it in music, on the road, and as a professional musician?
ST – The best thing you can do is just ignore all the stuff you cannot control. Write the best material you can, put on the best live show you can, and be as nice to your fans as possible. No matter where your band’s career is at, you can always choose to do those above 3 things and, if you stick to it, good things will happen!
http://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-7
http://mellowbravo.bandcamp.com/
http://www.mellowbravo.tumblr.com/
LIVE HIGH FIVE 